Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 30th May 2021

 

Poor Snoopy, what a deprived life he leads - a bit like Lewis & Morse! Welcome to my last Autumn Dispatch, even though we've had a few wintry days, that season doesn't come upon us until Tuesday, and we will have our fingers & toes crossed that we get some snow sometime during the next three months.

Last Sunday when I left you it was still very cold, with frost on the lawn & garden. By the time we had visited the Sunday Market, and had a lovely breakfast at the Woodshed Café, it was thawing out & Daylesford was thronged with visitors everywhere - at the Market, in the cafés & shops & particularly at Lake Daylesford. We could barely get around, especially late morning, when we drove to Springs Medical Centre to get our flu injections (at last). We were lucky enough to score Beth Quinn, wife of our doctor, Greg Stewart, and she was happy to do both of us at once, and to give Wes THE pneumonia shot he was missing (Prevnar 13). We usually get our injections together & aren't sure how that happened, however it has now been fixed. 

We had decided not to go to see Collingwood & Port, especially as I was still so tired from our abortive attempt the day before, so we settled down to a few chores before watching three games of footy. The Pies lost by a point to Port after leading for most of the game. We just became too defensive & scared of making mistakes. 

Monday School was physical activity as we cleaned out a stationery drawer & the yellow cupboard at the front door. Both were treasure troves of surprises as well as throwouts & we felt much better once we had done it. Wes then swept up the Autumn leaves once again before washing both cars. 

Glen's girls - Nellie & Willow sharing a snooze in the sun

That afternoon we attended a celebration of our friend, Annie Smith's life, at the Convent Gallery. Annie's daughter, Fiona, and her family all came over from Freo & we were lucky enough to be two of the 100 guests they were able to invite. Annie had at least 300 Daylesford friends, which made it very difficult for Fiona to choose. We enjoyed catching up with some old friends & raising a glass of champagne to Annie at 5pm, her usual time for bubbles. 

On Tuesday morning, Wes walked the boys, so that I could chat with my aunt, Jeff, at 6.30am our time (9.30pm hers) & that worked well. I was able to prepare the boys' breakfasts before having a shower & making a pot of tea to lubricate the voice! Next was a good Zoom catch up with Leanne & we finished our call in time for me to speak with Jan Pengilley in Maleny. Our usual timeslot wasn't convenient for her, so we rescheduled for Friday morning. 

Then I went to see Alanna for a manicure before Wes & I collected Judi & drove to Ballarat to see the Australian film. "June Again", starring the wonderful Noni Hazelhurst. We three loved the film & are so pleased we saw it. It was pouring rain when we emerged and stayed that way until early the next morning. 

Early morning rituals - me putting coats & leads on Lewis & Morse

When we walked around Lake Daylesford on Wednesday, our way was blocked by fallen trees just past Monet's Bridge. The boys weren't too sure what was happening when we turned around & retraced our steps, but provided they got treats at the usual spots, they were happy. The small lake out the front of Lake House had broken its banks & the path was submerged in water in a couple of spots, which made for tricky manouevring.

After I did my rounds of deliveries, I had a fringe trim with Lyndal, who had been doing repairs to horse fences after the storm. Then Judi & I met to play Mah Jong at Muffins & More & had a most enjoyable morning, although we did miss Dot, who wasn't well enough to join us. We tried a variation suggested by the book we work from, which was to play a Goulash for the last game & instead of discarding tiles, to place them in their trays instead. Once we got used to it, it was easy & meant we had fewer tiles to pack away at the end of the game. 

On Thursday morning, it was a 5am start so that Wes could catch up with his Pom, Scot, Yank & Indian Zoom friends. I set off to Coles for my usual weekly groceries only to discover the carpark extra busy and customers walking out with large packs of toilet paper under their arms. At this time we didn't know if there would be a lockdown or for how long, but we did know that something had to happen with over 100 potential COVID sites, since an International traveller arrived in Melbourne & tested positive, after a fortnight's hotel quarantine in Adelaide.

Kathy & I had our usual Thursday morning Zoom chat & were joined by Squiz Murray, which was a lovely surprise. We all met when working for the Dept of Labour & National Service, back in 1972, and the friends we made from those four years I was in the Public Service have remained friends for life. 

Shortly afterwards the 7 day Victorian lockdown was announced & we were sorry to realise that for the second time in 12 months, our dear friend, Libby Edgoose, would be unable to catch up with family & friends. She lives in Queensland & we were to have seen her next Friday for lunch. We are sorry to miss her, but very pleased that the State Government has taken this step as the latest rash of COVID 19 positive tests is growing & there are too many hot spots for anyone to feel safe. 

I was meeting Judi & our friend, Sue Longley, for lunch at Bad Habits Café, and decided to walk there. I took my umbrella in case the rain returned, and rather bravely undertook the serious hill in Central Springs Road. Everyone I met on the way was pleased we were going into lockdown and I was most impressed when I arrived at The Convent Gallery to find masks indoors were already mandatory. We enjoyed wonderful service from Bec Walker, and very yummy lunches & were so pleased we managed our get-together before the lockdown.

As I was leaving to walk home, I received a text message from our pet shop, letting me know that the dog bed we had been interested in, had unexpectedly arrived at their shop. I rang Wes who picked me up & we went straight there, unable to get within cooee as everyone was still busy buying up toilet paper from Coles. 

We think Morse & Lewis rather like their new bed!

On Friday, we donned our masks before doing two rounds of Lake Daylesford & everyone we met was masked, which was very encouraging. It's just a shame that people can't get their injections easily now that they can see how important it is to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We enjoyed our first day of lockdown & I even cooked dinner for a change - mushroom & spinach cream sauce over penne. 

Yesterday, we did the same two rounds of the Lake and had plans for outdoor activities which we postponed, as it was cold enough for snow & no-one at our place wanted to go outside. We listened to the Coodabeen Champions before settling down to watch the footy. Meanwhile, our Freo friends, who are still here with lockdown, sent a photo of their new family member, Brodie, that they collected on Thursday. We are so pleased, because Maisie's death has left a large hole in their lives. 

Les with Brodie, a 7 month old male rescued kelpie

Collingwood & Geelong's total score of 14 goals, 28 behinds made for a very frustrating afternoon, especially as the Pies couldn't score a goal in the first half. Amazingly, we lost by only 10 points. Our neighbours, Dene & Rob delivered a piece of beautiful homemade lemon curd & passionfruit sponge during the last quarter, which lifted our spirits. 

We woke this morning to find that Essendon had beaten West Coast over in Perth, which is no mean feat. We were the only people out walking & we did two complete laps again, which really tires out Lewis & Morse. We're about to go to the Sunday Market, masked & distanced, before coming back home. We have our fingers crossed for the Blues against the Swans in Sydney this afternoon. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 23rd May 2021

 

We started our week with a lovely visit to the Sunday Market, followed by a fun breakfast at Woodshed Café, where David Castles put in an unexpected appearance, much to everyone's delight, as it is ages since we have seen him. We started discussing Newcastle (NSW) among other topics & discovered that David's band, Sidewinder, played many gigs there in the 70s & that he had known the town well. I wonder if Jane & David Knox, our Sydney friends, who were both born in Newcastle, ever went to see David sing. 

For some reason I had a burst of energy & made another pot of minestrone, baked a fruit cake, cooked rice & pasta for Lewis & Morse for the week, and did sundry other kitchen activities such as filling up jars with pasta, biscuits, muesli etc. It was quite a relief when the footy started & I could sit with my knitting & the open fire. Sadly the Blues weren't able to beat Melbourne, but a four-goal loss to the ladder leaders is a pretty good result. Essendon had a narrow win over Freo in the earlier game & West Coast were far too good for Adelaide in Perth. 

Quintessential Winter photo of Lewis & Morse

On Monday morning, we were about to start School, which was focussing on poetry when Carole Hardwick rang to say John's cancer had spread & he wanted Wes to know. Wes immediately decided to drive down the next morning & join John at his usual Tuesday morning tea at Chew Chew in Moonee Ponds. This got me thinking that I could go with him & visit Leanne instead of waiting until next Monday & that was appreciated by Leanne.

Our visits went well - Leanne & I solved computer issues together, while Wes was a very welcome guest at morning tea & John really appreciated him making the trip. We got back here in the early afternoon, in time for me to keep a facial appointment with Emma - my first since February, so we had lots of news to share with each other. 

The next day I had a Zoom chat with Terry Borg, who had very kindly agreed to postpone our usual fortnightly Tuesday chat, so we could go to Melbourne. Wes joined me & we enjoyed a fun catch-up before I headed off to play Mah Jong with Dot & Judi. This week's innovation was little rubber fish for us to brandish when we were 'fishing', which is the step before going Mah Jong. Meanwhile, Wes did more painting of the windows & doors on the decking & finished it off on Friday, as well as getting a first coat on the outside of our bedroom window.

Thursday was another social morning - after walking, shopping & making a pot of tea, I had a catch up with Kathy & Karen where we shared some wonderful laughs & reminisced about the knitting & crochet we had all done over time (Kathy & I were the knitters & Karen the only crochet star). This was brought on by a lovely photo sent to me by Joyce Spiteri, letting me know that tops I had knitted many moons ago were being used by her daughter, Jess, to clothe her twin sons, Oliver & Ethan, who turned 1 that day.

My next chat with by phone with old friend, Sherryn Danaher. It was so good to hear her voice & it will be lovely to see her if I can persuade her to Zoom next time! We caught up with some of our news until it was time to go as I couldn't stop coughing! Around that time we finally received the texts from Springs Medical Centre that we have been longing to get - flu injection appointments for us both, which is happening at 11.20am today. 

It was freezing on Friday when we did our two circuits of Lake Daylesford, frost crunching under our feet when we crossed the bridges and no-one around until just before we finished at 7am. The sun was out by the time we were ready to take the boys socialising, after I had another Zoom call, this time with Leanne. 

Wes with Morse at the Virgin Café

Yesterday didn't go quite to plan. We set off driving to the MCG to see Carlton play Hawthorn & discovered that the huge traffic hold-up we encountered after an hour was due to the Western Freeway being closed for 4 days. Apparently lots of us were completely unaware of these roadworks & it became obvious that we would not get to the MCG on time as Ballarat Road couldn't cope with all the traffic. We turned around & drove back home, arriving at the end of the 1st quarter. Lewis & Morse were delighted to see us, as they thought we would be gone for hours, which was why they had been given huge bones. 

Glen took this wonderful photo of Lewis staring through the fence at her yesterday afternoon

We ate our sandwiches & drank our tea from thermoses as we watched the rest of the game & saw Carlton beat the Hawks by 4 goals to record a very welcome win. The next match was worthy of a Grand Final as Adelaide won by 1 point over the previously unbeaten Melbourne at the Adelaide Oval. We were absolutely exhausted for some reason & only lasted a short time watching the Doggies & Saints. We were shocked to see this morning that the Western Bulldogs beat St Kilda by 111 points. 

We're just back from a very cold walk around Lake Daylesford & are heading to the Sunday Market, before catching up with Judi, Janine, Glen & Glenda for breakfast at Woodshed Café. Then we are having our flu injections & we'll see how we feel after that whether we head off to see Collingwood play Port Adelaide at the MCG (via the Calder Highway this time). 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 16th May 2021

 

We started last week not streaking, but quite cool when walking & at the Sunday Market, where the boys wore two of their 'new' coats courtesy of Yvonne. She was delighted to see them wearing the jackets her mother had made some years ago & gave them an extra big serve of shredded cabbage. I made my first Minestrone soup for the year & we've been enjoying it all week. 

Lewis & Morse had given me a big box of bulbs for Mothers' Day - mostly daffodils, so we planted them as School on Monday morning, as well as some Bush Peas, Broccoli, Freesias & Grape Hyacinths. Right on cue the rain came down just as we finished the planting, feeding & mulching & it continued on & off all day.

We enjoyed a great chat with Mike & Linda Kirby on Hope Island, Queensland, and discovered that Linda is the new Head of Entertainment for where they live. Their daughter Lauren's current boyfriend is a Victorian who barracks for Melbourne & has not known the Demons to play like this in his lifetime!

On Tuesday we took the big step of going to the Regent Cinemas in Ballarat to see a film. They offer a Senior's Card membership for $15, which covers you for 5 years & gives you reduced prices, opportunities to earn points & free films. We chose to see Six Minutes to Midnight, mainly because of Judi Dench & agreed afterwards that the title of the film was the cleverest part of it. It was very underwhelming, and although based on the true existence of a girls' school, the storyline was quite unbelievable & untrue. However, we celebrated having an outing & taking Pearl for a long drive in the rain!

Later that day, Wes visited Jeff Bain for a good catch-up chat, no doubt over a bottle of red, while I relaxed & started watching the wonderful series, Miss S, set in Shanghai, which Judi had alerted me to. It is a Chinese version of Phryne Fisher and even paid homage to Australian red wine in the very first episode. 

The sun came out on Wednesday, so Wes tackled some more painting of the sliding doors on the decking, while I delivered newspapers to Eganstown & Epicures & jars to Porcupine Ridge, before spending a fun morning with Dot & Judi playing Mah Jong. We had decided last week to try a few hands we've not attempted before, mainly because there are no illustrations for them. Judi proved the best at this, and both Dot & I are determined to get better & beat her next week!

We're running out of roses finally, but I managed to pick this small posy & a similar one for Dene this week

The time of the fortnightly Thursday morning chat that Wes has with Paul, Barry, Mike, Bill, Bala & Raghu has been changed to 6.30am, which means that we now get up at 5am to walk the boys. By the time we feed them breakfast & Wes gives them a quick post-prandial cuddle, he is ready for the Zoom chat, which he really enjoys. 

Meanwhile I went supermarket shopping at Coles, bought Dutch Cream potatoes & various pastas at Tonna's & arrived back home in time to put everything away before enjoying a 45 minute Zoom catch up with Kathy. Usually Karen Stevenson joins us, but she had another commitment, and we hope she is able to chat with us next Thursday. 

Lewis & Morse have re-instituted their serious game of chasey since we had some heavy rain. This involves Morse chasing Lewis until he gets him in a headlock & removes his collar. This game is only played the one way - Lewis never does the same to Morse. They are both so thrilled when the game is over & we have to scour the backyard looking for Lewis's black collar!

Typical post chasey behaviour!

On Friday morning, although it was cold, we did our two complete laps of Lake Daylesford (75 minutes), and during that time Morse managed to get his front foot through the neck of his coat. We decided to remove the coat altogether & I'll have to make sure it fits more snugly next time it's worn. Fortunately they have a supply of jackets & there were plenty to chose from yesterday. It was too wet to do socialising at Virgin Café, and they were very disappointed! Like their mother, they love routines. 

Collingwood started their game against Sydney very well & then fell in a heap, unable to kick goals & totally outplayed at the SCG. We were delighted to see North Melbourne finally have their first win for the season & for the Doggies to beat Port at the Adelaide Oval last night. Fingers crossed the Blues put up a good showing this afternoon against the Demons. 

Lovely photo of Jane & David Knox with Terry McDonald in the middle at the SCG before the game

Daylesford Mothers' Day Dispatch - Sunday, 9th May 2021

 

Our week started well with a fun visit to the Sunday Market, where Yvonne was delighted to see Lewis & Morse wearing their coats that her mother had made many years ago for dogs long gone. As we walked in a young man & his toddler were also arriving & the fearless toddler stopped to be licked & loved by the boys. It was a wonderful interaction all round. We were then joined by Janine & Glen (& briefly by Judi before her flu injection) for a most stimulating breakfast catching up on Glen's news & with a debrief from Wes of the launch of the True Crime app in Melbourne the day before. 

Morse & Lewis delighted to wearing their new jackets

That afternoon Carlton beat Essendon by 16 points in a close, exciting game at the MCG. Wes & all his Carlton supporter friends were very excited as they didn't really think the Blues would bounce back enough from the last few weeks. 

On Monday we looked at Winter planting of vegetables for our School session & later in the week visited Wombat Hill Nursery to get some seeds & seedlings. We haven't been particularly scientific with our plantings over the years, so we're trying to turn over a new leaf & check the online advice. 

This beautiful maple, the gift of Denise Robinson many years ago, continues to delight us each Autumn

I spent the afternoon sorting out all my wool - both Kathy Lazzaro & her friend, Maree Littlepage, had given me big bags of leftovers & I have now filled two large plastic containers with wool sorted by ply & colour. Keeping Daylesford Warm has folded as there is no-one available to take on the admin role, so both Kathy & I have been searching for somewhere else to take our offerings. Fortunately, Michelle Clifford who runs the Daylesford Community Op Shop was delighted to hear that I had hand-knitted garments, so I delivered them to her on Wednesday & she wants more.

This week we've had quite a few changes to our usual routines - Zoom chats have been cancelled, postponed or swapped & I took advantage of the free time to speak to local friend, Sue Longley, whose husband, Bill, died nearly one year ago. She is planning on getting a Burmese cat to keep her company, which is a wonderful idea. I did chat with Leanne twice, and had a great overdue catch up with Jan Pengilley in Maleny - we always have lots of stories & laughs to share. 

Jane & John's decking & the view from it in Hepburn Springs

Jane Barrett & I had been planning a get-together for nearly 6 months since she & John moved into their latest home in Second Street. We finally made it happen last Thursday morning & it was fine & sunny so we sat on the decking & enjoyed the view, along with some raspberry & apple cake from the Hepburn General Store. 

Wes had to buy a new ladder & he is loving it - especially now he is painting the outside of our doors & windows on the main decking. He is doing such a good job after years of thinking he couldn't paint. Lewis & Morse watch him from behind the glass, secure in the knowledge they will get a cuddle or two from him when he comes back in to rest. 

Here is our beautiful ornamental grape which has survived this week's winds & rain to produce its finest Autumn colours yet

He also arranged for his third cousin, Maryanne Phelan, to meet some of his first cousins via Zoom & that was a big success. Gary, Glenn & Amanda all joined the chat & were able to tell Maryanne where they fit in the family as well as hear her stories. Ancestry has been an amazing tool for so many people to find other family members as well as unknown info about their forbears. 

On Friday we decided to walk the boys in their "new" coats & they were quite delighted with that decision. We had a very long walk - it takes about 75 minutes to go around Lake Daylesford twice & their reward is to go socialising with us at The Virgin Café in Hepburn Springs. Our neighbour, Glen, joined us & we enjoyed an hour or so sitting in the beautiful gardens catching up & watching Lewis & Morse be spoilt by the wait staff. 

Yesterday, Collingwood finally recorded another win, albeit by 3 goals against bottom team, North Melbourne. North's coach, David Noble, is the father of one of our players, John, and history was against him. In the 9 or so AFLM & AFLW games where fathers have coached against their offspring, the offspring's side has always won. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 2nd May 2021

 

Lewis & Morse would be thrilled if Wes could do this for them every night!

When I left you last Sunday, we were heading off to the Sunday Market, where Yvonne had old dog coats to give me as well as sell me heaps of fruit & vegetables. We came home & changed & drove to Eganstown, 10 minutes away, for our favourite ANZAC Day service. This little hamlet started its own ceremony over 20 years ago & it has kept its charm - an open fire with billys boiling, tins of ANZAC biscuits, a piper, a bugler, a guest speaker & Sallie Harvey singing And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda, which never fails to bring everyone to tears. Local friend, Gordon Nightingale, spoke about The Night Witches, a Russian all-female Air Regiment. If you are interested in reading about these women, please click on this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Witches or youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAKETovlLbw

After some billy tea & biscuits, we headed back into Daylesford for the March & laying of wreaths at the Cenotaph. Wes & I had been asked by Catherine King, our local MP, to lay her wreath as she had to be at the Ballarat ceremony. There were over 50 wreaths, which is wonderful for our little town & both the Brass & the Pipes & Drums bands played beautifully. 

Back home we got changed for footy at the MCG & drove to Melbourne, arriving just as the entertainment started. Although we were up high, we were on the wing, with a great view of the play, which we enjoyed after all that time confined to what the TV screen chose to show us. There was a services band, a local band, an excellent ANZAC Day ceremony, and a stunning rendition of both the NZ & Australian National Anthems. 

This is one of my favourite moments in the match - both teams run out through one banner that commemorates the ANZACs

Although we got the early jump on the Bombers, we were no match for them once they got ahead, and were lucky to lose by only 24 points. The atmosphere around us was very friendly with no ill-will or bad scenes. As is usual here, Pies & Bombers fans sat side by side, and while they didn't always see things the same way, they barracked hard for their respective teams. 

We drove home, our first experience in night driving in Pearl, and found all the safely features a big help as it was a dark night. We were greeted by a woof from Morse, and both sets of neighbours assured me that the boys had been very well behaved while we were away. No doubt the giant marrow bones helped!

We were pleased to have a day at home on Monday. After School (where we worked out how to add photos to our Artwork Inventory) - while I did washing, computer and house chores, Wes gardened, moved the lemons trees under cover, cleaned our main decking & picked the rhubarb for me to cook. Lewis & Morse lost interest in both of us & spent their day finding the best sleeping spots. 

Our weeping Japanese maple certainly loves its new home in the garden - it has never been this bright red before! I took the photo at dawn which is why it looks fuzzy

The next morning after a wonderful Messenger chat with Jeff in Torksey Lock, Lincolnshire, and an equally good Zoom call with Leanne, we headed off to Geelong Gallery to see the Rone Exhibition. Callum Preston, son of our friends, Bobby & Marilyn, had made the set & his wife, Mo, produced the Exhibition. Mo suggested we might like to see it, so we bought tickets & used every minute of our hour's time. Tyrone is a superbly talented artist, who specialises in beautifying abandoned buildings inside & out. He is particularly skilled at "trompe l'oeil" - if you haven't seen this & can get to Geelong Gallery before it ends on 16th May, please do. 

Tyrone Wright in front of part of his piece de resistance at Geelong Gallery

We were lucky enough to have a catch up lunch with David Lazzaro at an Italian restaurant close to the Gallery when we were finished. It was so good to spend 90 minutes with him, hearing about how he & his family are going & the effect that COVID had on them all. We were just about to leave when our neighbour, Glen, sent this delightful photo of our stickybeaks.

On Wednesday, after doing my deliveries & pumping water at Leitches Creek, I joined Dot & Judi at Muffins & More for a lovely morning of Mah Jong. The other two had played last week while we were in Melbourne, and were quite cheeky about how they had ignored the rules that I so love & enforce. Back here, Wes got started on the upstairs decking painting the uprights & outside door frames & Morse!

After our regular Zoom chats, we both got some gardening done on Thursday & Friday, which were more beautiful sunny days after cold mornings. Wes mowed everywhere, watered, and we both got beds ready for Winter vegetable planting, which is going to be tomorrow's School topic. I had a fright when I couldn't open anything on my computer, but Wes worked out it was the mouse that was faulty, so we changed it & everything went back to normal. I have been meaning to get started on Trip Advisor, as we went to so many places while we were in Melbourne, and it was good to get a few reviews under my belt before I forget everything I liked or didn't like about where we visited!

Yesterday we headed off to Melbourne mid-morning, and Wes dropped me off at the MCG, where I was meeting Danny for lunch & the game. We had excellent seats on Level 2, but so enjoyed chatting over lunch that we just made it out to our seats before the match started. Once again the Pies weren't good enough & we lost by 24 points, which was flattering. 

Lovely photo of Danny at the Hugh Trumble café

Meanwhile, Wes parked Pearl near St Patrick's Cathedral & headed off to the Town Hall for the launch of "the world's first augmented reality  true crime experience" - a phone app on the Eastern Market Murder of 1899 of his great-grandfather, Frank Cartwright. The app takes you to 10 heritage sites & hidden laneways in Melbourne giving you an idea of what life was like at that time. Wes's cousins, Gary Testro & Amanda Testro, joined him for the launch, and enjoyed sitting together afterwards at Juliet Melbourne Wine Bar debriefing on the event & catching up. 

Lewis & Morse were delighted to see us when we arrived back home around 6pm, but once again giant marrow bones had kept them occupied. We were all in bed early after our big day & busy week, and are looking forward to a quiet Sunday at home together after the Sunday Market & breakfast with friends. Carlton play arch-rival, Essendon, this afternoon, so we'll be watching that with fingers & toes crossed.