Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 30th January, 2022

 

We started our week with a great trip to the Sunday Market, where Yvonne gave me a $2 refund from the previous week, when she blamed me for saying I had a cauliflower, when I really had a lettuce! We had a laugh, the boys enjoyed their cabbage leaves & we arrived back home with lots of fresh fruit & vegetables, as well as dog bones & treats. 

As soon as we had unpacked, washed everything & put it away, we gave the boys their bones and drove to Port Melbourne to see Karen & Malcolm's new apartment on the site of the old London Hotel. Kathy & Ged joined the four of us & what was promised to be an easy lunch of platters turned into a seafood extravaganza, all collected by Malcolm that morning at the South Melbourne market. We all loved the apartment & admired the many views of water, ships & greenery that the Stevensons enjoy from their many windows & balconies. 

Kathy, Ged, Malcolm, Karen & Wes about to tackle a very lavish seafood lunch

Stunning sunrise on Monday morning near the long pier

Pink, orange & lemon roses freshly picked from our back garden

On Monday morning, after enjoying the stunning dawn colours as we walked, and after I had shopped at Coles, we had School, which involved re-thinking the laundry & the items stored in it. We made some great decisions & each of us had jobs to do changing what is in some of the cupboards & drawers. Wes wants to wash down the walls, and probably repaint them, and I will give the inside doors a couple of coats of yellow paint to brighten them up. 

I had bought blueberry scones for morning tea (prefer the date scones but there were none & I don't like the look of the chocolate ones at all) and after that, Wes headed into the garden, in spite of the heat, to do some quick mowing & cleaning up, while I visited the Post Office and $2 shop for an inexpensive storage basket. It was so hot, I retreated into the lounge after that & watched the Australian Open tennis.

On Tuesday, it was just as hot, so we did our chores early before I zoomed with Leanne & later, Terry Borg. Both chats were great & we had some laughs. On Thursday Wes had a most enjoyable Zoom with Overseas Friends, while Kathy Lazzaro & I caught up before we each had appointments. 

This vase full of Little Red Riding Hood roses is at the front door

Barry the fisherman, enjoying sunrise on Tuesday

You know who doing you know what!

The rest of the week followed the same pattern - get into the garden early and avoid the muggy days. We did have 17mls rain over two nights with attendant storms, and then 40mls in one day & were lucky not to have any damage at our place. Sadly, our neighbour, Glen, wasn't so lucky, but her son, Jim, was there to help her & friends & family rallied.

I finally had my nails done by Juls, who had been isolating since catching COVID from her family over Christmas. As well Judi & I had a lovely catch up at Muffins & More and made plans to reintroduce Mah Jong this week. 

As well as the tennis, there has been AFLW to watch & the Women's Ashes Test match at Manuka Oval, Canberra. The girls are very skilful & I enjoy watching their games. Tickets to the ICC T20 Men's World Cup went on sale this week to MCC members, so I grabbed seats for Wes & I to see Australia play England, and for the Final. We are on the other side of the ground to where MCC members usually sit, but the tickets are on Level 2, under cover, & almost in line with the wicket. 

Yesterday we had breakfast at Muffins & More and discussed our plans for the upcoming week, which is a busy one, starting with a visit to Rosanna & David for morning tea today. We are so looking forward to catching up with them & meeting their Westie, Cooper. 

Last night, we watched Ash Barty break a 44-year drought & win the Australian Open Women's Singles Final in a stunning display against Danielle Collins, who played her heart out. To see Ash come back from 1-5 in the second set & take out the tie-break was amazing. We were too tired to stay up & see Kyrgios & Kokkinakos win the Men's doubles in straight sets. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 23rd January 2022

 

We started our week with a lovely visit to Leanne on Sunday - we arrived in time for morning tea, and Wes was able to give her some financial advice, before deadheading her roses (which she can't reach) & giving her garden a good soaking. Meanwhile she & I solved some computer issues, did a back-up, folded washing & re-organised a few things that were worrying her. We arrived home in time to watch the third & final day of the 5th Test, which ended in an easy win to Australia after the Poms capitulated. We are both sure they were just longing to get home after this difficult & largely unsuccessful tour.  

On Monday, for School, we watched Dame Carol Ann Duffy (former British Poet-Laureate 2009-2019) read some of her poetry at a University in America. We were rivetted by her stuff when we first saw her work on display in Edinburgh at the Queen's Gallery in 2015. Her poetry is modern, incisive & is best listened to being read by her with her wonderful Glaswegian accent. If you are interested, please follow this link (fast forward past the introductions) - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1kdQ_udxFg

Carol Ann Duffy

Child's jumper with cables that I've been knitting while watching the Ashes

Long-stemmed pink, yellow & variegated roses at the front door

We've had another enjoyable week with screen catch-ups - Wes spoke with Barbara on Monday & Friday afternoons; I chatted with Jeff & Leanne on Tuesday morning, and with Kathy, Karen & Squiz on Thursday morning. As well I had a good phone call with Janine (we do miss spending Sunday morning together at breakfast), and chatted with Dot, who is sounding so much better than she was & is recovering well from her big op. Meanwhile,  Wes & Terry McDonald played tag telephone until they finally connected on Thursday afternoon. 

I had a fringe trim, which was very necessary after four weeks, and had to postpone a manicure until next week, as Juls contracted COVID after all the members of her family had tested positive in the New Year. Judi & I had a lovely time at Muffins & More on Wednesday with tea & toasties sitting inside along with 2 other locals. (Wes & I had attempted to have breakfast there last Saturday, but they were short-staffed and we had to settle for muffins & hot drinks sitting on the footpath & chatting to the locals at 8am).

The Novak Djokovic saga had occupied the front pages of The Age for far too long & we were very relieved when he flew out. It is sad that the Australian Open is deprived of his tennis skills, but he needs to get vaccinated, like everyone else. We've got our fingers & toes crossed that Ash Barty makes the Women's Final.

Wes did some really difficult work in the garden on Wednesday while Sandra was cleaning (lovely to have her back after a month's break) He removed the yuccas & put the remains near the back fence to deter the boys from chatting (read barking) at visiting dogs. He cut up all the branches that had blown down in the recent winds & made sure everywhere was well-watered. 

Wes took these lovely photos of our back yard with roses in abundance

Danny Millman sent me a message letting me know that our original neighbour at 76 Duke Street, Russell, had died of COVID. We didn't have a lot to do with him, as Serendip was often rented out on the short-term accommodation market, but he was a keen gardener & laid the groundwork for the beautiful garden that Glen now has, after lots of work by her & her gardener, Patrick. 

Wes had a lovely afternoon fishing at Lake Daylesford on Wednesday - he set off with all his gear, a thermos & a promise to return with a brace of fish. Meanwhile I refreshed our herb beds on the decking & planted fresh Italian parsley seedlings. No brace emerged, but he had some special chats & two offers of fish from other fishermen 🤣🤣. That night we sat rivetted as Glenn Maxwell carried his bat in the Stars final T20 - he hit 154 & broke numerous records along the way - most 4s, highest score etc

Meanwhile, our neighbour, Glen, has had members of her family come to visit including her daughter, Jess, with son, Donnie & daughter, Marlowe, and her son, Jim, later in the week. Glen sent me these wonderful photos of Donnie left & her elder daughter, Sarah, with Marlowe.

On Friday night we watched the AFLW Pies beat Geelong in a very exciting, hard-fought win at Kardinia Park. I think this must be the best start to a season for us - three wins in a row & we were missing both our captains & some of our best players. 

That afternoon, I had listened to an audio from the Melbourne Cricket Club, reminiscing about the 1977 Centenary Test, which I was lucky enough to attend. It is memorable for so many reasons - Rick McCosker's broken jaw which didn't stop him from batting in the second innings; Dennis Lillee's 11 wickets; David Hookes hitting 5 successive fours off Tony Greig; Derek Randall's magnificent innings of 174, and the winning margin by Australia of 45 runs being identical to the margin in the first Test in 1877.

After I had listened, I searched You Tube and found an hour documentary, with all the highlights of the game. All past Australian & English Test cricketers were invited to Melbourne, and the Queen arrived in time for tea on Day 5, where she was presented to all the players and Lillee, famously, asked her for her autograph. 

Everyone smiling as Greg Chappell (C) behind the Queen introduces Dennis Lillee - the bandaged Rick McCosker is on his right

Yesterday was hot, so we both did gardening early, and I walked down to the Daylesford Rotary Farmers' Market in the grounds of the Primary School. Wes washed the boys, who dried quite quickly & promptly fell asleep as they do after their morning walks. In the afternoon, Wes & Jeff Bain went fishing at Newlyn Reservoir with Jeff's friend, James. Once again, there was no brace of fish, but they had a lovely time. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 16th January 2022

 

It's no contest as far as I'm concerned!

We started our week with a lovely walk around Lake Daylesford, followed by our usual trip to the Sunday Market, early, as not too many people are obeying the instructions to check in, be masked & sanitise. Yvonne always has the bulk of our order ready for us so we can shop quickly, which we appreciate. 

We spent the rest of the day glued to the Cricket as a battered, bruised & injured England team survived to record a well-deserved draw. Our teams were playing in the AFLW opening round during the cricket, so we taped the game, avoided looking at our phones & watched the replay. Carlton started well, but Collingwood eventually got on top & won - a victory that was soured by an ACL injury to our co-captain, Brianna Davey. 

Me with the coveted Maloney Cup after the game

Long-stemmed pink, mauve, orange & red roses from our garden

Lewis & Morse surveying their backyard & planning their next moves

There seemed to be fewer visitors in Daylesford this week - the pharmacy was back at full strength, but Koukla was closed for a couple of days, no doubt for a deep cleanse & Pancho decided to just offer takeaway to protect their staff. Some places re-opened this week like Muffins & More, the Wombat Hill Nursery, the Wombat Hill Florist & Mind Your Pet. We continued to be wary, donning our masks whenever we were outside our home.

On Monday we started School again after three weeks' break. I had asked Wes to show me how to activate my Google Pixel Buds as I hadn't used them in weeks & forgotten everything! We couldn't get started on the desktop until Wes suggested I attach them to my mobile. At that point I was told there was a big upgrade to be done & once it was completed I was connected to my computer & when I went upstairs, to the TV. Hooray!

That afternoon Wes went to Ballarat to see his cardiologist, where he expected to be given good news as his ultrasound & ECG had been excellent. The specialist couldn't find his results, so Wes told him he wouldn't be going until he did find them & magically they appeared. The upshot was that his heart is functioning perfectly. 

We did receive the sad news from Judi & Michael that their dog, Major, aged 17, had been put to sleep gently that afternoon. He has managed to cope with all sort of health issues, but finally it was time for him to go & lovely that Judi was there with him at the end. 

It's been busy with Zoom again - I spoke twice to Leanne & we are off to visit her later this morning; I also caught up with Terry Borg & we had lots to chat about as we hadn't spoken since before Christmas; Kathy, Karen & I enjoyed a good weekly catch up & Wes had his usual chats with Barbara, as well as the first New Year get-together of Overseas Friends. 

The Mazda 6 is going in for service tomorrow morning, which is great, as the engine oil light came on again, so we had to stop driving it on Tuesday. Wes walked to his dental appointment on Wednesday as I had made plans to see friend, Sue Longley, and meet her cat, Coco, before visiting local artist, Brian Nash, and choosing this year's cards from his latest paintings. Lewis & Morse are confused that we don't get into the car in the mornings, but are happy to walk to Lake Daylesford, although we all find the hill on the return trip slows us down.

Me on Friday morning with Pink & Red roses for Dene

Pink lilies

Lewis & Morse with a new Christmas friend

We've been glued to the 5th & final Ashes Test being played in Hobart. How lovely for Tassie to get its first ever Ashes Test - the crowds are turning up & the Poms feel at home with the weather there & are playing accordingly. Both our AFLW teams won yesterday, but we had to tape the games again & have only seen snippets because the Test is taking priority. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 9th January 2022

 

Another Peppermint Pattie special - quite topical these days!

We enjoyed our New Year's Day, especially as there had been no fireworks at the Lake House & I didn't even hear car horns tooting or any other disruptive noises, so happily slept through until 5.25am when we rose to take the boys on their walk. We noticed a warning light on the dashboard of our elderly Mazda 6 & discovered it needed engine oil. After two bottles of the correct oil didn't stop the warning light, we read that we couldn't drive the car as it was too dangerous. Pearl was getting quite a workout as a result, until we checked again after a couple of days & the light had gone out. 

Last Sunday, we walked the boys to the Lake and they coped with our hill, probably better than we did. I went to the Sunday Market on my own, having warned Yvonne that we wouldn't be bringing Lewis & Morse, as she usually has a tray of chopped cabbage ready for them. She gave me some to take home to them, which they appreciated. Meanwhile, Wes watered all the pots at #80, as well as our vegetables & seedlings, which were all suffering in the heat. 

At last I have a photo of us with Manny & Joyce at their 50th Wedding Anniversary in November - thanks to their grand-daughter, Mia, who sent this to me

Morse ushering in the New Year with one of his contortions!

New Year's Eve at the Maloneys - crayfish, fresh bread, prawns & broccolini with glasses of Cofield Sparkling Shiraz

Glorious photo of our dear friend, Tom Tyrrell, catching up with all his girls in Calliope, Qld, post Christmas - Becky is nursing Violet, Tom has Alice & Emily is holding Matilda

We had a most enjoyable lunch at Jackie's on Vincent with Judi & Michael - something we used to do more regularly than once every two years. Jackie & Lisa were putting the chairs up on tables to clean before we realised it & two hours had flown by. 

The rest of our week has been most relaxing, before we get back into routine - lots of gardening, with Wes doing the lion's share & me managing to deadhead the roses & occasionally fill a vase with a new selection.

Here is a vase of apricot & yellow roses with the odd pink tinge!

I came back from the cricket with a very stiff neck & managed to get a massage appointment with Sarah Hunt, daughter of our neighbour, Glen, on Tuesday afternoon. She did wonders and I walked out feeling much better & have made regular appointments for the rest of this year. After 20 years of having remedial massages, I haven't had one for 18 months, since Nick Massaro retired, mostly because I hadn't found someone that I felt comfortable with who would be able to help me. 

 On Wednesday afternoon we finally had our Pfizer booster shots at Springs Medical Centre, at a time when Daylesford has 60 cases of COVID, including most of our local pharmacists. We thought our appointment would interrupt watching Day 1 of the Sydney Test, but it kept being stopped by rain, so we missed nothing but amusing repartee from Kerry O'Keeffe & Mark Howard on Fox. Our only reactions were slightly sore spots where we had been injected & a good night's sleep!

We were very sad to read of the sudden death of old friend, Russell Badham, after a short battle with lung cancer. We had some wonderful times with Russ & his wife, Marg, as well as taking prestige Australian wines to Raffles Hotel, Singapore, on Russ's behalf. 

It's been a busy week with Zooms - I spoke to Leanne twice, Jeff in Lincolnshire, Jan in Maleny & Kathy in Burwood, while Wes had his twice weekly chats with Barbara in NZ & a lovely cousins catch up with overseas & Australian rellos. I usually cook when he has this Zoom as it is at 5.30pm our time & he knows he will get special fried rice with prawns or pasta with pine nuts & mushrooms. 

We had been due to catch up with Rosanna & David this morning, but they were close contacts of friends with COVID after attending a New Year's Eve party & we have had to postpone. We're off to the Sunday Market shortly & will have a quiet day at home watching the last day of the Test, (where the Poms have shown some spirit at last as exemplified by Bairstow's fighting century), as well as the opening round of the AFLW, where Collingwood & Carlton are once again meeting at Princes Park. 

Wes watching the cricket with Morse & Lewis

Daylesford New Year Dispatch - Saturday, 1st January 2022

 

And thank God he is - keeping us entertained for another year

Thank you to everyone who touched base with us this Christmas - we received lots of lovely cards, emails, ecards, messages & phone calls - all of which we appreciated. This was a great Christmas Day for us both - we got to speak with family & friends, attended Liam Thorneycrofts' CFA fund-raiser at Cliffy's, spent a happy lunch time with Leanne in Strathmore & Karen was able to be a spectator at yet another memorable MCG test. In terms of atmosphere it is up there with each day of the 1977 Centenary Test & Day 2 of the 2013 Trent Bridge Ashes Test where a very young Ashton Agar, in his debut, batting at #11 made 98 (even the English commentators wanted him to get a century - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5420hqLyqw). 

Wes, Karen & Leanne enjoying bon bons, poppers, whistles, King Island crays & prawns & Christmas pudding with brandy butter

Lewis & Morse hearing my voice on the phone & later with Yvonne at Wheatsheaf getting cuddles, when Wes collected our usual order from her

Staying at The Hotel Windsor, 10 minutes walk from the MCG, was a special treat, and I might have to make it my official home away from home. Each day I left the hotel early, turned left & walked to the World Heritage listed Carlton Gardens, which house our beautiful 1880 Exhibition Buildings & our modern 2000 Museum. The gardens are bounded by Rathdowne, Carlton, Nicholson Streets & Victoria Parade & have jacarandas, shady tree-lined avenues, a majestic fountain, man-made lakes & formal flower beds. It was a delight to spent time there as it is with our others - Fitzroy, Flagstaff & Botanic Gardens.

The cricket was wonderful entertaining & the atmosphere remarkable during all sessions - we were on top, then the Poms bowled magnificently, and then we were seriously on top & Scott Boland took 6/7, which even in his wildest dreams, was never something he considered. We have been to Harrow (in Victoria) & visited the museum there which is dedicated to the Aboriginal Team that was the first to tour England back in 1868. Scott was awarded the Johnny Mullagh medal as the best player of the Boxing Day Test, and, with his aboriginal background, was doubly honoured. 

The Australian Squad celebrating with a victory lap of the G

On top of all this, I enjoyed catching up with friends - both Gayle Gibson & Laurie Wordsworth in the MCC; Kathy & Gerard Lazzaro plus Karen & Malcolm Stevenson joined me for breakfast at the Windsor on Day 3 (a tradition of some years' standing & Ged goes to the match as well), and breakfast with my mate, Danny Millman, also a tradition, and also at the Windsor. 

Meanwhile Wes walked the boys here each morning, fed them their meals, looked after our garden, watered Rob & Dene's pots, watched the cricket when he could, and stayed in touch with me & others. I came home to a clean house & only had to do my washing to get back in the swing of things. 

On Thursday, Wes had an ultrasound at the Daylesford Hospital, on the advice of our now retired doctor, Greg Stewart, who thought it would be a good thing to do. We were both much relieved when it showed no abnormalities and he feels better about his appointment with a cardiologist in a fortnight. Meanwhile, our dear Daylesford friend, Dot Smith, has had open heart surgery in Melbourne Private hospital just before Christmas & is recuperating slowly but surely. 

Lovely recent photo of Dot showing off at Mah Jong with two bouquets of Flowers & Seasons

Last night we enjoyed more King Island crays & prawns with fresh bread & broccolini, followed by Christmas pudding & brandy butter. It was a lovely meal for a very hot night & we think it could easily become a tradition. We are very lucky to have a local fish shop that sources wonderful seafood, as well as offering great fish & chips. 

We've just returned from our walk around Lake Daylesford, which we usually approach with some trepidation. I have filled two small bags with rubbish yesterday in the hope that would encourage visitors & locals to leave the area as clean as they found it. It wasn't too bad this morning - only two big bags, filled mostly with drink bottles, masks, strawberry containers & wipes.