Definitely a first world bird problem!
We started our week quietly, after pacifying Morse with an early visit to the Daylesford Sunday Market in the rain. I always feel so sorry for the stallholders on mornings like that, where the wind is whipping up the protective canvas shelters and you can't escape the cold and wet. We spent well at Yvonne's stall and then bought eggs & dog treats from Jeff's stall.
Later that day, Carlton continued on their winning way, with a demolition of Freo over there, much to Wes's delight. They were slow to start, which was very frustrating, but it must have been much worse to be a Freo supporter watching their team disintegrate.
Overnight, the Poms batted magnificently to beat the Aussies at Headingley, Leeds, winning with over a day to spare, and keeping the quest for the Ashes alive. Mark Wood was a worthy winner of Man of the Match with his 7-wicket haul. Many of us will be delighted to go back to normal sleeping patterns for a while, as the 4th Test, at Old Trafford in Manchester, doesn't start until Wednesday, 19th July. Even Greta Bradman, starting her shift on Sunday morning on ABC Classic radio, suggested that many in her audience would need some gentle waking up music after long nights transfixed by the action over in England.
Morse relaxing in the Jason recliner in the study
On Monday we settled down for a serious School session, finalising our Executor Dossier, reviewing our wills, scanning everything and sending it all to our local solicitor, Adrian Tinetti. We prepared the dossier as a useful tool should we die together, but also as a help for whoever is left behind, should we die separately. There is so much to do, and it seems a good idea to put it all down in writing, with as much information as possible, to make the work as easy as it can be for whoever has to do it. We have vowed to review our wills & dossier every 12 months to make sure they are up to date.
We haven't been quite as social as last week, but have both enjoyed Zoom contacts. Wes has spoken with Barbara Simpson in New Zealand; Old School Friend, Leo Jeffers, in America; Helen Hanrahan in Melbourne; Bob Mathews in Lockhart, and his Cousins Zoom with Libby in Sweden & Gary in Maribyrnong. I haven't been quite as prolific - but I did catch up with Leanne in Strathmore, and Old Friends - Kathy, Karen & Joyce, all in Melbourne via Zoom. On Friday we visited Rob & Dene in Ballan for an overdue catch up, which we all enjoyed, especially Morse, who was allowed to sit on the couch next to Rob, while we tucked into home-made biscuits & sausage rolls.
Yesterday, Wes drove me to Ballan Station to catch the train to the MCG to see Collingwood play Fremantle. The train was packed and I was lucky to get a seat, next to the only other masked person in the carriage. When we arrived at Southern Cross Station, I discovered that there were no trains going to Flinders Street, and I had to catch a Glen Waverley train which took me to Richmond Station and a 15-minute walk to Gate 2. I overheard many tales of woe, as so many others had been inconvenienced by the random closure of stations, including those in Collingwood's heartland. Over 61,000 fans made their way to the MCG somehow to witness an easy win for the Pies after a 10-goal second quarter.
Most of the fans were eating lunch or sheltering from the cold when the teams came out to warm up
Field Umpire Brett Rosebery celebrated 500 games and was given a Guard of Honour by the players of both teams as he left the ground. What a wonderful achievement - he has umpired in 9 Grand Finals & not surprisingly, is an AFL Life Member.
I decided to come home early as I wanted to avoid the heavy rain that was predicted and I also wanted to make sure I got to Southern Cross Station in time to catch one of the few trains available to get me back home. Wes very kindly agreed to pick me up at Woodend Station, and when we arrived back here, we settled down to watch the Carlton game on delay. What a triumph for the Blues and their supporters - a 50-point demolition of the second team on the ladder - a side that had won 13 matches in a row.
Umpire Brett Rosebery
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