Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 25th August 2024

Poor Linus - Snoopy is far too smart for him!

When I left you last Sunday, we were heading off to the Daylesford Market, where we bought lots of fruit & vegetables, caught up on some local gossip, discussed a few footy games, and came back home to put everything away before driving to Strathmore to visit Leanne.

We had a good visit - I was able to help her with a couple of queries on her mobile phone, we emptied a plastics cupboard that had gotten out of control, and discovered that my younger sister, Paun, had given Leanne a USB with a couple of films for her to watch and she didn't know how to access them. We solved that and she was delighted. We also showed her how to access her photos on the TV, which is digital, but not a Smart TV. 

On the way home, we bought a quiche at Gusto Bakery for dinner, and a raspberry cake for afternoon tea. Then we travelled to Essendon North to pick up some Maltese pastizzi, only to discover the lovely café had closed its doors. I'll have to persuade Danielle at Tonna's to get some in for us again, as she did during COVID. 

From the top - hellebores and têtê-a-têtês on Lewis's grave, and mass daffodils bordering the back lawn

Late in the afternoon, we settled down to see if Carlton, who were fielding an inexperienced team, could beat West Coast Eagles over in Perth. Amazingly, they didn't just beat them, they won handsomely, and one of the two debutants, Ashton Moir, looks as though he has the X factor needed to succeed in AFL footy. 

On Monday, after supermarket shopping, we sat down with our scrolls and hot drinks to discuss what to do with our herb pots on the verandah. This was School for this week, and we nutted out a solution. The possums have been getting to all the herbs and killing them, so we moved the pots away from easy access at the railing and plan to cover them to protect them from future damage. Wes did all the hard work on this, I just replaced the herbs we had lost & planted them in the freshly-prepared pots.

We were very sad to read of Black Caviar's death at 18, after giving birth. She was such a wonderful horse, unbeaten in 25 starts, and we all took her to our hearts, as she was so brave, even winning at Royal Ascot. Her foal died two days later.

We woke to light rain on Tuesday morning, but Wes took Morse for a run while I chatted with my aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock. Afterwards I caught up with Leanne, who was pleased with what we had done on Sunday, and looking forward to her week. The rain bucketed down, which made for an inside day!

It was Brigadoon on Wednesday, and didn't lift until 10.30am. Judi was unable to play Mah Jong, so I returned home after my fringe trim. Wes & Morse went & pumped mineral water for me and we both tried to buy some herbs from Wombat Hill Nursery, but it wasn't open. Obviously a quiet mid-week in Daylesford. 

On Thursday morning, we had an early start so Wes could be ready for his Jackson Group Zoom at 7am. The topic was "Living in a Post-Shame World", led by Mike Hodson, and it produced a robust discussion, which ran out of time before it was over. 

Our new neighbours at #77 gave me this beautiful fruit basket that afternoon, because they are grateful that I put out & bring in their bins for them. They are weekenders and I give them peace of mind. What a lovely generous thought - with a gorgeous card to boot!

I had suggested to Wes that we have breakfast at Muffins & More on Friday, after my Zoom with Leanne, and he agreed. We invited our neighbour, James, to join us, and he was pleased to experience a locals' café with us. We met a few characters on the way in and while we were there. He had brought us home a gift from Japan to thank us for looking after #80 for them while they were away, so we shouted him breakfast and he loved the pancakes.

Finally - enough daffodils to fill a vase this week!

That night Collingwood played their last game of the season at the MCG against Melbourne. We celebrated with fish & chips & a vintage Cofield Sparklng Shiraz, and the Pies put on a display worthy of the reigning Premiers. At 10pm, the game was stopped for 27 minutes as lightning was in the area. We turned the TV off at that stage, as we were too tired to wait, and I watched the remainder of the last quarter yesterday. 

As usual, Morse & friend were rivetted by the footy!

We enjoyed some sunshine most of Saturday. I walked up to the Daylesford Primary School to support the monthly Rotary Farmer's Market & came home with vanilla slices for afternoon tea. Wes had hoped to attend a couple of poetry sessions as part of the Words in Winter Annual Festival, but when he checked, the programme had been changed and the poetry reading was no longer available.

There are three wonderful games of footy this afternoon, and until they are played we won't know the make-up of the Final 8. Carlton plays in the middle, against St Kilda, who have produced some good footy recently, so it will be a hard-fought match. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 18th August 2024

So that's why dogs gravitate towards sunny patches to sleep!

We started our week with a fun Sunday. After the Daylesford Market, we met Fiona & Les & their dog, Brodie, at the Cemetery, where we strolled around in the sunshine, catching up on news, while Morse & Brodie played chasey to their heart's content. We then drove to Kyneton, where the daffodils are out in force, and stopped at their Woolworth's to see if they had packets of Tassal Smoked Salmon pieces for cooking as Coles no longer stocks them. Hooray, we were in luck and I snaffled all 9 packets with glee. Dinner that night was Wes's signature dish of spaghetti & smoked salmon, and we couldn't get enough of it. Neither the spaghetti nor the salmon has been available for about 3 months. 

Carlton just didn't turn up in their must-win game against the Hawks that afternoon. Wes was so disgusted he stopped watching before half-time, which was probably good, as things only got worse!

On Monday, after I had done the weekly shopping, we had a chat about our meals and decided to do a little tweaking. Tuesdays used to be curry nights, but since my geographic tongue issue, chillies have been off the menu. I need bland meals and Wes is longing for more interesting fare. While I was out after our chat, I visited the Wombat Hill Nursery and bought three pink lavender bushes, plus two punnets of pleasure - primula & pansies, which were all planted after the mowing had been done. 

Glorious pink camellia given to us by Marjorie Atkinson many years ago

On Tuesday, I visited my optometrist again, and we decided to go ahead with cataract surgery on my left eye. I've made an appointment with a specialist in a fortnight's time, and hope that the surgery can happen in plenty of time before we drive to Adelaide for the Test against India in December. Meanwhile Wes & Morse went for a drive to Trentham to collect horse manure for the roses and came home with plenty. 

The hellebores covering Lewis's grave have really loved this Winter & are looking very happy indeed

On Wednesday, I decided to see how I would pull up if I did 100kms driving, as I feel guilty not sharing the drive to and from Leanne in Strathmore. I set off at 7.30am; "stole" some lemons locally; delivered newspapers to Spring Park Nursery in Eganstown for their bare-rooted roses; drove to Ballan to drop off lemons & jars for Rob & Dene, and finished up with a trip to Porcupine Ridge to leave Epicures & The Local for the Massaros. 

I arrived back at Muffins & More early, so had tea and a toastie, while waiting for Judi to play Mah Jong. We had a fun morning, each winning games and I came home. After lunch, I found I was too exhausted to sit up and went to bed at 2pm. It seems that 100kms is too far to drive at present!

The latest crop of beanies - the purple beret got lost in the background!

As it was warm on Thursday morning, 9° at 6am, I joined Wes & Morse on their early morning walk at Daylesford Cemetery. Morse was so excited to see me getting dressed, putting on boots and getting in the car with him, he couldn't stop "talking". We all enjoyed it and the sunrise was spectacular. 

Wes had a 7am Zoom with Paul Jackson in the UK and when he finished, it was time for my fortnightly catch up with Terry Borg, in Burwood. We had a most enjoyable chat and the time flew by too quickly. I grabbed a pot of tea before my next Zoom - Old Friends - where Karen S had the exciting news that her daughter, Celia, had given birth to a daughter the day before. Maeve Winter arrived safely and has been very warmly welcomed by her older sisters, Isla & Olive.

Wes had a most enjoyable lunch at the Pig & Whistle Hotel in East Trentham, with old school friend, Leo Jeffers, who was visiting from America, and brought along another old St Bernard's boy, Michael Brasher. The food was good, the place was busy and the publican made himself known to Wes before apologising that Fox Footy was showing a replay of the Carlton/Hawthorn game on their big screen!

On Friday, after my Zoom chat with Leanne, and during a break in the rain, I drove to Ballarat to visit Kathmandu and replace my two black vests with new models, which I did successfully. I picked up a bottle of Jameson whisky for Wes while I was there, which went over well on my return. 

It was Wes's turn to drive to Ballarat yesterday morning. He went to the freezer under the house and discovered we were out of fish, so made an emergency trip with Morse to replenish supplies. Whenever he goes to Ballarat, he always visits Golden Nugget Bakery and picks up a couple of vanilla slices. Yum 😋😋

Late in the afternoon, Collingwood played Brisbane at the MCG, and after being headed all game, won it in the last 3 minutes, in a very exciting finish. Thanks to everyone who sent me messages, I appreciated them all. St Kilda managed to beat Geelong that night, which was most unexpected, and we continue to be unsure of the make up of the Final Eight with one round to play. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 11th August 2024

 
Birds on Bicycles!

I was happy to say goodbye to Gordon House last Sunday morning, but did enjoy a brisk walk around town before I left. Starting in Little Bourke Street, I wandered down Swanston and then Flinders and hit the Treasury Gardens, where I found a beautiful Memorial Garden dedicated to our Emergency Services. 

from the top - entrance, overview, water feature

Needless to say I was very pleased to see Wes & Morse pull up outside the Princess Theatre at 10am to bring me back home. There was a big accident on the Calder Highway just after Green Gully Road, so we diverted via the Old Calder & Melton Highways to the Western Highway and arrived home about 15 minutes later than planned, which was better than being stuck in stationery traffic. 

Wes presented me with the Maloney Cup when we walked in the door, which was very kind, as he was bitterly disappointed with the loss. I unpacked, had lunch, did a load of washing & was in bed by 3pm, recovering from my very late night. Wes cooked a beautiful prawn pasta dish and I watched footy & Olympics until I fell asleep. 

We woke on Monday to find a grey day, but no frost. I did the supermarket shopping & other chores before we sat down to our scrolls & hot drinks for breakfast. Wes took care of some outside cleaning activities and I cleaned the kitchen before retiring for the day!

It was Brigadoon on Tuesday until mid-morning, not icy, but cold and dark for the early walk. I had a good chat with Jeff in Torksey Lock, followed by a Zoom with Leanne, who was looking good & very thrilled to see Morse, as well as me, when she came online. Wes spent the morning giving the front garden a prune & shape, while I discovered I had no energy left, so cancelled the rest of my day's activities and took it easy.

Above - bush peas happy in the greenhouse, and below - our first and only daffodil in the Golden Anniversary garden

We had arranged that Wes would collect John Smith on Wednesday morning & bring him to Muffins & More for coffee & a toasted sandwich before Mah Jong. It went well and John seemed to enjoy himself very much, and was pleased to see Judi & receive her condolences. Judi & I shared the games we won and I left her waiting for friends to join her for lunch.

Most mornings I go for a walk around the main streets of Daylesford before or after I check our PO Box. Sadly, quite a few shops are becoming or staying empty. So many businesses survived COVID, but they haven't been able to continue on as many of us rein in our spending. Colour Me Cooper is the latest place to close its doors - it had two shops and the bigger one in Howe Street, which has been around for nearly 20 years, is the one to go.

Wes enjoyed a very successful Zoom with the Jackson Group on Thursday morning, where the topic was The View from South-East Asia, presented jointly by Prasad & Rod. I followed him with an Old Friends Zoom, where I was joined by Kathy, Lib, Karen S & Joyce. Afterwards I visited Juls in Hepburn for my monthly manicure - she never stops talking, but in the gaps I have managed to convert her to footy & following Collingwood. Provided the games are close, she is a convert!

Our first daphne - there were enough sprigs to give Glen a small vase as well

Collingwood travelled to Sydney to play the Swans on Friday night, and after a slow start, took the lead and held it until the final 5 minutes of the game. That kind of loss is always hard to bear, as we supporters were daring to dream that our tilt at the Finals might not be over!

Yesterday I finished another wonderful book by Tracy Chevalier, called The Glass Maker, which is set on the island of Murano, near Venice. It is an amazing story that follows the fortunes of a family of glass-makers over 6 centuries, with incredible detail. I found it hard to put down, like all her books, which are so well-researched and edited. Thanks to Kathy Lazzaro for the recommendation.

We spent a quiet day after our late night watching the footy - there is always Saturday's Age newspaper which takes some time to read, and more games of footy in the afternoon & evening, as well as Olympic highlights. So far this round, the biggest margin in the footy results has been Geelong over Freo by 11 points, every other game has been under a goal.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 4th August 2024

Every dog's wish!

We had a good visit with Leanne last Sunday - drove through some heavy rain, but it had cleared by the time we got to Strathmore. After scrolls, hot drinks & a good chat, Wes pruned the roses, while I helped Leanne with her desktop & mobile phone issues, and we solved just about everything. We arrived back here in time to see Collingwood register a much-needed win against the depleted Tigers at the MCG. Afterwards we watched a replay of Day 1 of the Olympics.

Morse rivetted by the Olympics

On Monday, we had to postpone School, as I had a podiatrist's appointment to make up for the one 10 days ago, where Peter hadn't turned up. It wasn't his fault, as he had notified Springs Medical that he would be unavailable, but they had not let his patients know, so he put in a morning's extra work to cater for us all. After that I was due for a remedial massage with Sarah, which was excellent as usual & I came home feeling very pampered. Wes, in the meantime, pruned all 123 roses, in a huge effort made easier by our Green waste bins.

Old friends - Joyce & Manny Spiteri with their family - Mark, Shane, Matthew & Jessica and their spouses and offspring - 18 in all at Mia's 21st

The next morning was -1°, but turned into a beautiful sunny day, which meant more time in the garden. The Green bins had been emptied and are now full again. I had an early Zoom with Leanne, followed by my regular monthly catch up with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, where it was 11° and she was wearing a jumper. We had a fun chat with lots of laughter, and I was sorry when we had to say goodbye.

Lovely photo of our dear friend, Gayle Gibson, overwhelmed with flowers on her birthday this week

Our next move was to visit John Smith, Dot's husband, who is back at home in Hepburn Springs after being in hospital for a while since her funeral. We had a good chat, shared some memories, and were pleased to be able to help him by taking his Webster packs to the pharmacy to have some missing tablets added. They did that quickly for us and we were able to drop the packs back well before he needed them. 

Judi & I had a most enjoyable morning of Mah Jong on Wednesday, starting off with brunch before we played. It was a while since we had been able to catch up and had lots to talk about before we settled down to the serious business of the game. I discovered, listening to ABC Classic radio the next day, that 1st August is International Mah Jong Day - when I mentioned this to Heen, the owner of Muffins & More Café, she suggested we change our day next year so we are playing on the celebration day. 

Fresh from his success pruning the roses, Wes spent a very sunny Thursday morning getting stuck into the fruit trees. Meanwhile, I caught up with Terry Borg, who has become a grandmother again since our last chat; followed by the weekly Old Friends Zoom, which was Kathy, Lib & me. Joyce popped in to explain she was breathless and couldn't continue, and Karen S was so busy with celebrations for Malcolm's birthday and Olympic-watching that she forgot. 

Terry's son, Ben, with his wife, Kat, and their daughters - 

new-born, Chiara, and big sister, Mattea

We woke to another frosty morning on Friday, early enough to see the Australian women win the 4 x 200m relay in spite of strong opposition from the Americans & Chinese. After I chatted with Leanne over Zoom, we sat down for an hour or so to sort out our diaries. With Spring approaching, we have a few things on our wish list to achieve, as well as Finals footy to prepare for, and exciting visits by friends and family to anticipate. 

Yesterday, we were thrilled to hear of more Australian medals including three Gold overnight. We are pleased for all the athletes all over the world who come together and achieve PBs, even if they don't place. I must confess that I checked the footy scores before I looked for Olympic results when I woke up! 

We had decided that I would go to last night's footy between Collingwood & Carlton, especially as it was Scott Pendlebury's 400th game, which is an amazing milestone. Only 5 other players have achieved this and I really wanted to be there to celebrate. Wes & Morse drove me to Ballan Station at lunchtime and I caught the train into Melbourne, checking into Gordon House Apartments in Little Bourke Street, where I rested until it was time to walk to the MCG.

Before the game, I spent a lovely time with Gayle Gibson in the Long Room, drinking bubbles to celebrate her birthday, then outside to catch up with David & Dan Lazzaro. We found a bench to sit on and had a great chat before it was time for us all to find our seats and get ready for the game. It was an exciting match, and Collingwood were lucky to hold on for a 3-point win.

Scott being chaired off by Jeremy Howe & Steele Sidebottom