Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 29th September 2024

I feel a bit like Lucy sometimes when I am gardening!

We were due to have brunch at the Convent Gallery last Sunday with Graham & his wife, but he woke with a sore throat & no voice, so we went off ourselves and enjoyed the usual lovely meal there. I found I was exhausted after that, so Wes went to Rob & Dene's Open House on his own. He really enjoyed it - caught up with a few of their friends, as well as Judi & Michael, while Morse and I sat quietly at home watching AFLW footy on TV.

On Monday morning, after the usual shopping, we settled down to discuss the latest changes by the Government for pensioners, specifically the introduction of "user pays" for aged care health services. We still want to stay here at Maloney Folly for as long as we can, and, if stairs prove difficult, we can shut off the downstairs area and live on one level upstairs - we'd just use the area under the lounge windows as our study - an even better view than the one we currently enjoy.

This photo is from the previous Sunday at the Cidery - Wes, Daniel, Linda, Mike, Karen & Lauren

That night, we watched the Brownlow Medal Presentation up to halfway, before we fell asleep. At that time, Patrick Cripps was leading & looking like the winner. We woke to discover he had polled 45 votes, a record, with Nick Daicos behind him on 38 votes. Paddy spoke well when accepting his second medal and all the Carlton supporters immediately felt their year had not been wasted after all.

Next morning, after Wes & Morse had enjoyed their early walk around Daylesford Cemetery, I tried to Zoom with my sister, Leanne. Zoom had been working perfectly at 6.30am, but by 8.10am it wasn't. I tried rebooting, but the desktop immediately went into upgrading mode, so we chatted on the phone instead. By the time I was due to catch up with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, sound had been restored and all was well - I would hate to have missed out on our chat, which we both enjoy so much. Jan gave me some good advice and support and in return I told her about Iceland, a country she has not yet visited. 

I have been rereading a book by Sarah Dunant, an English crime novelist, featuring her protagonist, Hannah Wolfe, who is a private investigator. I really enjoy the writing and the plots, and was very taken with this sentence that Hannah uttered - "Interesting how easily men own the space around them, while women feel like visitors without a permit". I quite often am aware of a man behind me and move aside to let them pass, rather than feel uncomfortable. It happened that morning, when I was walking along Howe Street, and suddenly felt I was being followed. I turned around and the tall young man said - "I wasn't following you, I was just going the same way" I appreciated his comment, but I had still experienced those few moments of unease, and I'm sure all females can relate to that sensation. 

On Wednesday, it was time for my fortnightly trip to deliver newspapers to Spring Park Nursery, and Epicures & The Local to the Massaros. I did both those chores in pouring rain, which only stopped when I parked the car near Muffins & More to play Mah Jong with Judi, where we shared the wins and enjoyed catching up.

We were very sad to read that old Brunswick Rotarian friend, Peter Johnstone had died this week. He & Wes had stayed in touch over the years and we both have wonderful memories of times spent with him and his wife, Judy. There is a celebration of Peter's life tomorrow afternoon at Studley Park, which Wes is going to attend.

Peter & Judy at a Rotary Conference in Ballarat quite a few years ago now!

Terry Borg & I enjoyed an excellent chat on Thursday morning - it had been a month since we had caught up, and of course, ran out of time. She is heading to Thailand to celebrate her daughter, Laura's, 50th birthday, along with quite a few family & friends. It should be great fun. Then it was time to Zoom with Old Friends - Kathy, Karen S, Lib & Joyce, who wasn't very well and just said hello before heading to her doctor. The rest of us chatted about the coming Grand Final, checked on Malcolm's health, and encouraged Lib to get a 'state of the art' new lounge chair. 

After those Zooms, I drove to Hepburn to have a manicure with Juls, who is kindness personified, but talks non-stop. We set a new record - 90 minutes for the manicure, which should take about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, Wes spent a very productive morning in the garden - mowed, weeded, clipped and planted Dutch Cream seed potatoes in the garden bed we had chosen. 

Libby with her friend, Jan di Luca, when they visited in Daylesford in 2016 & we had lunch at The Boathouse

On Friday, after Zooming with Leanne, I packed my suitcase for the trip to Melbourne to see the Grand Final. Wes & Morse very kindly drove me to Ballan Station, where I caught a quiet train to Southern Cross and then the City Loop to Bourke Street, where I stayed at Citadine's hotel. I had stayed there last year as well for the Grand Final, as the Hotel Windsor was too expensive. My room is lovely - in a corner, quiet, roomy, clean & well-appointed.

That afternoon, I went to The Kino to see "Bonnard - Pierre & Marthe", a rather stunning French film exploring the relationship of these two painters. It is a long film, but compelling, and I was so pleased to have seen it. Can't wait to see their art again and look at it through very different eyes. On the way back to my hotel, I walked down Little Bourke Street, had the usual experience of being refused a table (single female), and discovered Red Emperor had moved into the area. What a treat - lovely service, stunning food & a glass of Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc.

Crystal prawns with snow peas, carrot & spring onion salad!

I slept well that night and woke to a warm morning, and the very sad news that Dame Maggie Smith had died, aged 89. Wes and I are both so pleased we saw her live on stage in London and have that wonderful memory. Wes also told me that Morse got the sulks because I wasn't there and took himself to bed in the laundry (Wes did rescue him and persuade him to come back to our bedroom). I then went to the Hotel Windsor for a healthy breakfast of granola, fresh fruit & English Breakfast tea. Most people in the dining room were wearing their colours and chatting to each other across tables. 

My next move was a visit to the department stores of David Jones & Myer, in the vain hope I could find a tote bag to replace my Harrods one, which was on its last legs. I had no luck in either, so went to Strandbags, where I found the perfect replacement for $60, and once my membership was recognised, the price went down to $30 - wow!

I came back to my hotel and rested until it was time to walk to the MCG, where there was a great atmosphere and over 100,000 people. The pre-match entertainment by Katy Perry was stunning, everyone enjoyed singing "Up There Cazaly" with Mike Brady, and then the game began. It was close to begin with, but then the Brisbane Lions took over, shutting down all the best Sydney players, and winning by 10 goals. I was so pleased to see them win, after their narrow loss last year to Collingwood, and because their coach, Chris Fagan, had done wonders and really deserved the Premiership. 

Our good friend, Ian Robinson, had been invited to present the medals to the umpires after the game, which was a lovely honour. He and Robyn were invited to lunch beforehand, which was very special. All the speeches were excellent and then the players went mad with delight and headed off on their lap of the MCG with the Cup. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 22nd September 2024

 

We donned our Daylesford Doggies beanies for our trip to the Daylesford Market last Sunday, where the locals were abuzz with the excitement of winning the footy & netball Grand Finals. Then we learned that Lyndall Jenkin, a friend since we moved here in 98, had won the Central Highlands League raffle, where first prize was a new Toyota RAV. 

We headed off to Daylesford Cidery, which we had not visited for 15 years, when it was started by David & Sally Stagg, along with her equestrian centre. There was no food available at that time, only cider tastings. For some years now there has been plenty of room for visitors to sit and try the various ciders and/or indulge in the wood-fired pizzas. We were meeting our old friends, Mike & Linda Kirby, their daughter, Lauren, and her partner, Daniel, for lunch, before they headed back to Melbourne after a weekend to remember in Daylesford.

We had a lovely catch-up and enjoyed meeting Daniel, who is a Melbourne person. He and Lauren have recently moved to Elwood for work & study, and are very happy in their flat - a very different life from the Gold Coast. Mike & Linda flew down to spend some time with them both, and luckily for us, fitted in a weekend here. 

The last vase of daffodils, picked before the sleet & snow!

On Monday, after shopping, we had School, where I needed help to find all my Documents on my mobile phone. I was looking under Docs, instead of Word, and was getting myself very confused. Wes very kindly sorted that all out for me over our apple & coffee scrolls, before he went out into the garden to spend some time trimming, weeding & mowing. Later that day, I was absolutely over the moon to receive an email from the MCC advising me that I had been successful in the AFL Grand Final seat ballot for the first time in 10 years.

We had to wake early on Tuesday so I could have my fortnightly chat on Messenger with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire. I was very keen to hear how the visit of my younger sister, Paun, and her husband, Brian, had gone last week, and as I suspected, they all talked non-stop & reminisced about all the times they had met up over the years. It sounded like a lovely visit and Jeff was thrilled to have seen them both again.

Jeff & Paun

Then I caught up with my other sister, Leanne, on our regular Tuesday Zooms. The highlight for her, I am sure, is seeing Morse, as she is such an animal lover. I was able to tell her that on Monday's walk around Daylesford cemetery, he had caught a small bunny and carefully carried him, alive and unhurt, to Wes, who freed the bunny & put him in a different field. We have never seen Morse kill anything - birds, bees, flies, stuffed toys, creepy-crawlies & now bunnies have nothing to fear from him.

We had booked our 6-monthly COVID boosters at Springs Medical Centre & went there late morning to have them. We met a new doctor, Scott Freeman, who made sure we knew what we were doing and left us in the hands of a very capable nurse. She suggested we wiggle our toes as she plunged in the needle, and neither of us felt anything much or had any reaction. Win, win!

Morse having a sunbath

Later that day, we saw on FB that Palace Cinemas have taken over the Regent Cinema in Ballarat & will be re-opening on 3rd October. They are offering to re-employ former staff as well, which is wonderful. Every time we've been to Ballarat since the Cinema closed, we have felt so sad, as it is a beautiful art deco building and a very comfy venue to watch films. We immediately became members of Palace Cinemas in support of this move. 

Because I am spending so much time in bed, I bought some new nighties, dark colours that won't show up spilt food! They have little stars dotted over them, which look just like grains of rice. I'm going to ditch the lighter colours as it is very hard to eat dinner in bed without spilling something 🤣 - for me anyway.

While Judi & I played Mah Jong on Wednesday at Muffins & More, Wes vacuumed the floors, so everywhere was looking good when I returned home. There is still lots of excitement in town over the Grand Final wins and I was able to congratulate a few of the people involved when I was shopping.

On Thursday, Wes was part of an interesting Jackson Group Zoom session on the US Election, chaired by Paul, and led by Klaus & Larry. 13 people attended from four Continents, which is amazing, and they have all been invited to guess the result and by how much. Then I chatted with Old Friends - Kathy, Karen S, Joyce & Lib, where footy was the main topic, as well as our various ailments, as most of us had been coughing last Zoom. 

The next morning, Wes decided to see if he could change the washer in an outside tap, but fell at the first hurdle, as he couldn't work out how to turn off the water. He spoke to Les, who said he had trouble first time too, and popped around to show him where the tap was hiding in our front garden - apparently it is cunningly disguised as a bush. Meanwhile I had another good chat with Leanne and we made plans for our next visit, which will be after Grand Final weekend.

We were visited by these beautiful rosellas, who swung on the branches of the apricot tree, before plundering the sugar cane mulch in the herb pots

Fiona, Les, Chloe & Brodie all arrived at our front door later that morning, and Les discovered that the tap needed replacing, rather than a new washer. Morse & Brodie played to their hearts' content while we chatted and Morse couldn't believe his luck with Les came back again with the new tap to install, even more time with one of his favourite people. 

That night we watched the Sydney Swans easily beat Port Adelaide - all the commentators had picked them to win, as they have such a talented team, and have been the best side this year. Yesterday afternoon, we watched Geelong & Brisbane in front of a huge crowd of 93,000 at the MCG. Geelong, the favourites, won the first half, but the Lions came out like a different team after half-time, won the 3rd quarter and stayed ahead to win by 10 points in a thriller. What an exciting Grand Final awaits us!

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 15th September 2024

 
I'm sure that's right!

We started our week with our usual visit to the Daylesford Market, where Morse gobbled up his pear slices, consented to be patted by Ken & Yvonne, and accompanied Wes to Jeff's tent, to purchase a dozen big eggs, and chat about the footy. The fog had really settled in and it was Brigadoon back at our place, where we couldn't see our back fence. We had scrolls for breakfast & chatted about our busy week to come, as well as the wonderful responses to Wes's Facebook post, where he wondered why the Brisbane Lions started the match the previous night without waiting for Carlton to turn up 🤣🤣.

Wes & Morse watching the footy

On Monday, after my usual shopping chores, I spent the morning with old friend, Nick Massaro, who had asked if he could watch the 2023 Grand Final with me as he hadn't seen it. We enjoyed three wonderful hours together, catching up on news, discussing the game and finishing up with footy food for lunch - a pie & pastie for him, and a veggie pastie for me. 

Meanwhile, Wes did some gardening until the rain got too heavy, and then supervised the gutter cleaning by Jonny and his mate, who were quick, efficient and cleaned up everywhere afterwards. That is such a relief, as Wes shouldn't be getting up on the roof to do that job any more and we were struggling to find someone who would, because our roof is so high. 

The apricot tree in blossom outside our bedroom window & herb pots on the decking with owl & magpie deterrents

On Tuesday, after my Zoom with Leanne, we headed to Muffins & More, for a catch up with John Smith, widowed husband of Dot, with whom I played Mah Jong for many years. We thought he was looking much better than the last time we saw him, and he is staying put at home where he & Patsy, the dog, are comfortable and happy pottering around. Leonie had just baked a fresh batch of vegetarian pasties, so we purchased 6 of them and 3 sausage rolls to put in the freezer for footy watching.

Judi & I were both free to play Mah Jong on Wednesday, and we enjoyed a fun morning, trying out different games and sharing the winning. I came home for a rest before we entertained Fiona & Les, their daughter, Chloe and her partner, Jake, and Brodie the dog for afternoon tea. Chloe & Jake live in Perth, but were here for a visit, and we had hoped they would have time to see us, as we have known Chloe since she was born, and she made a special fuss of Lewis & Morse when they were young. Fortunately, it was warm enough to sit outside, as the dogs wanted to play around & under the table!

Morse was delighted to see Chloe again!

On Thursday morning we drove to Ballarat early, as I had an appointment to have my eyes measured for the new lenses which will replace my cataracts. I was most impressed with the state of the art equipment which did this measuring, and was lucky enough to be looked after by Hayley, who had been very kind to me on my initial visit to Ballarat Eye Clinic.  

Afterwards, we headed to our second favourite Ballarat café, Wen & Ware, for brunch. The staff are lovely and it is a pleasure to sit amongst their beauitful homewares, while enjoying something to eat & drink. Before we drove back home, Wes went to Ballarat Fish Supply for more Atlantic salmon pieces, some cooked prawns & some calamari rings. We woke Morse up when we came through the door as he was so exhausted from his play with Brodie with day before.

My escargot was the biggest I have ever seen, and so yummy, while Wes loved his frittata & salad

The next morning, I had a Zoom chat with Leanne, before heading off for a long-overdue facial. Wes had invited James to visit and provided him with croissants, while James arrived bearing muffins, so there was plenty to eat & some left over. Les also arrived to finish off some jobs that he had started on Wednesday afternoon. Morse was in heaven with two visitors he knows.

After Collingwood's AFLW team was thrashed by Brisbane up there, we watched spellbound as Port Adelaide & Hawthorn fought out a close & exciting Semi-Final at the Adelaide Oval in front of 51,000+. Port won in the end by 3 points when Hawthorn's captain, James Sicily missed a tricky shot for goal, which would have given them the lead. 

We were so tired the next morning after the late night, that we ditched plans to drive to Bendigo to see the tulips, and were thrilled that rain stopped us from walking Morse, so we could all sleep in. Wes & I finished off the croissants that he had bought yesterday, before I did a few chores and then settled down to watch AFLW footy before last night's other Semi-Final between Greater Western Sydney and Brisbane. 

View of Lake Daylesford from our backyard in the gloom

We hadn't quite expected the weather that we experieced yesterday afternoon - after rain, sleet & hail, followed by sunshine, suddenly it was snowing! Not for long enough to carpet the yard, but enough for us to enjoy. Then we went back to alternating storms & sunhine. 

In Ballarat, Daylesford's Under 18s lost by 2 points in the dying moments of their game, but the Seniors won by 27 points to cap off a wonderful year. The A-grade netballers won their first Grand Final as well, which is very exciting. We know some of the players in all three teams, and are very proud that our little town featured so heavily in the Central Highlands League Finals.

That night we watched Greater Western Sydney take a 7 goal lead over Brisbane halfway through the 3rd quarter and thought it was safe to go to sleep. That wasn't the case, as Brisbane fought back and won by 5 points in an exciting finish. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 8th September 2024

Love it - back to the 70s!

We started our week with a wet visit to the Daylesford Market, before driving through wind, rain & fog to visit Leanne. The skies were blue from Sunbury onwards and, of course, it was dry in Strathmore. We had an excellent visit - some chatting, some decluttering, and a discussion about Christmas, which we three will spend together as usual.

We arrived back home in time to watch the Carlton/Hawthorn AFLW match, where Wes was most disappointed to see his team looking unfit & nowhere near as keen as the Hawthorn women, who won easily in dreadfully windy weather. Later I watched North Melbourne record their first ever win over last year's Premiers, Brisbane, by 44 points, in an awesome display of teamwork, speed and accuracy. They look like the team to beat after Round 1, although anything can happen!

It was still wet, wild & woolly on Monday morning, but Wes & Morse got a lap of the cemetery in before the rain got too heavy. I was lucky to put out the bins, and get our supermarket shopping done in between storms as well. We were due to clean exhaust fans, lint filters & our bedroom for School, and discovered we needed new filters for the lounge air-conditioner, which I've ordered. It was quite a big job by the time we moved ladders around, cleaned ceiling fans, shifted the bed (no surprises this time), dusted, polished, vaccumed and washed windows & floors.

Amazingly, this drift of daffodils survived the wind, rain & hail

What a thrill to wake to a windless morning on Tuesday. Wes & Morse had a very early walk around Daylesford Cemetery, while I chatted to my aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock, Lincolnshire. She was  excited at the impending visit of my younger sister, Paun, and her husband, Brian, this week. It is 20 years since Paun last visited and they will be delighted to see each other in person again.

My next chat was a Zoom with Leanne, who is feeling very relieved with the decluttering we did, and we chatted about our next visit, where shredding will be the order of the day. I was glad to know that Leanne had no damage with the strong winds, and Wes checked our neighbours' homes, where everything looked fine, apart from #77's heavy metal letterbox, which toppled over. 

The latest crop of beanies & a beret

I finished up with an appointment with my doctor, Ellie, who booked us in for our next COVID boosters in 3 weeks' time, and took a photo of my "geographic" tongue to discuss with a couple of other doctors, who might be able to help, as it just isn't going away. 

On Wednesday, Judi was unable to play Mah Jong, so I set aside a couple of hours to complete the paperwork required for my upcoming visits to Ballarat Day Procedure Centre. Fortunately, it didn't take quite that long and, although full of questions, they all made sense! Afterwards, I went for a walk around town, dropping in items to Council & the Pharmacy for recycling, and buying more wool for my beanies & berets.

Two sheltered beds out the front also got through the storms unscathed - daffodils & hyacinths, and hellebores

Jono, the specialist plumber arrived while I was away, and was able to clear our drains and the blockages to the water tanks without too much fuss or mess. It took him 2.5 hours and he attached a lever to the bottom of our big tank, which will make cleaning it easier in the future. Morse was worried about all the activity, but Jonno has two labs (one super intelligent and the other gets around with a bunny rug in its mouth all day, even when being taken for a walk), so Morse was not a problem at all!

Wes participated in a very interesting early chat with the Jackson Group on Thursday morning hosted by Graham Hubbard - the topic was "The Purpose of Life" and, as you can imagine, everyone had a different take on it. Afterwards, I chatted with Old Friends - Kathy, Lib, Karen S & Joyce, where health issues were the order of the morning. I then drove to Hepburn for a manicure with Juls, who talks non-stop, has a heart of gold, and does an excellent job with my nails.

In the afternoon, our friend, Les Groundwater, arrived to check out the next lot of handyman jobs we have for him, but had to spend the first 10 minutes with Morse, who was thrilled to see him again after quite a break.

That night we were amazed when Geelong easily accounted for Port Adelaide by 16 goals at the Adelaide Oval in their Qualifying Final. The Cats now go straight to a Preliminary Final and Port plays again next week. 

Wes spent most of Friday morning under the house, now that the water is no longer dripping through, he was able to move the freezer back in position, as well as all the other items he had put out of harm's way. I chatted with Leanne on our regular Friday Zoom, before going for a walk around town.

That night, Hawthorn proved far too good for the Western Bulldogs in front of a crowd of nearly 98,000 at the MCG. There was a Grand Final like atmosphere and the Hawks supporters were delighted with their young, exuberent team.

Yesterday we had a lovely visit from Judi, who collected the remaining items we had been storing for her & Michael since they packed up to move to Ballarat last October. Morse was delighted to see her again, and only settled down when we all sat for a cuppa. Wes had worked hard in the garden all morning, getting ready for the handyman, another Jonno, who cancelled his appointment to clear our gutters, much to our chagrin!

Time for the lightweight doona cover!

In the afternoon, we watched a stunning Qualifying Final between Sydney & GWS, which the Swans won in the last minutes in front of a huge crowd at the SCG. Greater Western Sydney led for most of the game, but the Swans proved to be fitter & didn't panic, as befitted the team that finished minor Premiers.

Last night, Carlton were completely overrun by Brisbane in the first half of their Elimination Final at the Gabba, before re-grouping and outscoring the Lions in the second half, losing by 28 points. Wes is disappointed, but hadn't expected the Blues to win, so the fightback was a plus. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 1st September 2024

 
Me neither!

We had our usual start to Sunday with a visit to the Daylesford Market, where we stocked up on vegetables, but had to apologise to Yvonne that we didn't need any fruit, as we were still working our way through the lovely fruit basket our neighbours at #77 had given us. We've just about finished everything, in time to restock this morning.

There were three games of footy that required our attention in the afternoon starting with the Doggies playing the Giants at a very windy Ballarat Eureka Oval. The Doggies won well, which got them into 6th position on the ladder. Next Carlton & St Kilda played a thriller, which the Saints won with seconds to spare, which meant we had to hold our breath during the Freo vs Port Adelaide game, as we needed Port to win for Carlton to make the eight. Port duly saluted and Wes was a very happy boy when he came to bed. The Blues will travel to the Gabba in a fortnight to play Brisbane and will be hoping to have a few more of their stars available for the game.

This lovely sweep of camellias is in the back garden 

Much of Victoria experienced thunder, lightning & hail during that afternoon, and we ended up with water seeping under the house. The hailstones were quite big and very loud, but when I checked the rain gauge on Monday morning, we'd only had 4mls rain. 

I managed to put out the bins and do the shopping in between showers, and came home to School, where we examined our financial position, updated forms for Centrelink, and signed other forms for our financial advisers. Later that morning I had an excellent remedial massage with Sarah, and came home to rest. That afternoon, Wes had his usual Zoom chat with Barbara in New Zealand, and I ended up in bed earlier than usual.

It was my turn for Zooms on Tuesday morning and I started with an early catch up with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, where the temperature was already 20° at 7.15am. I was so pleased to chat with her, as she had been to the same eye clinic I was visiting later that morning and had even seen the same consultant. She put my mind at rest over quite a few things - thank you Jan.

My next Zoom was Leanne, who was in good spirits. We discussed bringing forward our next visit from 8th September to today, as she will be without power for much of 8th, while electrical work is being undertaken in her street. 

Wes drove me to Ballarat Eye Clinic, which is hidden away in Drummond Street North and I had a very pleasant experience. The technician, Hayley, was kind & helpful, and appreciated that I was organised and could answer all her questions easily. I then saw Dr David Francis, who was very understanding and agreed that I needed my cataracts done. I walked away with an appointment in early October and another in early November, which means I will be fully recovered in plenty of time for our driving trip to Adelaide for the Test against India. 

The very strong purple drops that had been put in my eyes had me disoriented for most of the rest of the day, and I was grateful to Wes for driving me back, escorting me up the stairs into our house, and looking after me. Once again, I found myself in bed early, but slept much better.

The next morning I was fully recovered and able to do my deliveries of newspapers to Spring Park Nursery, and Epicures to Nick & Robyn. I then visited our local optometrist with a pair of Wes's glasses that needed the lens put back in, and debriefed about my visit to the eye clinic. 

Very happy tree fern under the decking

Then it was time to play Mah Jong with Judi at Muffins & More, where we had a fun morning, and she took the honours, playing some good hands and winning most games. Meanwhile, Wes vacuumed and washed the floors, before sitting down at his desktop to watch Adrian Molinia's funeral service. Adrian was a friend from St Bernard's Secondary School, that Wes has stayed in touch with since that time and he was very sorry to learn that Adrian had died. 

While I was Zooming with Terry Borg, and later with Old Friends - Kathy, Lib & Joyce - our plumber, Gary Wilkinson, arrived to find the source of the water leak under the house. The good news is that it doesn't seem to be a broken pipe, rather blocked drains, which are stopping the water from reaching our water tanks. 

Later that morning we watched an excellent webinar on Scams, presented by our bank, NAB. Most of it was more revelant to working people, but we picked up some hints and appreciated the effort they took to educate us.

Our friend, Nick Massaro, turned up with this marrow bone for Morse, which he enjoyed after his bath yesterday

We were thrilled to see some sunshine again on Friday morning, and Wes took the opportunity to mow everywhere, filling the garden with that lovely freshly mown grass smell. Morse doesn't like the mower at all, so he either barks at Wes or disappears. He chose that time to bark at James next door as well (just for being there) and Glen's dogs, Nellie & Willow, who made the mistake of going into their back yard to play. 

Yesterday was another wet day, just like this morning. I mostly watched AFLW games in the afternoon & knitted beanies, while Wes did all the end-of-month stuff on our computers.