Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 28th June 2026

 
Poor Snoopy - doesn't like change

Last Sunday was a very quiet day for all of us. I was tired from my trip to the footy and back, and after doing the washing, found myself in bed. Wes had been busy doing all the things we both do, so he had a quiet afternoon as well, reading & watching footy. 

Gerard Lazzaro's wonderful mother, Carmel, has died, and her funeral is next Wednesday. We were due to go to Chadstone Shopping Centre with Kathy & Ged the next day to see Rone's latest exhibition Home, and decided none of us would be up to that, so we have deferred it until 9th July. This took some doing, and cancelling our earlier tickets wasn't easy, but it all eventually fell into place. 

On Monday, after shopping at Coles, and a trip to the pharmacy, I headed next door to give James another lesson in Mah Jong. We started by playing a couple of hands that we had practised the previous Monday, then added 3 more, which gives him a repertoire of 7. He's not available for the next couple of weeks, so his next lesson will be on 8th July at Muffins & More, playing with me & Judi. 

Meanwhile, Wes vacuumed and washed our car, Snoopy, and then filled two green bins with rose clippings. Morse slept through all of this activity, but woke with a vengeance when Paul, Glen's mowing man, started up his mower. Paul loves labs, but likes to tease Morse by moving rapidly from one part of the garden to another, and Morse races up and down the fence trying to keep up with him. Eventually I bring Morse inside and keep him there so the mowing gets done!

We lost another Daylesford friend last week. We were very sorry to read that Vera Killingback had died in Geelong. She and George were two of our earliest Daylesford friends, and she taught me (& others) how to use an abacus - I had owned one for years, but didn't know how to use it, and was very grateful. 

My favourite photo of George & Vera - a marriage made in heaven!

During the week I Zoomed with Leanne, and caught up with Old Friends, as well as having a cuppa with our neighbour, Glen. Wes also had a quiet time with chats with Barbara; with his cousin, Amanda; our friend, Helen, and with the Jackson Group. 

Before playing Mah Jong with Judi, I had a haircut at Hair & Beauty Salon in The Rex, which was marred by an asthmatic reaction to the essential oil blend that was wafting through the room. I have trouble with a lot of perfumes these days, especially those with artificial scent. Judi & I had a good morning, although Muffins & More was quite noisy with lots of locals. We both tried new games and were thrilled to go Mah Jong or get close. 

Three Great Scholars - a lovely hand I haven't achieved before

It was warm enough on Wednesday to join the boys on their early cemetery walk, and we all enjoyed being together again albeit in the dark. I suffered no ill effects, so continued to join them - it's an excellent chance for Wes & I to share stories or news and starts the day off just right.

On Friday, I had a lovely breakfast catch up with Fiona Groundwater at The Convent. Fiona's parents, David & Annie, were our best friends in Daylesford in the early days, and we were delighted when Fiona & her husband, Les, decided to make their home here in 2022. 

Annie, Fiona & Karen at the Mollongghip Open Gardens 2019

Yesterday we read that Craig Ritchie, partner of artist, Perry Snodgrass, had died. They used to live here and we own one of Perry's distinctive paintings. Craig was a big help to me in the early days of Hepburn Shire U3A, when I was looking for computer programmes suitable for membership details. I particularly remember one visit he paid me when we were living across the road at #77 and his battery went flat. He asked me to start him with our jump leads and I opened the bonnet of my little black Mazda MX5 only to discover there was no battery. We eventually found it in the boot!

Collingwood played Richmond in the late afternoon, so Wes & Morse took me to Ballan Station to catch the train to Melbourne. I arrived in plenty of time, checked into The Windsor, donned my warm gear & walked over to the MCG. For once, the weather in Melbourne was colder than Daylesford by a couple of degrees. The Pies had a win against a very gallant Tigers team, which is still decimated by injuries. Earlier the Blues recorded their sixth win in a row, easily beating the West Coast Eagles. 

When I arrived back at The Windsor, it was dinner time, so I ordered prawn cutlets with salad and a glass of Riesling, while I watched the start of the 60th Showdown at the Adelaide Oval, where Port proved too good for Adelaide in a sold-out and skilful match.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 21st June 2026

 
With the Soccer World Cup on, I thought this was perfect!

Last Sunday was a beautiful sunny, but cold day. We had a good trip to the Daylesford Market and came home with our usual lovely haul of fruit, vegetables & Morse food (apples, carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, cabbage & broccoli), all of which he devours with gusto, usually accompanied by rice or pasta, and a dollop of yoghurt. 

We've had a quiet week with lots of rain stopping activities, but plenty of human contact. Wes has been in touch with Barbara in NZ twice; Terry Larkins in Gisborne; Helen Hanrahan in Lower Plenty, and his cousin, Gary Testro in Pascoe Vale. I caught up with my aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock; twice with my sister, Leanne, in Strathmore, and had a good chat with Old Friends - Kathy & Joyce.

Wes has continued to prune fruit trees and roses when the weather has permitted, as well as working on Ancestry; and a big project he is undertaking to put all of my Dispatches together. We're missing those I wrote in 2000, 2001 & some of 2002, but we have all the rest. I think he's enjoying re-reading them as he goes and sharing the memories with me. 

A stunning collage from ANZAC Day 2020, when the trees at Lake Daylesford seemed to glow red

Wes discovered that another Daylesford friend, Graham Ogden, had died, back in 2022. Graham was an expert on the Old Testament, and he and his wife, Lois, had done missionary work before we met them. They came here because their daughter, Mel, was living & working here. They both joined the U3A, and Graham took on the Presidency, which he carried off with aplomb. We really enjoying spending time with them, and were sorry when they left Lyonville to live in Ballarat. 

As well as playing Mah Jong with Judi, I also started to teach our neighbour, James, how to play. He is a quick learner and because his wife, Yoko, is Japanese, he found it easy to read the characters on the tiles, as Chinese & Japanese characters are very similar. We spent 90 minutes playing and he has booked me in again for tomorrow morning. 

The results of my CT scans came through and I had a telehealth call with Dr James to discuss them. It appears I have a cavity in my lungs, probably caused by chronic asthma, and germs are finding their way in there. This is causing the persistent cough and phlegm, so I am on an antibiotic regime of 60 capsules over 10 days to see if that will solve the issue. The other scan showed that I have no build up of calcium or anything else that is causing my cholesterol reading to show borderline. We were both very relieved with these results, and hope the aggressive use of amoxicillin will solve the lung issue.

Stunning sunset in May 2020

Yesterday I travelled back to Melbourne to see Collingwood host Port Adelaide at the MCG. Wes & Morse kindly drove me to Ballan Station, and in the afternoon, Wes took David Hall to Politics in the Pub a monthly event at the Farmers Arms Hotel here, before returning home to watch GWS & Carlton play at the Sydney Showgrounds. We were both delighted that our teams won - Carlton were too good by 23 points and the Pies prevailed by 26 points in a game marred by rain, injuries, interesting umpiring and a goal-less last quarter.

Before the game at the MCG the rain bucketed down

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 14th June 2026

 

Last Sunday was cool, wet & misty most of the morning. There weren't many cars at the Daylesford Market when we visited, but we hoped that visitors braved the weather and supported the stall-holders, who were all keeping warm and dry as best they could. 

We spent the day listening to the ABC Classic countdown and were delighted to find a few more of our picks made it. I ended up with 8, including The Planets by Gustav Holst at #3, and The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams at #4. We were both very disappointed that Beethoven's Ninth topped the poll and suspect heaps of choristers voted for it. However, we both enjoyed sharing texts with friends who were also listening - thanks to Squiz, Helen & Wendy for keeping in touch. 

That night Carlton somehow managed to beat Essendon after the Bombers held the lead with a few minutes to go. Wes was very relieved, and my Essendon friends were proud of their efforts. 

On Monday, I did the supermarket shopping and had my first & only cup of tea just before the 8.35am deadline, as I had to move to water for the 24 hours before one of my CT scans. Then it was time to catch the Ballarat train to Southern Cross & from there to Jolimont Station and the MCG. I was part of 88,019 people, almost all of whom were wearing Big Freeze 12 beanies, including me. 

We witnessed some fun with the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, among the 10 sliders who braved the ice-bath to honour Neale Daniher and donate to the Fight MND cause, which has raised over $150 million in total to find a cure for this fatal disease. Then the players ran through a joint banner before making a circle with the umpires as we remembered Neale. 

The game was full of highlights - marks, goals, and tackles; and marred by an injury to Brody Mihocek, current Melbourne, and former Collingwood player, who ducked his head awkwardly to avoid a tackle by Billy Frampton and ended up being taken to hospital and having neck surgery. The Demons won by 8 points in the end, and deserved their win as they made fewer mistakes in the last minutes.

Wes & Morse picked me up at Ballan Station that evening and we went home to a late meal of footy food - pie for Wes & pastie for me. I was very tired and slept well in preparation for Tuesday's visit to Lake Imaging in Ballarat's St John of God hospital.

We left early and arrived in plenty of time for my 8.35am appointment. I can't remember having had a CT Scan before, but both of these were painless and easily done - the hardest part was removing the adhesive "spots" afterwards. Wes and I then drove to our favourite café, Wen & Ware, desperate for hot drinks and something to eat. Before we came back home, I popped into Bed, Bath & Table to buy some navy Winter sheets as our current ones were past their use by date. As usual, I had great service, this time with Leah, and walked away very happy with the purchase.

On Wednesday, while Wes toiled over the floors at home, I pumped mineral water, did some chores, and then played Mah Jong with Judi, where honours were even. Once again, Muffins & More was full of locals, and the Collingwood supporters were keen to know what I thought of the King's birthday game. 

Although we woke to a very cold morning on Thursday, the sky was full of stars and a crescent moon was shining over Daylesford cemetery. The mist lifted and we had a beautiful sunny day for a change. Wes Zoomed with the Jackson Group and I caught up with Old Friends on WhatsApp, before he went outside to prune fruit trees & rose bushes, and I spent the morning washing glass jars and refilling them with pasta, seeds, herbs & spices.

Friday was our 56th Wedding Anniversary, which we had decided to celebrate with High Tea at The Convent. We booked for 12 noon, and enjoyed walking through misty rain to Bad Habits Café. We were seated at the best table (13) with a Happy Anniversary banner, some roses, a gift from Tina & the staff & complimentary bubbles. We couldn't have chosen a better spot, and were spoilt beautifully by everyone there. 

Tina, the owner, flanked by Tenille & Steve

Needless, to say, we couldn't finish all the goodies and brought home the top layer to polish off yesterday. Thanks to everyone who commented on the post Wes put up on Facebook, and everyone else who sent good wishes - much appreciated. We were married on a wet Friday in June at 6.30pm at Newman Chapel in Melbourne University, after a busy day collecting our best man, Deane Wells, and matron of honour, Terry Branch, who had both flown in from Brisbane & Sydney respectively. Deane needed a shirt, so we bought that for him, as well as visiting FMI, in Queen Street, where Wes worked, to celebrate with the staff. 

Yesterday was quiet - I was still recovering from our lovely outing, and we were expecting up to 20mls rain. Wes was able to walk Morse, but I couldn't join them, and had tea & toast in bed instead. 

Apart from chatting with Old Friends, I also had a Zoom with Leanne this week, and a WhatsApp chat with Jan in Maleny, where we agreed that getting old, especially hitting 80, is the pits. Wes managed to chat with Barbara in NZ twice; had a lovely WhatsApp catch up with Carole in Essendon, and rang Hymie in Caulfield to chat about Carlton & politics. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 7th June 2026

 
Guess who?

Our week started very quietly as we were still tired after our trip to Melbourne last Saturday. Wes & Morse did the Daylesford Market for me, and came home with lots of goodies. I spent the day in the lounge, watching footy & sewing up a jumper I have been knitting with some lovely donated wool. I dropped it into the Salvos on Monday and the manager very kindly told me she looks forward to Winter & my knitted offerings.

The main colour is actually pumpkin, rather than yellow, and blue & green stripes seemed the best fit

We have enjoyed quite a lot of rain this week, although we were able to walk on Monday morning, and Wes did some pruning before it set in. Everyone I met in Vincent Street agreed that last Saturday's fog was the worst they had ever driven in - particularly in the aptly named Pleurisy Hill, christened by Gail White when she & Terry lived in Lupin Cottage, Grenville Street, near the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.

Once again, we have discovered we have lost a friend - this time, Sheila Hollingworth, who died in WA in 2024. We spent many happy hours with Sheila & her husband, Vaughan Brown in Daylesford. They lived in a wonderful home in West Street and were very generous hosting U3A & Words in Winter Events. Sheila was a cartoonist & writer, and the last we know she was volunteering at schools, helping young people develop their skills & interests.

Sheila & Vaughan on their wedding day in 2008

On Tuesday, I visited Springs Medical Centre to see my GP, Dr James Smith. He listened to my breathing & suggested I have a CT Scan to check my lungs to see if that would explain why I have been coughing all year. I'm booked in for next Tuesday morning. 

Wes has been busy with phone calls, Zooms & WhatsApp chats this week - he's spoken with Barbara in NZ twice; Helen in Lower Plenty; Danny in Queensland, & Paul in Oxfordshire. He had planned chats with Sam in Brunswick, and Wendy in Clifton Springs, but both are looking after very unwell spouses and couldn't fit Wes in. Meanwhile, I chatted with Leanne in Strathmore, Shar in Heathcote, Terry in Burwood, and Old Friends - Karen in Port Melbourne, Kathy in Burwood & Joyce in Reservoir. 

Meanwhile Judi & I played Mah Jong on a rainy morning in a packed & noisy Muffins & More café. I won most of the games, but Judi tried some interesting hands and enjoyed the challenge. 

By Thursday, it was three days in a row since we had been unable to walk Morse and the rain was persistent, and occasionally heavy. I imagine this weather has been good for our new volunteer-run Cinema, named the Phoenix, as it has risen from the ashes of the previous one in The Rex Arcade. The local developers of The Rex, Eddie Comelli & David Bromley, have made good on their promise to re-open the Cinema, and it seats 64 in comfort with excellent elevation. We haven't been yet for various reasons, but I am hoping to get to The Sheep Detectives before it disappears from the screen.

Morse was very happy to stay warm & dry inside

The rain finally stopped at 3am on Friday morning, but everywhere was so wet underfoot & full of puddles that we didn't walk Morse. However, I had a lovely Zoom with Leanne, missed out on a WhatsApp chat with Jan in Maleny; and headed into Vincent Street to complete all the chores that had been building up during the week. I overhead one shopkeeper telling another that they, too, had closed early the day before, as no-one was venturing out in the incessant rain.

Yesterday we woke to discover, in spite of the Bureau's predictions, Daylesford was wet & misty yet again. Morse missed out on his walk, and a bath - the latter didn't bother him too much. We settled down to listen to the ABC Classic Top 100 Greatest Music of all time, punctuated by footy games, including minis of the two close games already played - Adelaide's 1 point win against Geelong on Thursday night, and the Western Bulldogs' amazing 8 goals to 1 second half to beat Hawthorn on Friday night. 

So far we've not had many of our selections make it into the Top 100 - we both chose Chariots of Fire by Vangelis, which came in at 75, and I had O Eccelesia by Hildegard von Bingham, which was 84. Fingers crossed for better luck today when 50 through to 1 will be played.