Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 15th May 2016

Dear Friends, I am sorry it has been so long since I last wrote, but this bout of bronchial asthma has really laid me low. Wes has been wonderful – cooking & serving meals, bringing drinks, walking & feeding Bilbo, washing & ironing, gardening, shopping, taking care of phone calls & looking after visitors. He spent a lot of time in the first week with Barbara as well both to make up for no Sunday breakfast, as it had been cancelled, and doing jobs for her.  

Some time ago, Wes had invited Leon to spend last weekend with us. He planned to meet at Trentham for Spudfest, take him to the local footy, cook him a meal and involve him in all our activities for the weekend. My plan was to be at the MCG watching Collingwood & Carlton play and I was to arrive home in time for dinner. Wes decided to invite Barbara to share in the Saturday fun, so they drove together to Spudfest and enjoyed it, as well as the local footy. It was a shame that the Carlton supporters weren’t the ones at home watching the match, as the Blues beat the Pies for the first time in a few years.

Wes & Leon listening to Danny Spooner & Leon in short sleeves in Daylesford in May at Victoria Park watching local footy

Wes had hoped to have a bit of a dinner party that night, but decided it was too hard with me in bed and I was very grateful to him for that. He and Leon made a fish pie, which we all tucked into. The next morning Leon came on the early & wet walk with Wes & Bilbo and told how Bilbo had waited until Wes was in bed the previous night, before leaping onto the couch to keep Leon company – sneaky little bugger!

After the Sunday Market & Breakfast, Leon headed off to spend some time with his mother, Denise, for Mother’s Day. Wes came back here and announced that Bilbo wanted to take me out for lunch – sometime in the future when I was up to it! It was a wild, wet day after the brilliant sunshine of the day before and I think we were all pleased to be warm and comfortable inside. We had offered Judi & Michael the loan of our Mazda 2 for a few days, as they still can’t drive their car very long distances and needed to go to Geelong that day.

On Monday I finally got up, dressed, and lasted until after lunch, before I had to return to bed. And so it has gone each day, with me lasting a couple more hours until I am now nearly back to normal, although still coughing.

I was sorry to miss two films ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ and ‘Brooklyn’, both of which Wes got to see and enjoyed very much. I also had to postpone all sorts of appointments, so this coming week will be rather busy, but I am being careful not to overload myself too much on any one day.

David Castles posted this beautiful Snoopy cartoon on FB & I couldn’t resist sharing it

While Wes was at the Daylesford Cinema, I made a batch of minestrone soup, which lasted us well for the week. I had visions of painting, but that has been too much to contemplate, so I’ve swept up a few leaves, paid some bills on the computer, answered emails, read the paper, knitted and rested. The old Karen would have been raring to go, but the chronic fatigued Karen just doesn’t have the energy.

I was taken for an outing on Thursday – lunch at the Boathouse here, after Wes had been part of a group of three delivering a workshop on Family History & Genealogy with Keira Lockyer & Gary Lawrence at the Daylesford Museum. This was well attended and well received and nearly everyone there is keen to keep going now that they have learnt some skills and some ideas on how to attack their projects. We haven’t eaten at the Boathouse for some time, as we were unimpressed with the lack of service. Susanne & Claire, who successfully ran the Farmers Arms Hotel for many years, have taken over the lease, and their imprint is immediately noticeable with a warm greeting at the door by the maître d’ and plenty of service! They are still on the lookout for a chef, but we were very happy with our meals of fish & chips (Wes) & salmon breakfast (me) each with a particularly yummy glass of Riesling.

That morning, we were all shocked to receive a text message from Gail White to say that her husband, Terry, had suffered a heart attack the previous night, and was in St John of God Hospital, Ballarat, recovering. She had nothing but praise for the Daylesford Hospital & Dr Jon Barrell & the ambulance crew. Two hours after Terry had his attack, he was in bed in Ballarat recovering from a stent being inserted. He has continued to improve and is expected back home tomorrow, but will have to have a further operation in 6-8 weeks time.

Wes had put so much into his preparation that he was very pleased to have a quiet day on Friday, and happy to let me do the shopping while he rested. Sadly, Judi had come down with a sore throat and raging headache, and was spending her days in bed, but hoping to feel better by today. I delivered the weekend editions of The Age to her as sometimes browsing through the newspaper is easier than concentrating on a novel.

My smart phone died unexpectedly two weeks ago and Wes very kindly took it to Keith at Bi-Rite, and it went to Telstra hospital. We found my old Motorola and charged it up to keep me going, but after 10 days, it died too. The only other phone we had needs a larger SIM card, which Keith offered to supply, but Wes gave me his phone to use in the interim. I can get text messages, FB & play Scrabble, but not receive emails, which is slightly inconvenient, but much better than nothing at all and I am very grateful to him. He had to notify Barbara & the Daylesford Cinema to contact him other than by texts.

Yesterday we had been invited to drinks & nibbles at Di & Jeff’s place, but both Judi & I were apologies. I still can’t talk without coughing, and I didn’t think anyone would appreciate that. Wes & Michael both went & enjoyed themselves very much with the large crowd of friends there. Di & Jeff are excellent hosts and have the perfect home for entertaining.

Perfect stunning sunset last night - thanks to Frank Page for the photo

Collingwood scored a good win over the hapless Lions at the Gabba, but the exciting match was at the MCG, where Richmond snatched a thrilling one-point win over Sydney with a goal kicked after the siren by Sam Lloyd.

                                                                      

This morning it is life as normal – Bilbo and I are off to the Sunday Market shortly, then Breakfast, where we will all be delighted to see Margot again back from her cruise. We are also being joined by Peter Russo & two of his brothers, so it should be an entertaining morning.

Unlike Charlie Brown, Margot will be expecting a kiss of thanks this morning from Bilbo

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Monday, 2nd May 2016

Dear Friends, another week has flown by and it is time to put some thoughts to paper again. Gail White was a very welcome surprise addition to breakfast last Sunday and good-naturedly coped with all the stories we told at her expense to enlighten Janine, her son, Paul & David. It made for a very entertaining morning and apart from her Gail tales, Barbara also told us of a small victory for accessibility she had won during the week when she accepted to attend a shareholders’ meeting of the Bendigo Bank, only to discover it was being held upstairs at the Bowling Club. She was delighted to receive apologetic phone calls from the bank & finally an advice that the venue had been changed to the Senior Citizens’ rooms, which are most accessible.

That afternoon we and Gillie went to Daylesford Victoria Park to see the traditional grudge match between Daylesford & Hepburn, which is always well attended. It was a perfect, warm afternoon, so warm that Bilbo became distressed and had to be taken home during the Reserves game. It was the official opening of the new community facility incorporating clubrooms, a commercial kitchen and lots of dining space, and improved toilets. Before the game, there was an ANZAC ceremony and it was great to see the netballers join the footballers before their respective games.

We won the Reserves match, but Hepburn took the honours in the Seniors, where they were clearly the better side. One of the highlights for me was to catch up with a much-loved old friend, Michelle Jenkin, who had driven up from Mt Martha for the afternoon. She & her mother came and sat near us at the end of the game and we were able to catch up on each other’s news.  

The new facility as seen from the disabled parking area 90 minutes before the game

We drove home to watch Carlton very unexpectedly beat Fremantle over there and there was much rejoicing in the land, as it has been a while since the faithful have been able to sing ‘We are the Navy Blues’ (even if their away strip is mostly white).

On ANZAC morning, we walked Bilbo early and brought him home for a bone, before heading off back into town for the dawn service. As usual Sallie Harvey was the standout singing unaccompanied ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’; there was a bugler, a lone piper, a mounted horseman, a small choir from the secondary school, and short speeches from the two school captains in front of a very large & most appreciative crowd.

At 9am, we headed off to Eganstown for our favourite ANZAC Day remembrance. This was very well attended with 60 people (probably a record). The Eganstown Primary School, which has not existed in years, provided a disproportionate number of servicemen & women, some of whom never returned home.

Wes took this lovely photo of me with Janine Hawker at Eganstown.

Back home, Wes collected Barbara, who likes to march in the Daylesford Parade, while I filled a thermos and set off to the MCG. I had a great run and, although there was a big queue, managed to get a seat in my favourite spot on the wing. Because it was so early, I went into the Long Room, where I found Loud Gayle and we had a great chat sitting on one of the leather lounge suites. I do enjoy the services at the MCG, which this year excelled themselves, including the best rendition of our national dirge (anthem) that I have ever heard.

Once a year the cheer squads combine to produce one huge banner honouring those who fell in battle and this year it was raised in front of a crowd of 85,000+

Much to the delight of the Pies supporters and the chagrin of the Bombers, our team played brilliantly in the first half & left the result in no doubt. It was especially exciting to see our Texan recruit, Mason Cox, take a mark & kick a goal in the first few minutes of the game. His parents & two brothers had flown over to be with him and his father, in particular, was very exciting and couldn’t stop smiling.

I stayed in Melbourne overnight, as I had promised to take Leanne to visit her doctor the next morning. We had a good time together, achieved all she needed to do, and I was back home here by lunchtime, bearing a yummy vegetarian quiche from Gusto in Strathmore.

Two friends in the Daylesford march – Paul Laurence & Ian McKenzie – both Vietnam veterans & members of the Bushwalking Group

Wes had taken Barbara for a drive to see Autumn leaves after the Parade, but nowhere was open, so they ended up having a drink at the Lyonville Pub with Eddie & Jenny Beacham, who they found in Trentham doing the same thing. Afterwards Wes watched the game, then cooked himself some meat, the leftovers being a very satisfactory addition to Bilbo’s dinner the next night.

On Wednesday, it was an early morning walk in the warmth of 14°, before I went to gym and then played Mah Jong with Dot & Valerie. Wes spent the morning helping Barbara in the garden and filling her car up with petrol. He was having some difficulties with Ancestry.com and could get no assistance until he put up on Facebook that he wasn’t happy and just as he sat down with a glass of Edradour to relax while I made dinner; there was a phone call from someone horrified by the Facebook post who wanted to solve the issue. 2.5 hours later, it was all fixed and we had a very late meal and fell into bed.

I had an early BreastScreen appointment on Thursday, so drove to Ballarat after our early walk. At 10.45am we joined 23 others to listen to Judi Allen give a U3A talk on her interesting childhood. Her father was an air-traffic controller instructor and was based variously in Iraq, Greece & Thailand from 1954-64. Judi had put a lot of work into her power-point presentation, and we learned lots about her early days that we had never heard before.

After that, we set off for Clunes to see how it was looking two days out from Booktown. We had lunch at Widow Twankey’s which is run by friends of ours, Tim & Michael, and bumped into Rebecca Pedretti, who we first met when she was 21 & helping run the Info Centre. We visited the Clunes Museum, which is housed in a new building that includes the Library & Info Centre and were very impressed with the display.

On Friday, around 6am, we heard the sound of rain on the roof. It continued on and off until mid-afternoon, and we had 10mls in the gauge when I checked. Judi, Bilbo & I had planned to join the bushwalkers for the Trentham Domino Trail, but it was too wet, so Judi & I caught up at the Food Gallery for 90 minutes instead.

Our Maple at the front door looking at its best

Yesterday we woke to a dry morning and walked around the Lake early. Later on, we got another couple of mls of rain and Wes was able to plant some hyacinth bulbs in the front garden. I had hoped to do some painting, but the surfaces never got dry enough for me to get out all the gear.

 Bilbo Baggins sleeping heavily post walk & bone

                                                                     

Sadly, I have come down with a head cold & asthma and have been confined to bed yesterday & today. I suspect the abrupt change of weather has done it, but at least we have had the flu injections and it won’t develop much more. The big disappointment for me was missing out on lunch at Judi & Michael’s yesterday with Di & Jeff.  You can see how much they are missing me as they tuck into bouillabaisse, strudel & cheeses with matching great wines. Wes had a lovely afternoon, made even better by sharing a taxi with Di & Jeff there & back.

Di, Jeff, Michael & Judi                                         

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 24th April 2016

Dear Friends, I left you last Sunday on a wild & windy note as we were heading off to breakfast. David, Sandy & Bam Bam joined us all for a fun morning of laughs. We managed to get David to the Neighbourhood Centre in time for a New Residents’ Meeting, which he was pleased to have attended; Judi drove Sandy & Bam Bam to the Sunday Market; Janine headed off to Coles, where her son, Paul, was collecting her; while Barbara struggled to get home safely, as it was Local Producers’ Day at the Lake House and cars were turning every which way, not noticing an electric wheelchair needing to cross the road. There were already cars in our street parked in higgledy-piggledy fashion, which made for a slow & careful trip for us too along our little piece of Duke Street.

I had planned to spend the day painting the stairs to the main decking, but it was too windy, so I made a big bowl of minestrone, with fennel as a major ingredient, and we both think it is my best version ever! Wes managed to get some gardening done, before it was time to sit down and watch the Pies play the Demons. Sadly, we looked out of sorts and Melbourne enjoyed a good win against an old enemy.

The next morning after an early walk, a gym session (where almost no-one wanted to chat about footy) and a pot of tea, I tackled the stairs and successfully finished the job by about 3pm. The only thing left is the skirting board, which is the same colour as the trim on the ramp out the front, and I have plenty of it in reserve.

On Tuesday, we were all happy to sleep in after our busy day, so while Wes went off to show The Big Short at the Daylesford Cinema with Malcolm, I took Bilbo for a couple of circuits of the beautiful Botanic Gardens – a walk we both enjoy very much indeed.

   

Wes was able to watch the film and enjoyed it enormously, as did the rest of the small audience. I spent the morning catching up on computer work before heading off to see my doctor, Greg Stewart, to report on the success of my operation & to get help with other issues. He suggested I get an injection that helps prevent shingles, so we added that to the flu injection which I was due to get the next day.

There was no Mah Jong on Wednesday as Dot & John are having a week’s break at Warrnambool. After gym I settled down to paint the trim and posts on the front ramp, stopping only for a haircut with Lyndal Conroy. She suggested a cute bob, but we settled on 5cms, which is more than enough!

After lunch, we headed back to Springs Medical Centre for our injections. Wes decided to have the Zostavax (shingles prevention) as well, so there was quite a cocktail being delivered to his body – flu, pneumonia & shingles. We enjoyed our experience with the doctor and nurse who had a good patter going and made us both laugh while we were answering questions about our medical history.

There was a brief shower of glorious rain early on Thursday morning while we were walking in 17° warmth. Sadly, it was over before we had finished our circuit of the Lake. At 9.30am, I collected Judi for our trip to Bendigo to see the Marilyn Monroe Exhibition there, which has been so very popular.

Every dog needs a Woodstock!

We enjoyed an easy drive to and from Bendigo and you can’t miss the giant sculpture of Marilyn as you enter the heart of Bendigo. We were early enough to have a cup of tea before we entered, which was very welcome. We were both overwhelmed by the Exhibition, which was much bigger and better than we had expected. There were lots of film clips, plenty of costumes, as well as her own everyday clothes and lots of her personal memorabilia. She was a clever woman, who survived an awful childhood, and some early mistakes to become the most famous film star in the world at the time of her death aged 36.

Fascinating plaque in Bendigo commemorating a protest meeting against the hated mining licence fee where everyone wore a red ribbon – there is nothing new under the sun it seems!

Afterwards we went back to the Gallery Café for lunch. This used to be a very good spot for cuppa, a snack or a meal, but seems to be under new management and it has lost much of its charm. The only waiter was expected to seat customers, take their orders, collect payments, deliver food & redirect people who thought they were queuing to get into the Gallery. Our drinks arrived just as we finished our meals, which were OK, but not as yummy as we have enjoyed in the past.

We drove into rain as we approached Daylesford and were pleased to find about 4mls in the gauge the next morning. Wes and Bilbo were visiting the Daylesford Cemetery when I arrived back home and both returned tired but happy from their walk. I asked Wes if he had visited the graves of two old friends there – John Clube and David Smith – but he had avoided the sadness of remembering those two good friends, (who both died very suddenly and far too soon), by wandering around the oldest part of the cemetery.

Wes ended up spending Friday in bed, probably because of his pneumonia injection, as he was very cold, very tired, had trouble breathing and wanted to sleep. Bilbo and I walked around the Gardens in the early cold. The rest of the morning was spent on the phone it seemed – I wanted to book our accommodation for the Adelaide Test and managed to get one of the last apartments available at the Old Majestic Lion in North Adelaide, which is a lovely stroll from the ground. I also spent an hour on the phone checking our cover with Medibank Private – Barbara had told Warren of her experience in doing that and saving some money, so I followed her lead and have reduced costs by $400 per year.

Lovely photo of the Gibsons celebrating Fraser’s 17^th birthday on the Tramcar Restaurant

After lunch, I cooked up the rest of our tomatoes and made some more pasta sauce using homegrown ingredients except for a leek. I had hoped to get some more painting done, but ran out of energy! We lasted until half time in the exciting Hawthorn & Adelaide game, which the Hawks won at the end by 3 points, yet again.

Yesterday was another cold & windy morning after a windy night – I walked Bilbo around the Lake and arrived home to find Wes up and dressed and sitting in front of the computer catching up on emails and Facebook. He was feeling much better for his quiet day but didn’t tackle anything strenuous. It was too windy for painting, so I spent most of the day indoors.

This morning it was 4° as we walked around the Lake early and when I finish writing I will take Bilbo with me to Leitches Creek to pump mineral water, then to the Sunday Market to get our fruit & vegetables, and finally to Sunday Breakfast, where he will sit patiently waiting for leftovers.

This afternoon is the big Daylesford vs Hepburn football game, with the official opening of the new Clubrooms, so we are heading off to Victoria Park around 1pm with Gillie to be part of it all. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 17th April 2016

 

Dear Friends, we’ve had quite a busy week and it has been beautiful weather for it. Lovely sunny days and some rain at night or early morning – not lots, but enough to wet everywhere. We had a good time at breakfast last Sunday, and were unexpectedly joined by both Glenn Mack & Gillie Gough, which meant our conversations ranged far & wide, including a long discussion on cemeteries & cremations.

Wes and I came home to get stuck into painting. While I did the trim out the front along the sides of the ramp, he took everything off the decking and washed it down for me to start painting. Once it had dried I managed to get two coats done before sitting down to watch the thrilling game between the Western Bulldogs & Hawthorn, which the Hawks won by 3 pts at the end. We were all upset that the Doggies Captain, Robert Murphy, sustained an ACL injury in the last minute and it looks as though he will miss the rest of this season.

Monday was also earmarked for painting. After gym and a massage, I did the painstaking part – hand painting between the timber slats. In the afternoon, I managed to get two more coats on the decking and was left with the small area where the barbecue & table are, as well as the stairs. Wes did some serious pruning in the orchard with Bilbo’s help before making a very yummy risotto for lunch.

After Tuesday’s early walk, we headed off to the Daylesford Cinema, to see the film, Hail Caesar. Jeanette & Malcolm, the other volunteers in the team, were keen to watch it, so Wes stayed at the ticket counter, while 10 of us watched the film. Apart from enjoying Ralph Fiennes, who is always easy on the eye, I found the film incomprehensible. In the afternoon, I visited EKO Skin Care Spa and enjoyed having a manicure & pedicure with Alanna.

It was good to see Dot & Valerie on Wednesday for Mah Jong after a couple of weeks’ absence. We all won at least one game and were well looked after by Bella, who puts cushions on our seats, remembers what we like to drink and has it ready by the time we have sat down. Afterwards, Valerie & I had wraps for lunch, then she headed off to the Masonic Centre, where most of the U3A members play Mah Jong to see if anyone wanted a spare Mah Jong set she had. I drove to Ballarat to pick up my bracelet at Gems & Jewels. Every few years it becomes loose and needs a couple of links removed so I don’t lose it. 

Wes had a meeting with Keira Lockyer & Gary Lawrence in the afternoon to discuss a Family History & Genealogy course that they are running for U3A next month. Afterwards he went to Aperitifs, which was held at Val Porter’s home in Smith Street, and caught up with quite a few of our friends. I had hoped to go as well, but I am always tired after gym and Mah Jong and the drive to Ballarat finished me off!

The next day I had loads of energy and spent the morning using it – I finished off the decking, which just left the stairs to be done; washed & ironed; baked a fruit cake & made a fruit salad & was more than ready for our trip to Macedon & Mount Macedon at midday.    

               

What a beautiful visit we had – we drove through stunning Autumn foliage up to the top of the Mount to walk to the Cross and see the beautiful views. 

 

The Cross, Warren with Bilbo enjoying the views & below the walk there & back

Afterwards we stopped for a late lunch at Mr Macedon, where we sat outside and enjoyed smoked salmon bagels with Bilbo keeping an eye out for crumbs!

(Jane & David Knox – we must take you there for a picnic next time you visit Daylesford in Autumn!)

On Friday, we were all awake early and decided to walk around Daylesford’s Victoria Park to see how the new facility was going. It looks wonderful and should be ready for the Grand Opening when Daylesford plays Hepburn on Sunday, 24^th April. After going shopping, I took Bilbo to meet up with four other walkers for Josie’s stroll around Glenlyon. It was most enjoyable, but we were both tired afterwards and didn’t really achieve much for the rest of the day. Wes had been busy in the garden, before coming in to cook Atlantic salmon for lunch.

Before we drove to Melbourne on Saturday, we put everything (except the pots) back on the decking and are thrilled to bits with how it looks. We are still waiting for our new pots & stands to arrive and as soon as they do, we can complete the new look of our decking.

Off we drove to Melbourne to see the Saturday afternoon Proms Concert, which was based on the life and work of Sir David Attenborough. We didn’t know what we were going to see and hear when we bought the tickets last November as our Christmas gift to each other.

After parking in the Arts Centre, we walked to Southbank & enjoyed a yum cha lunch at Red Emperor, before walking back to Hamer Hall for our first visit since it was completely renovated. We had front row seats, just to the right of the conductor, which meant our view of the big screen was slightly impaired by musicians, but that was a small price to pay. The concert was entitled ‘Life Story’ and each segment was introduced by Sir David on the screen. The music to accompany the vision of survival of animals from birth to old age was written by Murray Gold and perfectly complemented the incredible footage we saw.

We are so pleased we went – seeing the Proms has been an ambition for many years, and this was the next best thing to the Royal Albert Hall. We were sitting next to a couple who had flown down from Brisbane and were especially chuffed to be supporting the Queensland Symphony conducted by Jeremy Holland-Smith.

On the drive home, we listened to the very exciting last quarter of the Hawks & Saints match in Launceston, where the Hawks won a thriller by 3 points. Sadly, the Blues weren’t anywhere near as competitive against the Doggies and we went to bed at half time with the game out of their reach.

This morning we decided to have a sleep-in and 5am came & went without any of us moving a muscle, especially Bilbo. I got up at 6.15am, gave him an apple and have been writing this before we go to the Sunday Market followed by breakfast at the Food Gallery. It’s a cool, blustery day and I am hoping the wind dies down so I can paint the stairs to the decking and finish that particular project.

Spotted in Macedon – an omen for today’s footy perhaps!

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 10th April 2016

 

Dear Friends, we started the week with a big turn-up to breakfast – David, Sandy & Peter Russo were all last-minute inclusions and we enjoyed some wonderful conversations. Margot had turned up an hour early and couldn’t believe the Food Gallery wasn’t open; Janine had attended a function to celebrate South Street in Ballarat the previous evening; David & Sandy had bought a washing machine & fridge for their new home; Judi was excited at the response to her request for an Arabic reader that I had put on the Daylesford Grapevine; Barbara told us that NZ often has different daylight saving start & finish dates to Australia which effects her chats with her sister, Margaret; Wes & Peter had enjoyed the music they had heard the night before, and Wes also told everyone about the funeral he had attended, where the Uniting Church minister had experienced some difficulties with what he said about the retired minister he was burying, who hadn’t believed in an afterlife.

Warren & Barbara, with Margot on her way to say hello to Bilbo outside

We tried very hard to get Carlton over the line against the Swans, but they were no match for the Sydney side. It was some small comfort that they had beaten the Pies by even more!

On Monday morning, we went for an early walk together around Lake Daylesford and saw Barry the fisherman as he set up near Monet’s Bridge. Back home we watched a very low flying balloon hover over the Lake. Fells Electrical Service answered my email at 7.30am and had an electrician here before 8am to replace the noisy smoke detectors. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful local business that reacts so promptly to requests for help.

After Wes washed down the side of the ramp, I got painting again as it was a perfect morning to do it. It wasn’t very easy as the wood really soaked up the paint, but the next coats will look better – I hope! We had decided to go to Annie Smithers’ Du Fermier in Trentham for lunch, and when Judi & Michael knew what we were doing they asked to join us and even picked us up, which was lovely. Lunch is table d’hôtel, but I had asked for fish when I booked and while the other three feasted on duck, I had a perfectly cooked piece of snapper.

Judi & Michael

I don’t know about the other two, but we weren’t interested in food or drink for the rest of the day after our lovely three-course meal and sat quietly reading or snoozing until it was time for bed.

We woke early and went walking together again, which was wonderful, especially with the very pink early sky. Wes went off to show The Lady in the Van, while I had a fringe trim and picked some more chillies. We had been invited to lunch with David Hall, so I picked up a bouquet of flowers from Wombat Hill Nursery and chose a good bottle of tempranillo to take with us.

David, who is 84, and has been widowed for 2 years, produced a three-course meal – pumpkin soup, dauphin cheese with salad & fruit salad. We sat at his dining room table, where he had placed a small vase of freshly picked roses and enjoyed a stimulating three hours or so together.

It was wonderful to hear the rain the next morning and everywhere had a good soaking – missing the early walk was a very small price to pay.

Old friends, Cheryl & Lib catching up with their partners, Graham & Ray, at Tannum Sands

It was good to get back into gear at gym after two weeks’ break and I was pleased that I hadn’t forgotten too much!

Janine Hawker & I caught up for a long overdue cuppa at Daylesford Healthfood Store, while the rain continued to fall lightly. We ended up with 6 mls for the day, which wasn’t much, but it was steady and everywhere was soaked. Wes spent the morning with Barbara, as usual, and came home to a cooked meal by me for a change.

On Thursday, there was a delightful mist over the Lake early in the morning. We headed off to Ballart to put the Mazda 6 in to have airbags & front light bulb replaced, as well as a service. This gave us a chance to go for a long stroll along Sturt Street. There were many highlights – the City Oval (home of Ballarat Football Club) & Loreto College (Catholic girls’ college formerly an Abbey). We walked as far as Alfredton on one side, crossed over and retraced our steps on the other side, passing St Patrick’s boys’ college and Ballarat Clarendon College, which is an independent, co-ed Uniting Church school.

We stopped at the Olive Grove café and deli for a cuppa. This is a Ballarat institution that has consistently offered good food & service, as well as a treasure trove of deli items. There was a constant stream of customers while we were there enjoying our hot drinks (even the teacup had been warmed before being served).

We finally made our way to Fu Man Lou in Camp Street, for lunch. This place had come highly recommended by friends and Trip Advisor. I enjoyed our meal of seafood dumplings, Chinese broccoli, rice & tea, but the service was indifferent. If the owner knew you, you were guaranteed a smile and quick service, if not, you had to find your own menu after your initial order and I even watched as our broccoli & rice sat waiting to be brought to our table, which didn’t happen until the dumplings were ready some minutes later.

After that, we walked to the Bridge Mall at the other end of Sturt Street and that was an eye-opener. It was very busy, full of music, children’s playgrounds, cheap shops, optometrists, op shops and cut-price chemists. We went to the Salvos shop, which was similar to the one in Daylesford (very well set-out) and I bought a book for $1.25 (would have been $4.25 here).

We wandered back to Ballarat Mazda to collect our car and were a little early, which gave me a chance to salivate over the most beautiful car I have ever seen. Sadly, the photo doesn’t do it justice. Most people on Facebook agreed we should just buy it, except for Ron Prophet who wanted me to get a red one! I even dreamt about it that night – it was such fun to drive, but I kept stopping to wipe off insects and smudges on the trip.

Wes had a disturbed night himself and so we were all up and out the door at 4.45am to walk around the Lake. It was peaceful, dark and quiet. Afterwards I went to Coles to do some shopping and bumped into Margot buying a few last minute items before she headed to the airport yesterday and a 5-week cruise heading for Hawaii. At 9am, I took Bilbo for a walk around the Gardens to make up for his lonely day before & another to come and he was very happy to come home and sleep for the rest of the day. Wes spent the morning in the garden and came inside with the good news that the figs were finally ripening and changing colour.

Yesterday we were all up early and enjoyed a peaceful walk around the Lake. I had obtained an MCC Balcony pass for Wes, so we headed off on the drive to Melbourne & the footy, our first live match for the year. There were lots of highlights – lunch in the Terrace; meeting up with Gayle Gibson for a chat; catching up with Ged, David & Daniel Lazzaro at half-time; great seats, and a beautiful day – however, the Saints completely outplayed the Pies and deserved their win on a day they celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of their first and only Premiership – a thrilling one point win against Collingwood and I was there! Sadly Carlton weren’t able to beat the Gold Coast last night either – a lean day for us both.

Today marks 50 years since that handsome young man with twinkling eyes and lovely smile asked me to dance at St Teresa’s Church Dance on Easter Sunday night. When Viva picked me up after the dance, I told her that I had met the man I was going to marry...

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 3rd April 2016

Dear Friends, we spent a very quiet Easter Sunday after the excitement of Patto & Kate’s wedding the night before. There were 6 of us at breakfast and both Judi & Barbara had brought plenty of Easter goodies, which was very thoughtful. The rest of the day was occupied in watching footy games, reading the weekend’s papers and recovering.

On Monday, I drove to Strathmore early to visit Leanne, bearing Easter eggs and custard tarts, both of which she enjoys. We had a good morning together and she wanted to know all about the wedding, as well as catch up on news of Lauren, Greta & Celia & their partners & children. Afterwards, I drove to Simone Pérèle in Brunswick, where I bought some new underwear. I had been waiting until my scar was healed before being fitted and discovered that Gwen, the woman who has been fitting me for the past few years, is a five-year breast cancer survivor.

Lovely photo of Danny, me & Wes at the wedding – thanks to Rob Lowery

When I arrived back home, Wes cooked some Atlantic salmon which he served on a bed of sweet potato & peas – very yummy and attractive to boot! I settled in to watch the big clash between Geelong & Hawthorn, while Wes spent time downstairs on the computer writing more short stories.

Leanne’s cat, Smokey looking very comfy indeed

We had a bit more energy on Tuesday and I took Bilbo for a walk around the Botanic Gardens, while Wes headed off to the Daylesford Cinema for another showing of ‘Trumbo’. Afterwards, I washed the dog decking and gave it another coat of paint with the roller, before cooking up the last of the tomatoes and preparing fried rice for lunch. Wes had volunteered to show the 6pm film ‘Lady in the Van’, so he spent his few hours between shifts working on Ancestry, and I removed the last of the tomato plants from the front garden beds.

Sleepy Bilbo getting up close and personal on our bed on Tuesday night

On Wednesday, Wes and Bilbo walked early in the dark before Sandra arrived to clean everywhere to within an inch of its life. I had arranged to meet Judi for a stroll around town & lunch, so caught up on bills, emails and phone calls before going out. We started at the new Salvos shop in Howe Street, where we bought books, before wandering in and out of most of the shops along the way to Larder, where we stopped for a tea break.

So many shops are the same and only a few, such as the galleries or the places specialising in preloved clothing & wares, really have much to offer. We had decided to finish up at The Convent where we planned to eat lunch and wander around afterwards. We arrived to be greeted by name by the owner, Tina Banitska, who has been a tireless worker for over 20 years, turning a formerly derelict convent & school into an iconic destination for locals & travellers alike. We started lunch with seductive champagne cocktails and these were followed by very yummy mains of beef bourguignon pie for Judi & roasted mushrooms with kefalograviera (a hard goat’s cheese) & salad for me.

We spent ages wandering around looking at the main exhibition by Basil Eliades, a smaller showing by Mary Grace Gambin (a Maltese-born artist that we like very much), Leon Pericles (an old favourite) and a Melbourne artist, Diana Jackson, who impressed us with her stunning landscapes.

I walked back home to relax for the rest of the afternoon and evening, while Judi visited a couple of shops we had missed on her way home. Wes had been in Brunswick for the funeral of a former Brunswick Rotarian, Rev Eric Gowers, at the Brunswick Uniting Church. Eric’s partner, Margaret, was delighted with the turn up from Brunswick Rotary, and Wes enjoyed catching up with some old friends, as well as paying his respects to someone with whom he spent a lot of time over a number of years.

We were due to have a day out on Thursday and had planned to spend it in Ballarat while the Mazda 6 was serviced and airbags replaced. However, that was postponed until next Thursday, so we opted for gardening instead. Wes had brought back bags of horse manure the night before, so I spread that on the 4 vegetable beds in the front, covered it in soil, then in newspapers, which we hosed until saturated and finished with a topping of moisture manure which helps retain water.

  

After lunch, I finished painting the dog decking & 14 stairs – all the little awkward spots that the roller couldn’t reach, and am very pleased with the result. Next is the main decking, which will be a much bigger challenge.

We all had a sleep in on Friday and after the shopping, I took Bilbo to the Wombat Gardens to meet Judi & her two, Maddy & Major, for a lovely walk and cuppa at The Food Gallery afterwards. We were even able to have all three dogs in the back of the station wagon together. I had planned to do some more outside painting, but the wind was so strong and there was so much dust, that I postponed that chore and settled in with DA’s cryptic crossword in the Age instead. Wes worked hard in the back garden without the help of the under-gardener and then cooked Atlantic salmon fillets, which he served with green beans.

On Friday night we watched the Collingwood & Richmond game together until half time, when I got too tired and went to bed. Halfway through the last quarter, when Richmond had a good lead, I decided I could go to sleep. Imagine my surprise when I woke yesterday morning to discover the Pies had won by a point. I kept reading the score on my phone in disbelief, then watched the last 2 minutes a few times, also in disbelief. Fortunately there was a replay at 6am, so I watched that, which left me running late for the Farmers Market, pumping water and Tonna’s, but I got all those things done before everywhere became too busy.

Wes went to Blue Bean Love Café last night to meet up with Peter Russo and listen to some music. He really enjoyed the night and the music and brought Peter back home for a nightcap – sadly, I was already in bed, however, Peter has promised to join us at breakfast, so we can catch up shortly.

Today marks the end of Daylight Saving in Australia for another 6 months – we are always pleased when it finishes as it is so dark in the morning, however we will miss the longer evenings and by the time the 2^nd of October comes around, we will be more than ready for the extra daylight. We have had a few encounters with the natives this week – I disturbed a possum this morning as it tried to come into our house via the front door; I thought one night that I had a spider in my hair (which we laughed off the next morning, until I spotted a largish spider sitting quietly on the skirting board next to my side of the bed), and a kookaburra sat on the fence watching me paint and laughing as they do.

Rohan Fell being awarded a scholarship by the International College of Management in Sydney with Warwick, Liam, Brian & Paun Fell – a very proud moment for all the family