Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 7th March 2021

 

Life can be like this every now & again!

There were eight of us at breakfast last Sunday trying out Gary Thomas's Woodshed Café. Everyone enjoyed their time together, the ambience got a tick & it was fun to have completely different breakfast meal offerings. So we are off there again this morning & hope we may have found a new home for some time. 

Afterwards, we came home, gave the boys big marrow bone quarters to chomp on & drove to Strathmore to spend time with Leanne. Once again she was very organised & looking forward to our visit - we brought some French Vanilla slices, but she had arranged a platter of fruit, cheese & meats and set the dining table so we could sit there for our meal. Wes did everything on his list that needed doing & I spent most of my time on her laptop trying to make it run more smoothly & efficiently. 

Lewis & Morse content to bask in the sun after eating their bones

We arrived home in time to catch most of the AFLW Collingwood vs Melbourne game at Victoria Park, where the Pies were too good for the Dees. I can't believe that, after 4 years of mediocrity, we are finally looking good, playing like a team & sitting on top of the ladder for the first time. 

On Monday we had a good School session, which we are going to continue tomorrow. We decided to look at a 10-year plan & Wes has been working on it during the week, and we will make some serious decisions about our future soon. Afterwards, while he watered & gardened, I did some more painting. We both tidied up for a Zoom chat with Mike & Linda at midday & had a great catch-up.

Mike Kirby's Christmas gift of a ride in a special Porsche

Once every four weeks, I have three Zoom/Messenger sessions in a row on Tuesday morning starting with Jeff Hoolihan in Torksey Lock, Lincolnshire; moving on to Leanne Saundry in Strathmore, and finishing with Jan Pengilley in Maleny on the Qld Sunshine Coast. This involves three different kinds of weather, and we are constantly amazed at how different our lives are. In England they are just entering Spring, while we are enjoying Autumn, which is the prettiest season in Daylesford. In Strathmore there is never enough rain, and it always seems to be a few degrees warmer than us, while in Maleny it is always hot, humid & either dry or enjoying torrential rain. 

Lovely family photo of our God-daughter, Greta Millman, with her husband, Harry Ellsmore & their children, Jeremy (2) & Penny (8)

While I Zoomed & then had my nails done, Wes did heaps of painting & knocked over most of what was left to do on our dog decking & stairs. Lewis & Morse are not interested in painting at all & leave us alone when we get started, which is a bonus.

On Wednesday, Dot & Judi joined me at Muffins & More for a fun morning of chatting & playing Mah Jong - more chatting than serious playing, which is making it difficult for Judi, who is still a learner to remember all the rules & her favourite hands. Dot & I can remember how we felt when we were learning this wonderful game 20 years ago & are empathetic.

The next day we awoke to discover that Daylesford had been bombed with ChillOut decorations. Although this is a much smaller event than in the past, with COVID making large gatherings impossible, everywhere looks very festive & welcoming. 

After our walk, supermarket shopping & a great chat with old friends, Kathy & Karen, I settled down to get my computer work up to date and succeeded. My brain works best in the morning and that is when I try to do everything - quite often tiring myself out. The big drama was a flat tyre. I noticed on the way to Coles that the car was making a noise, as if a branch was caught underneath. When I got to Tonna's I looked under the car, and then discovered the flat front tyre. Adam Tonna very kindly pumped it up for me at the next door BP service station, which got me home. Wes removed the tyre, after finding the spare & jack (never used before), and took it to Jamie, our local tyre man, who declared the tyre was damaged & ordered a replacement which arrived 24 hours later. 

That night we opened the first jar of my plum chutney to have with our Atlantic salmon on English muffins & it got a big tick of approval. Thanks to Glen next door for sharing her produce so generously.

Friday was a cool & windy day, not an easy one for asthmatics, so I spent it inside, apart from our early morning walk. There are always lots of jobs to be done like cleaning the silver, washing, ironing & general tidying. There was so much sport to watch in the afternoon I was spoiled for choice - 4th Pink ball Test between India & England, which has been rivetting; 4th T20 between NZ & Australia, which we won easily, setting up an exciting 5th & deciding game today; a good win by the North Melbourne AFLW team against Richmond, & a close win by the Richmond AFLM against Collingwood in a practice match. 

Yesterday we invited Rob & Dene to spend time with us while there was an Open House happening at their place. It was a lovely catch up & Lewis & Morse enjoyed seeing them as well. Apart from that, Wes & I caught up on chores before I settled down to watch a similar amount of sport to the day before. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 28th February 2021

 
We started our Sunday with breakfast at Pancho with Judi & Janine. The service was lovely, and we enjoyed sitting outside, but it is very busy, and, although our meals were yummy, drinks were lukewarm. We must remember to ask for hot drinks next time. We are not sure that Pancho is the answer for a permanent home, so are going to try a few more places, starting with Gary Thomas's Woodshed café across the road from the Sunday Market. 

We were very excited to get the boys back on Monday lunchtime, and thrilled with all we achieved while they were away. Wes did most of the railings around their decking before running out of paint and we hope they appreciate it. I bought some new mats for the front & back & laundry doors & everywhere looks fresh & loved again. 

Front ramp & dog decking 

While neighbour, Glen, and I caught up over cuppas in Muffins, Wes drove to Ballarat to collect the boys. I had to get the house ready for them - put out all their soft toys, beds & pillows & fill umpteen water bowls that are dotted around the place. When they arrived home, the boys were wildly excited & enjoyed exploring their yard once again. 

Happy to be home with peanut butter treats!

On Tuesday, I had an appointment with my podiatrist in Ballarat, after lovely Zooming with Leanne & then Terry. I have been looking for chair pads (chair cushions with ties on them) for some months & decided to try a few shops in the big smoke. I wandered into Bed, Bath & Table, and there they were - green, the right size & half-price! The service was wonderful, and I ended up buying some bathroom items as well. After Victoria Armstrong, my wonderful podiatrist, advised me that my walking boots were wrong for my feet, I headed back to Faull's, where I had bought my everyday shoes last year. Once again I got excellent service & came out with a pair of red boots, which are most comfortable & stylish as well. Wes had been painting & gardening while I was away, and all three boys welcomed me home joyfully. 

Judi & I played Mah Jong on Wednesday after I did my newspaper delivery to Eganstown; Epicure & jars drop-off at Porcupine Ridge, & visited Annie & David's graves with a fresh bunch of rosemary. Dot had a specialist appointment, so couldn't join us. We enjoyed a good chat, as well as a few games & I think we each went home with at least one win. Wes had been painting again, only interrupted by an expected visit from our Financial Adviser, Simon, who was in the area & popped in. 

On Thursday, while I had a turn painting the dog decking, Wes attended a U3A Class on Cool Climate Wines at Rob & Marg McDonald's Sailors Falls Estate winery. He collected Judi on the way, enjoyed the presentation & came home with a mixed dozen wines. Prior to his outing, he had hosted the fortnightly Zoom chat with Paul, Barry, Mike & Bill where they discussed India's place in the world. Wes had put a lot of time & effort into this presentation & was very pleased with the result.

Friday morning we had fun - for some years we have had a competition to guess the number of cars parked in Lake Daylesford's main carpark when we have finished walking (not including our own car). These bets are $1M each & I have gotten as far ahead as $22M (& been tempted to call it in). Because we did an extra long walk on Friday, I guessed 10 cars (there are usually 3-5) and Wes took a risk & suggested there would be 11 (which is quite a lot, even for 7am). We turned our final corner & discovered 15 cars - there was a fund-raising bike ride about to happen! We had to laugh - our scientific reasoning went out the window - how can you factor in an unexpected event?

These wonderful photos show Jack & Olivia Lazzaro excited to get pancake mix, chocolate sauce & blueberries from us, to make up for missing out on a kick of the footy at Princes Park, when we were in Melbourne & had to return home quickly.

School this week found us sitting on the deck talking about what needs doing immediately around the house and we divvied up the jobs. I bought 3 new doormats & asked Judi if she would mend our latest hole in the wall as she is an expert. I've also got to find someone to replace our bathroom skylight and Wes is contacting Fells to get the bedroom ceiling lights fixed (possums have been unplugging the fittings), as well as sourcing a new dog door flap & the best way to wash our windows. 

We were invited to lunch by Di Lyttleton & Jeff Bain, along with Judi Allen & Michael Ivanchenko. It was quite exciting - our first visit inside a home for a meal since we had a Christmas celebration with Glen in Rob & Dene's home next door to us. Di produced a stunning meal, beautifully balanced & full of yummy flavours & colours. Judi brought along the befores - a huge platter of smoked salmon blinis, which we demolished with glee. 

Judi's blinis & our generous hosts, Jeff & Di

Yesterday morning we headed to the Daylesford Rotary Farmers' Market and were very pleasantly surprised. There was a great selection of stalls selling fresh food, vegetables, seedlings, cakes, chooks, paintings, Emu Oil products, waffles, wine, gin & chocolate etc as well as the traditional Rotary Sausage Sizzle offering gourmet Istra sausages as well as your common or garden variety. 

I did some more painting on our return before retiring inside to read The Age & complete the crosswords. Wes worked down in the study and produced a precis of his India Zoom chat, as well as some notes for me to study before School tomorrow, where we will look at our finances and options. 

 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 21st February 2021

 

I've put these cartoons in especially for Wes - he just loves Peppermint Patty - reminds him of Morse I suspect!

When I left you last Sunday, we were in Day 2 of lockdown. We had walked around Lake Daylesford early & I'd been to the Sunday Market & arrived home with two croissants as well as our fruit & vegetables. I asked Ken Matheson if he knew anyone at the market with croissants & he proceeded to give me two from his secret supply!

We took advantage of no Labradors to continue doing indoor & outdoor jobs that just can't be done with helpers. I stained the legs of our big dining table, which is over 40 years old, and has been many things during those years, including a work space for Joyce & Lovely in the days of Maloney Insurance Brokers (we ran our business from our 2-storey 1886 terrace home in Brunswick Road). 

We spent some time enjoying Zoom & phone chats. The first was on Sunday with Rosanna Margarelli & her partner, David Millward, and their very sleepy dog, Cooper. When we ran MIB, Rosanna was the only person we employed that we didn't already know. She came highly recommended & we were so pleased to have met her & her daughter, Danielle. We have stayed in touch, and had planned to visit Rosanna & David during our stay, so this was the next best thing.

Rosanna & David on her birthday last year

We also had a long chat with Terry Borg on Monday, when we had hoped to be seeing her. She told us of all the biscuits & treats she had made for us that she was now eating herself & we were extra sorry to have missed out on the catch up.

I also chatted with Leanne & with Judi on Tuesday morning & they were both most enjoyable Zooms. I found time to ring local friend, Sue, to see how she was coping & she had also been painting & was glad of the break. Wes had a chat with some of his old School Friends to see how they were coping with this short lockdown. In between, we gardened, cleaned drawers, threw out junk, picked produce etc etc.

We were quite keen to return to Melbourne if the lockdown was lifted, but after listening to Dan Andrew's press conference, decided we would be much safer & happier staying put in Daylesford, at least until the remaining 9 days of COVID quarantine had expired on the current cases. We both felt relieved at that decision, and most friends we contacted were in total agreement. We left Lewis & Morse at Eureka Kennels, which gave us a few more days to get things done. 

Mitre 10 rang to say they had more paint, so Wes collected that & got started on the front steps & ramp, as well as doing the outdoor table & 8 chairs. He found time to do a second coat on Friday morning, while I was Zooming with Leanne & doing the ironing early before the heat. 

We had planned a trip to Ballarat to buy a market umbrella as we are sick of the cantilever one we bought some years ago. It is very susceptible to wind & feels quite dangerous on our decking, so it has been relegated to downstairs & the garden only. When Wes was in Mitre 10, he spotted the perfect umbrella & brought it home, where we enjoyed sitting under its shade. 

Wes looking very pleased as he sits on the newly-painted deck at the newly-painted table with our brand new Market umbrella!

Yesterday we decided to forego our walk & paint early as we were expecting a hot, humid day. I did the lavender paint at the front ramp, as well as the slate skirting board on the main decking & we were very pleased with the result. Wes was going to do some of the dog decking, but it was too hot in the front, so he retreated to the garden & weeded furiously. I'm sure he was dying to use his new grass trimmer, which he collected when picking up paint on Friday, but resisted.

Both our AFLW teams had good wins yesterday. The Blues held off a very determined Tigers outfit to snatch a 5 point win & the Pies were able to keep the strong Kangaroos team to 4 points in an exciting game last night. We would have enjoyed being at either or both of those matches and hope to get to a game once we feel safe back in Melbourne. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 14th February 2021

 

We started last Sunday with a very quick trip to the Market, mostly to give Yvonne a list of goodies that Glen will collect for us on 21st February, the day we were due to arrive back from our Melbourne visit. Then breakfast at The Virgin Café. It is quite a noisy place on a Sunday morning & you have to queue to order & pay at the bar. Wes did the honours, remembering everyone's hot drinks & breakfast requests. We did miss walking into The Food Gallery, where everyone knew what you had to drink & you could just sit down & wait for it to arrive. We had some wonderful chats, and agreed that Judi would contact Pancho, to see if we could book their upstairs table for future breakfasts. 

On Monday we were very sad to say goodbye to Lewis & Morse as they went into doggy holiday camp for two weeks. They will miss us dreadfully, but fortunately they have already tried out Eureka Kennels, back in November/December 2019 and Lewis will certainly remember all about it. 

Lewis & Morse having their last comfy sleep for a while!

As Glen had offered to do our watering, I invited her in to walk around our garden after Wes took the boys. We finished with a cuppa sitting in our lounge chatting, and when Wes returned we moved next door to Glen's place to look at all she has done in her cottage & garden - which is quite a lot. We sat under her weeping cherry tree with a glass of sparkling red, and all agreed it would be perfect if Rob & Dene could join us, which they did. 

Top - Dene in one of Glen's elephant chairs, Middle - Glen with Nellie & Bottom - Wes

On Tuesday morning, we were delighted to have a sleep in before attacking the jobs that we had set aside for these days. I sanded and gave a first coat of stain to the downstairs table & chair, while Wes swept & washed the main decking prior to giving it its first coat. I had painted all the decking, table & chairs about 3 years ago, only to discover I had used internal, not external paint and it started wearing almost immediately!

The next day, while I did my usual deliveries and had a fringe trim with Lyndal before playing Mah Jong, Wes watered front & back gardens thoroughly in the hope that Glen wouldn't have to worry too much while we were away. We can see the zucchinis are flourishing & a second wave of cucumbers are emerging, as well as some dwarf green beans. 

On Thursday we had plenty of time before we left and filled it easily - Wes did some more watering before he started packing, and I changed the sheets & towels & did the ironing, as well as giving the study table one more coat of stain, which has made all the difference.

We had a very easy trip to Moonee Ponds and checked into our Quest Apartment in the Might & Power block. We had been given a two-bedroom instead of a one-bedroom, which meant we had plenty of living area. After unpacking, we headed into Puckle Street to do some grocery shopping. As usual, we both had reactions to the litter in the streets, the long waits at pedestrian crossings, the numbers of people and the enormous size of Coles Supermarket. 

That night after sitting on our deck looking across at Moonee Valley Racing Club, Wes decided to cook our tuna steaks for dinner. We were both feeling too tired to do justice to a meal out. He started by spraying the fish in oil, which turned out to be Glen 20, moved along to not being able to get a hot plate or the oven hot enough to cook these very clean steaks, and ended up using the inverter microwave (something we had never seen before). They cooked perfectly and we enjoyed them with a green salad & a glass of excellent red. 

We thought you might enjoy seeing what happens when Wes offers to replace our worn-out flags & finds the items on e-Bay. Apparently dimensions weren't considered & the Eureka flag is tiny, compared to the enormous Collingwood flag. 

On Friday morning we set off early to walk around Queen's Park, but it was too dark for either of us to feel safe, so we strolled the perimeter instead, before heading into Puckle Street to find a newsagent open & get the day's Age newspaper. Next step was to buy some flowers & visit the butcher before driving to Strathmore bearing gifts for Leanne with whom we were having lunch. 

It took about 7 minutes to get there, instead of the usual 90 from Daylesford. Leanne was thrilled to see us, and we were delighted to see her. She looked very well, the dining table was laid and tea & coffee were ready for us. While Leanne put the finishing touches to the vegetarian Indian curry she had made, Wes drove her car to the cemetery to visit our parents' graves and reported they were all in good nick. I did a few updates on her laptop for her, but there was very little that needed our help, as her NDIS assistants have been taking good care of her. 

While we were eating lunch, Premier Dan Andrews announced the 5-day lockdown that started yesterday. We decided to come back here to Daylesford, so left Leanne with the cleaning up to do, and went to Quest Moonee Valley to pack up & check out. We now have a credit for 9 nights there! Everyone was doing the same & we felt sorry for all the hospitality businesses that are going to suffer with such a busy weekend - Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day, Australian Open tennis etc. 

Wes drove while I sent messages to the 30+ friends we had hoped to visit during our Melbourne trip, letting them know that we were returning home, rather than sit it out in our hotel apartment. We thought we had chosen a good time to travel, but could never have guessed that a nebuliser would have set off the latest spate of COVID-19 infections. 

Since arriving back, we've had a drink with our neighbour, Glen, who now is released from watering & bin duties. Yesterday we did two laps of Lake Daylesford & enjoyed the clean air, before deciding to have a relaxing day & worry about painting & staining & other home chores today! 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 7th February 2021

 

I couldn't resist this Snoopy cartoon which I found on FB during the week - hope you enjoy it too

What a wonderful breakfast we shared last Sunday - there were 8 of us and the conversations flowed. Wes & I had to debrief afterwards as we were sitting at opposite ends of the table & had enjoyed completely different topics.

On Monday, after School, which involved clearing up our main set of stationery drawers, I met neighbour, Glen, for a cuppa, at The Food Gallery. Glen has offered to put out bins & water our garden, relieving Judi of both those jobs. I also wanted to ask her if she would collect our usual order from Yvonne at the Sunday Market on the day we return home from Melbourne. She was happy to do that as well, for which we are most grateful.

Lewis asleep on top of Morse

We've been busy getting the garden in shape so that there won't be too much for Glen to worry about. All our flower & herb pots have been mulched; everything that can be attacked by a hedge-trimmer has been; everywhere has been fed & watered, and the lawns mown several times. I have picked our first cucumbers & zucchini, as well as a few strawberries. 

On Wednesday it was lovely to finally play a few games of Mah Jong with Dot & Judi after 11 months without getting together to play. We were rusty to start with, but quickly hit our straps & each of us had a win. Judi & I stayed on for lunch afterwards & were pleased to see that Muffins & More was very busy. They offer inexpensive, home-cooked meals, including quiche, pies & sausage rolls & are fraternised by tradies who need food at regular intervals!

I'd love to say this was a daily pick, but it isn't - however 4 tomatoes, 3 zucchinis & a cucumber isn't a bad haul on a warm Thursday morning

This has been another busy week with Zoom chats - I've spoken with Leanne three times; with Jan Pengilly; with Kathy Lazzaro & Karen Stevenson; enjoyed a Messenger call with Jeff, and shared a Zoom with Wes & Mike & Linda Kirby. All these chats have gone for much longer than usual & we've really enjoyed catching up on each other's news & finding out how each other is doing. 

Victoria is back wearing masks indoors, except in our own homes, which is fine & makes lots of sense. We hadn't really stopped wearing them when we were out shopping or visiting cafés, so we don't mind them being reintroduced. It is a very small price to pay to be safe.

While I was shopping at Coles Supermarket early on Thursday morning, I received a text from Pasquale & Toni to say they had decided to close The Food Gallery indefinitely. They haven't been able to find a buyer as far as I know & they are tired after 9 years. We have many wonderful memories of times spent there & will miss them both & their staff, especially Neeto & Paola. So this morning we are heading off to the very popular Virgin Cafe @ Bellinzona in Hepburn Springs. 

Here is David Castles, properly attired at The Virgin Cafe, trying it out for lunch with his wife, Sandy, (who ate all his chips we believe)

We had a very quiet day planned for yesterday. Rob & Dene were expecting a house inspection next door, so Wes bathed Lewis & Morse & we put in the dog door keeping them inside, in case they should bark when strangers visited no 80 Duke Street. Just after 10am, Rob arrived to tell us the inspection was cancelled. He & Dene came in for a cuppa & chat & walnut bun and we were still talking when Glen texted asking if we would like some plums from her tree. We all said yes!

I collected a big bag of plums from her as well as some heirloom tomatoes. Dene & I fought over this produce, and I kept some plums, but gave him one of our cucumbers & a zucchini in return. As well, we were able to give Glen a zucchini & a lemon to help with her cooking. I found myself making 3 jars of spicy plum chutney in the afternoon, as we had all the ingredients.

This is what happens when Wes sits in his chair - both Lewis & Morse join him & promptly fall asleep in awkward positions!

We have watched some AFLW matches this weekend including a close game where the Doggies just beat the Blues; a good win by the Pies over the Cats, and an easy win to the Demons playing the Tigers. We saw half of the BBL10 Final last night & went to bed thinking the Sydney Sixers looked more switched on & discovered this morning that they had won. As well we've been keeping an eye on the Test in Chennai, where the Poms are 8/555 in their first innings. We Aussies dream of that sort of score against the Indians, especially in India. Joe Root was finally out on 218 - what a batsman he is!

Daylesford Sunday Dispatch - Sunday, 31st January 2021

                 

        Another great cartoon from FB Off the Leash & so true!

We started last Sunday with a good walk around Lake Daylesford, followed by a fun visit to the Market and then breakfast with friends @ Food Gallery. David Castles was there for the first time this year & we enjoyed catching up with his, and everyone else's news, before hurrying into our cars to get home & into the air-conditioning before the heat settled in.

I forgot to mention last week that Daylesford Rotary has revived the monthly Farmers' Market, which is now held on the 4th Saturday each month. I went along to support their first one, which had chooks, eggs, fruit & vegetables, crepes, a sausage sizzle, mushrooms, plants & some clothing. They are hoping to get back the numbers of stalls that used to attend, but some of those small businesses didn't survive COVID-19. There was a good turn up of Rotarians doing their best to make the Market a fun experience. 

On Monday morning, we decided that School would be dedicated to sorting out our time without Lewis & Morse. They are going into Eureka Kennels three days before we drive to Melbourne, which will give us a chance to do a few jobs like - getting a skip, restaining the decking, staining the legs (of inside furniture) that are scuffed, and putting Ratsak around to get rid of the rats that have set up home under our house. Wes also took the boys to the vet so that their boosters were all up to date. They got a clean bill of health & managed to sit on the knees of Shelley, Andrew's assistant, who no doubt had treats for them. 

Yet another interesting sleeping position - Lewis has his back leg around Morse's neck, but they both seem very happy with the arrangement!

Dot, Judi & I had been eagerly awaiting the start of Mah Jong on Wednesday, but the fates were not kind. Dot wasn't well & couldn't join us, then the power went out in Daylesford & Hepburn, so all the cafés had to close. By the time the power was restored it was too late to play, but Judi suggested she & I meet up for lunch anyway, which we did. Hopefully all three of us will be able to get together this Wednesday, as it will have been nearly 11 months since we last had a game.

On Thursday we had a much busier day than expected. After our usual walk, I did the Coles shopping & chatted to Kathy Lazzaro via Zoom, while Wes had a marathon with his Pommy & Yank mates, also on Zoom. After we had both finished, we noticed that our TV was in Safe Mode and it was impossible to get ABC Classic FM to work. 

We consulted the manual, after we had turned everything off & on again, restarted Foxtel, checked every available setting & were defeated. The manual was no help, so Wes rang the help number on the screen & waited about 30 minutes before someone came on line to assist. Wes was very patient (not always the case) and after obeying various instructions and getting nowhere, he asked what else could be done. The male on the other end of the phone offered to send an email with an update that could be downloaded & transferred to a USB port. We did all that, followed the instructions to the letter & nothing changed. We turned everything off & on again & tried again & this time, finally, the TV was out of Safe Mode. 

We want those 90 minutes of our lives back - Wes missed a webinar he had been looking forward to seeing, and we both had wanted to enrol in our Hepburn Shire U3A courses. We eventually did the latter, and were relieved to sit down to a very late lunch.

This wonderful photo shows former Collingwood Captain, Gavin Brown with his three kids - Tyler, Callum & Tarni. Tarni debuted for Collingwood in the AFL Women's competition which started on Thursday night, and became the last of that threesome to join the Magpies. 

We were both very excited to see the start of footy again, and thoroughly enjoyed the opening game, even though our teams were playing each other. Collingwood won narrowly, and unexpectedly, and we thought we could see a huge leap in skills from last year. They tired in the last quarter, which was to be expected, as there has been no Victorian women's footy for months, which would usually keep them fully fit. 

On Friday, we hosted lunch at our place. Br Doug Walsh, an old friend, from Brunswick Rotary days, had rung & suggested he drive to Daylesford to catch up with us, and we agreed. We had then included Bob White, who lives in Trentham, and also knows Doug from Rotary, and Glenda & Joe Rozen. Glenda Rozen went to Manila with Wes in 2008, when he spoke at Daylesford Rotary, asking who would like to go with him to see what could be done for the tip site that was Bagong Barrio. Doug had been playing a pivotal role in Manila, and Glenda was thrilled to catch up with him & hear about the improvements that have been made to date. Joe hasn't been well and spent Christmas in hospital in Ballarat, but he was excited with the invitation, and we enjoyed his company. 

Glenda, Joe, Karen, Bob & Doug with his back to the camera - Wes took the photo from our kitchen, where Lewis & Morse had joined him in their roles as sous-chefs.

That this lunch took place at all was a matter of amazement - it was raining all over Victoria & we had 102mls in 24 hours. We were delighted that everyone was able to get here - especially Doug who drove from Heidelberg, and Bob from Trentham. 

Yesterday we took it quietly - the garden was still coming to terms with the quantity of rain, but the vegetables were very grateful & the cucumbers & zucchini doubled in size overnight. Even the tomatoes were looking promising. 

I've been enjoying watching the AFLW games, and the BBL cricket finals. Both codes have been blooding young players to go with the more experienced team members & it has been exciting to see a few debutants make their mark, especially in the women's footy. This wonderful photo shows the current Western Bulldogs coach (and St Kilda champion), Nathan Burke, embracing his daughter, Alice, after her winning first game (wearing his old number 3), which was against his team.

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 24th January 2021

 

This wonderful cartoon was on FB last week - it is certainly true at our place!

We started our week with a fun visit to the Sunday Market after our walk. We left home a little earlier than usual, so that we would have time for Wes to walk me around to see all the other stalls - something I haven't been able to do for the past 10 months. It wasn't the most exciting outing I've been on, but I did enjoy seeing old friends in unfamiliar places!

We met up with Judi, Janine & Glen for a most enjoyable breakfast & catch up at the Food Gallery, where we heard all about Janine's trip up North; were in agreement that the Australian Open shouldn't be happening next month, and Wes disclosed the frightful information that I had opened a can of Brown Bros prosecco (but poured it into a flute before drinking it).

We had an interesting School session on Monday - watched Steve Dotto @ Dottotech discussing Google Photos. We decided that saving our photos to Google before editing them was a timesaver, but that we required more sophisticated editing & storage than Google Photos offers. Afterwards we got stuck into re-arranging the lounge/dining area again, as well as removing, cleaning & swapping the shelves in half of the pantry & finished up by a small shift of the trouser press in our bedroom from one side of the room to the other. 

Wes enjoying a cuddle with Morse & Lewis

By the end of all that I was more than ready to settle down to watch the final two days of one of the bests Tests I have ever seen, to finish off an enthralling series - not quite Ashes intensity, but not far from it. The Indians were decimated, bruised & battered, yet still managed to beat Australia in the final session with three overs to go & retained the Border/Gavaskar Trophy. Thanks to all the friends who emailed & texted during that nerve-wracking time - I think most of us found ourselves hoping the Indians would win - they were so brave, especially Pujara, who was hit at least 11 times & Pant, who came out swinging & destroyed the confidence of our full-strength Australian team. 

Quite a few chores had built up while we were devoting our days to Test Cricket & nights to BigBash10, so it was lovely to have a perfect day on Wednesday to get stuck back into things. Wes had a haircut & I had a fringe trim, then we met for a cuppa & chat at Muffins & More, before heading back here armed with seeds & seedlings to plant. While Wes was tidying up in the backyard, I put some dwarf green beans into the big planter box in the greenhouse, along with a very healthy Jalapeno chili plant. Some of our boxes along the fence were in need of new punnets, so I put some pigface of various colours in, and inserted a few nasturtiums among the tomato plants in the front. 

Clockwise from left - Little Red Riding Hood roses, zucchini plants & lemon tree, mint & rhubarb

When I was shopping at Coles early on Thursday morning, I walked past the seafood section, even though we didn't need any fresh fish, only to discover a handful of cooked Western Australian Rock Lobsters @ $22 each. This was the first time I had seen these inexpensive delicacies, so bought a couple & crossed my fingers that Wes would be delighted. He was and found a perfect recipe to dress them up. We ate them that night with steamed Dutch Cream potatoes, sweet corn & spring onions. 😘

I've had another busy week mostly on Zoom - spoke with Leanne three times; chatted to old friends, Kathy & Karen; caught up with aunt, Jeff, via Messenger, and enjoyed an old-fashioned talk on the phone with local friend, Sue. 

On Friday, Lewis & Morse had another exciting day - we met Tracye & Leo as we were walking around Lake Daylesford, and when we sat outside Food Gallery, socialising, we were greeted by quite a few friends. Lewis & Morse are there for the toast & the cuddles, in that order!

Back in 2014 - Wes with Glenn Mack in our backyard, when they finally put together the green-house. It has served us well & was worth that day of blood, sweat & tears

We are so lucky that our hot days are being followed by cooler nights, which makes our early walks very manageable. Yesterday was another day in the 30s, but was brightened considerably by a gift of a box of strawberries from Rob & Dene, who had been to Harcourt to collect cherries & came back with strawberries instead. They are beautiful to eat straight from the farm. We decided it was time for fish & chips - our first for the year - and were they yummy. Wes went early and came back with butter fish, (always a treat), potato cakes, scallops & chips galore!

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 17th January 2021

                         
We had another lovely breakfast last Sunday catching up on everyone's week & enjoying good meals. Pasquale & Toni have decided to sell The Food Gallery, after 9 years in business - partly because of the effect of COVID-19 last year & partly because they are tired. It must be very exhausting being on your feet all day, 5 days a week, and dealing with all of us customers & our foibles.

The Sydney Test was a rivetting draw - can't believe how brave the Indian batsmen were to last a day against our bowlers, especially the injured Vihari, who couldn't run. After Pant's 97 (he deserved  a century), Vihari & Pujara survived nearly 44 overs. If they were Poms, I suspect the Queen would have knighted them!

With only three days between Tests, I was hoping for some cooler weather to get a few chores done, but it has mostly been too hot for me in the first part of the week, and Wes has done the lion's share of cooking, gardening & watering. We've been able to walk the boys each morning in lower temperatures before they & I seek the air-conditioner.

Morse & Lewis socialising outside The Food Gallery with Wes

It's been another busy week with Zoom chats - I've had three with Leanne, one with Terry Borg & one with Kathy Lazzaro, while Wes has had a long one with Paul, Mike, & new member, Bill, discussing the current state of play in the UK & whether it will stay together post Brexit. He also Skypes twice a week with Barbara in NZ & we both enjoy the occasional phone call with friends & family. 

My new favourite photo of roses - starring Hot Cocoa, Big Purple, Ashram & Bradman

I try to visit the Post Office & do any small shopping required early in the day before all the visitors head out. Most locals are the same & we all greet each other before scurrying home to the safety of inside. Very few visitors realise they are not socially distancing & lots are carrying their masks in their pockets & only wearing them when requested. The mask-wearing is being eased overnight, but I think we will still continue to wear them indoors, as it is such a simple but effective safety measure. 

On Friday morning we took Lewis & Morse along the track towards Twin Bridges, which meant that we walked over the main Lake Daylesford bridge in the opposite direction as we were coming back home. This was serendipitous, as it enabled us to meet up with Tracye & Leo, the first time we have been able to catch up in 10 months. Lewis & Morse were so excited & recognised them from a distance, pulling Wes towards them in their haste. Tracye said later in a message how grown up they now were & how thrilled she & Leo were that the boys recognised them. 

We started watching the 4th Test and were thrilled for Labuschagne with his century. Considering the number of changes the Indian team has had to make on this Australian tour, they did very well to get 5 of us out by the end of play.

We had invited Rob, Dene & Glen for a catch-up drink that afternoon. Glen was unwell & couldn't join us, but we did have a couple of very relaxing hours with Rob & Dene, hearing about their trip to South Australia for New Year and catching up on how work is going for them both. Lewis & Morse were delighted to have company and monstered them both for a few minutes before settling down at their feet. We had rearranged our living area, yet again, and were able to sit up at the small Tasmanian Oak table. There is no chance of relaxing in the couches as owners & guests spend their time watching out for their drinks & nibbles when Labrador tails get going!

Yesterday was spent watching the end of the Aussie's 1st Innings & the start of the Indian's first dig, which was entertaining before rain stopped play. Wes cooked a mushroom risotto which we enjoyed while watching the Big Bash - for which I have renewed interest now the Melbourne Stars have had a big win & are back in Finals contention. 

My aunt, Jeff, sent us this wonderful photo of the kookaburra & magpie metal sculptures we gave them when we last visited - they look rather forlorn in the deep snow.

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 10th January 2021

 

What an interesting week we've had - started with a lovely breakfast catch up on Sunday morning at The Food Gallery with Judi, Rhonda & Sue. We swapped Christmas & New Year stories sitting at Pasquale's lovely oval table at the back of the café, where we feel safe during this worrying time. 

I had declared 2nd January the day to take down the Christmas decorations & duly did it, over about 3 hours, needing to sit down with a pot of tea in-between. Our tree has been a big success - lasted almost 4 weeks and brought us much joy. 

We have planned a holiday in Melbourne next month - our first visit since mid March 2020, and are hopeful that COVID will be under control again by the time we are set to catch up with friends & family. Our main priority is to see Leanne, and we have two visits booked with her, as well as trying to see as many friends as we can. We will be staying in Moonee Ponds, which will be very nostalgic, as we both went to school in Essendon, and Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds was our Big Smoke. 

This week, we tackled cleaning up downstairs underneath the main decking & are very pleased with the result. We were particularly keen to get some order into what was there - pots, manure, potting mix, more pots, lawn mowers, wheelbarrow, dog kennel (unused by these dogs) & working area. We feel very happy with all we did and are waiting with bated breath to see if Lewis & Morse will venture into the kennel to retrieve their toys.

A big plus in this re-organisation is that the view from the Guest Bedroom is mightily improved - red geraniums galore is much better than piled up pots

On Tuesday, we both had lovely catch-ups - I started at 7.30am with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire, and she introduced me to Messenger chats, which I hadn't experienced before. I thought the quality of the picture & sound was superior to Skype, so if I can't persuade her to Zoom, we will continue with Messenger.

Next was my regular Zoom with Leanne - she loves to see Lewis & Morse, but they gave her short shrift having already performed for Jeff! And finally at 9.30am, I enjoyed a lovely long Zoom chat with Jan in Maleny, Qld. Meanwhile Wes & his friend, Tom Tyrrell, had a great time chatting over Zoom & sharing stories. 

Lewis & Morse filling in time before dinner perhaps or ignoring the cricket, or maybe just dreaming...

The weather in the early part of the week was most unusual - quite cool when we were walking around Lake Daylesford and temperatures getting up to 18° or 19° during the day. It has been raining as well, but not too heavily, so we've been able to get at least one lap of the Lake before coming home to feed the boys breakfast. On Wednesday we celebrated the second Anniversary of their adoption by us & treated them to bones & extra cuddles in celebration. 

I got organised on Thursday to watch the first ball of the Sydney Test, feeling very nervous for Will Pucovski, and hoping we could put on a better show than the Melbourne Test. Sadly David Warner was out cheaply and then the rain came down. 

The latter part of this week has been hot & we thought it was time to bring out the boys' Christmas present, which is a pool. They were quite inquisitive about it, reluctant to get in and then reluctant to stay in. However, we are persevering & by putting only a small amount of water in, we hope they will learn to love it as a wading pool & eventually get used to being able to cool down. Like us, they both suffer in the heat. 

The Test has been engrossing and I am optimistic we can win, if for no other reason than our vastly superior fielding & the debilitating injuries suffered by important members of the Indian team. After Thursday's rain, the game has been starting at 10am which doesn't leave much free time to get chores done. Yesterday I managed to clean the silver, and cook up our rhubarb with one eye on the screen. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 3rd January 2021

 

What a lovely week we've had. Started our Sunday with a good visit to the Market, followed by breakfast with Judi & Janine at Larder. There weren't many options available, and although this cafe does the COVID distancing well, it is an extremely noisy venue, pitched at a much younger clientele than us!

I've been overdosing on cricket, which is very indulgent, while Wes has done the cooking, looked after the garden & kept up to date on the computer. The Indians played so much better than they did in Adelaide and fully deserved their win in the 2nd Test.

We also visited the area's newest cafe, Virgin, which is part of the renovated & rejuvenated Bellinzona. Judi & Glen joined us & we were all impressed by our meals. The first menu developed when the cafe opened in early December was very basic, but we were able to choose from an omelette, pumpkin pancakes, Canadian, Pepperonata eggs & simple eggs with side serves. We were pleased we visited early as it quickly filled. On a sunny day it would be beautiful to sit outside in the garden.

Wes & Glen had the pancakes & Judi enjoyed the Pepperonata eggs, while I loved my omelette

Wes and I had breakfast also at Harvest Cafe on Tuesday morning after a lovely long Zoom chat with my cousin, Leigh, and her husband, Simon, in Luxembourg, where she is working from home, and will be until September 2021 at least, according to her employer, PayPal. It was so good to see them both and to chat about some serious issues affecting people like them who usually live & work in England. Brexit is having lots of run-off effects that many of its supporters didn't consider - Leigh says Vodaphone has upped its phone charges as they are no longer bound by EU regulations; it is hard for British citizens to travel to EU nations for any length of time, and getting back to England is no longer possible for so many people stranded in European countries (and vice versa).

Leigh with her bottle of 1947 Para Port, given to her many years ago by her dear father, Kevin, who died 12 months ago. 

We had our last School session for the year on Wednesday morning, instead of Monday, because of the Test. We decided to finish off the Art Inventory, which still needed some labels, some re-thinking and some photos to be taken. We completed that successfully and will start 2021 by tackling the area under the main decking, which has grown like Topsy over the years!

As the week went on, we weren't surprised that Victoria had some COVID cases. Some of us seemed to think that the danger had passed, even though so many travelled interstate to spend Christmas with family & friends. We were especially vulnerable to those from New South Wales and so it panned out. In Daylesford many of the visitors were unmasked; walked spread out over the footpath, and seemed to be taking very little care of those who live here. Fortunately the Victorian Government immediately cut down numbers & made mask-wearing compulsory inside again. 

After our most peaceful New Year's Eve in ages, we woke early & took the boys for a long walk - a circuit of Lake Daylesford followed by the Twin Bridges walk. They spent much of the rest of the day sleeping & had to be bribed to get out of bed to greet Leanne on Zoom. The mess around Lake Daylesford had continued to increase, however, it did not culminate in a dreadful amount of rubbish on New Year's Day, as is usually the case - probably because fireworks & large groups were banned. 

Lewis & Morse posing for the camera on Christmas morning

When we were debriefing that night, Wes told me about a wonderful simple mobile phone, KISA for Seniors, which I knew nothing about. It would have been brilliant for Viva towards the end of her life, when our phone number was the only one she could remember. If you have older parents or friends, and haven't heard of it, check out the website https://www.kisaphone.com.au

Yesterday morning Wes spent watering our back & front gardens in the hope it would bring the rain we have been promised all week. The boys had a bath, which meant three loads of washing - towels & bedding, and I was very relieved to be able to sit and watch T20 cricket that afternoon. 

Sadly, we now have a COVID case in our Shire in the Blampied to Allendale area. Hopefully the person is self-isolating & hasn't travelled too far outside of their postcode. We'll have to be extra vigilant, after 10 months of no cases here.