Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 26th May 2024

 

We had a very quiet Sunday after the Market. I was tired from our big day at the footy the day before, and spent much of the day reading The Age, doing crosswords, catching up on footy and staying awake! It was a "dreary" day according to the weather bureau - perfect for staying home and doing very little!

The first fire of 2024

When the cat's away.....

On Monday morning, it was too wet to walk, as there had been a fair amount of rain and wind. After shopping, we had School, where we sorted out the remaining details of our upcoming Dog Holiday in Rye next month, and our Test Cricket holiday in Adelaide in December. We also discussed what impact the future closure of bigpond email will have for us. During COVID, we moved just about everything over to gmail, but I will check what hasn't been changed and make sure we are ready when bigpond disappears. 

Morse wondering where all the leaves came from 🤣

Lovely photo of Wes taken at the MCG last Saturday

I found myself having an early night with head cold symptoms and spent Tuesday very quietly, apart from my usual Zoom chat with Leanne. She needs a new mobile and I had a lot of Telstra Rewards points to use, so we were able to find a phone that suited her and put my points towards it. 

Wednesday was spent quietly as well. Judi was very understanding that I wasn't up to Mah Jong, and the sun shone, in spite of the cold, for much of the day, while I read the Age, did Crosswords and Logic Puzzles and read crime fiction, mostly with Morse's company.

By Thursday morning, I was starting to feel better, and enjoyed an early Zoom with Terry Borg, (with far too much footy talk for her liking I am sure), followed by a great catch up with Kathy, who was the only one of my Old Friends able to Zoom. We discussed the funeral of her friend, Dorothy Hamilton, which had been held the day before, and finally solved the puzzle of why  Verey Funeral Directors, Daylesford, were in charge of the occasion. Andrew Nuske, who runs Vereys, was one of Dorothy's grandsons.

On Friday night, Collingwood played Freo at the Perth Stadium, at the unfriendly timeslot of 8.10pm our time. We had quite a few inexperienced players and I was delighted when we were able to salvage a draw at the very end, when Freo was on a roll. Needless to say it was a late night and we had a sleep in yesterday until 6am. Morse was very happy with a run at Daylesford Cemetery, followed by a bath, a bone and lots of lying around in the sun. 

Wes headed off late morning to the Docklands to see Carlton host the Gold Coast Suns at a lunchtime timeslot, which was very manageable. He caught the train to Southern Cross station and arrived in plenty of time to get a pie & sauce! Carlton had a good win, and he thoroughly enjoyed his outing, especially when he arrived back here to find a home-cooked fruit cake. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 19th May, 2024

 

We spent a very quiet Mothers' Day last Sunday. I was out of energy, so we didn't do anything special, apart from the early walk at Daylesford Cemetery, and our visit to the Sunday Market. When we came back home, Wes cleaned up some wood chips that had been left in our street, and did some gardening. He was dying to get stuck into pruning, but the colours were still so beautiful, he was reluctant to chop anything back.

Collingwood scored a good win against the West Coast Eagles in the early afternoon, and that was followed by a very close good match between Adelaide & Brisbane, that ended in a draw, which seemed very appropriate as neither side deserved to lose.

Our captain, Darcy Moore, leading out the team, all holding beautiful bouquets of flowers for their mothers or partners, who were forming the guard of honour before the players ran through the banner

On Monday, after shopping & School, we both headed to Springs Medical, where Wes had a blood test & I found out about my recent blood & urine tests.  Dr Ellie told me that my results were perfect for my age, and to keep doing what I was doing. We were both very thrilled with this news, especially as I have had no energy lately, and we were worried that there may have been something other than chronic fatigue causing it. 

Last Autumn photo - this beautiful maple at our front door is often the tardiest in changing colour & this year was no exception - always worth the wait

On Tuesday afternoon, Brayden from Fells came to finally give us light again in our stairwell. He had turned up a fortnight ago with the very long ladder, but confessed when he saw the ceiling globe that he didn't fancy climbing up to change it. We were in total agreement with him, and watched him think about how to solve the problem. And solve it he did - he suggested strip lighting and we couldn't be happier. 

At the same time, Eddie Beacham arrived to spend some time with Wes to learn how to burn DVDs from his camera. Fortunately the only power that had to be shut off was the lighting, so they were able to work happily downstairs, while Morse & I sat upstairs with Morse looking for every opportunity to monster Brayden, who has a labrador of his own and loves dogs.

The next morning, Judi & I played Mah Jong at Muffins & More in lovely sunshine, while Wes did the floors here, and then visited Eddie in Hepburn Springs with the DVDs he needed. 

It was even more perfect on Thursday, after a cold night. Wes enjoyed a good Zoom with the Jackson Group, where the topic was modern day Japan. Afterwards, he packed his fishing gear & Morse into Sammy and they drove to Newlyn Reservoir for a delightful morning of fishing & admiring black swans.

Meanwhile, I had a great chat with Old Friends - Kathy, Karen S & Lib, where we heard all about a friend of Kathy's, Dorothy Hamilton, who died this week aged 96. She was totally blind, raised 4 children, taught braille music, ran music camps, and was active until the day she died. What an inspiration! Lib told us about Girl Guides who came to her accommodation and offered to do jobs for anyone who wanted help. She said yes, and now has a lovely clean fridge. 

On Friday, we had decided to visit Lavandula for lunch, as Carol White, the original owner, has sold, and her last day was yesterday. She was busy when we arrived - St Michael's Primary School had asked if 80 of their students could have a guided tour of the place, and she couldn't say no, especially as her grandson was one of the 80! However, she came to find us in the restaurant afterwards, which gave us a chance to say thank you for our 25 years of wonderful experiences at Lavandula. 

Lovely photo of Wes enjoying the sweet potato soup

That night Carlton were no match for the Swans in Sydney, after a promising start. Wes was very disappointed, (although he hadn't expected the Blues to win) because they looked good in the first quarter, but couldn't keep going.

Yesterday, I took Wes to the MCC as my guest in the 50 year Member section. This was the first time I have been able to take him since my membership was confirmed last year. We had a lovely day, with good seats, a great game, a catch up with Gayle Gibson, and a narrow win by Collingwood in the last couple of minutes.  

We arrived back home at 7pm to find a hungry Morse waiting for us and very pleased to see us after his long day on his own. We had a glass of a very good red to go with our pie & pastie for dinner, and then I went to bed, followed not long after by Wes & Morse.

Daylesford Mother's Day Dispatch - Sunday, 12th May 2024

 
Why not?

We had planned our regular tri-weekly visit to Leanne last Sunday, but as we were driving back here from the Sunday Market, we received a message to say she was unwell. We are usually the ones postponing the visit, so I rang her once we were home and encouraged her to do a RAT, which was negative. She had only a couple of symptoms of COVID, and we were all relieved that it wasn't COVID, which is so very unpleasant.

Morse was upset and worried that he wouldn't get his bone, so we eventually relented after immense pressure, and he spent a happy hour or so with it, before coming back inside to sleep. 

On Monday, I cancelled shopping as we needed very little with Wes having been unable to eat for much of the past fortnight. School was our monthly clean and I did the main bathroom, while Wes tackled the deckings. He also cleared stuff from guttering, did some gardening, and finished with hosing everywhere, which is crying out for rain. 

Later I had a massage with Sarah Hunt, who is keeping my back & neck under control beautifully. It is always wonderful to spend time with her and get fixed at the same time.

We have been enjoying the most beautiful weather lately, possibly most of Victoria is the same - cool mornings, followed by crisp sunny days. It was like that on Tuesday, so Wes got stuck into gardening chores, and we planned the next crop, (bush peas), to go into the greenhouse. I chatted with Leanne early, then had an overdue catch up with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, where it is raining solidly and they have more oranges, lemons & limes than they know what to do with! Jan assures me it is not a good problem to have, but when I look at our lemon trees, with only three or four lemons, I'm not so sure.

A week later & this Japanese maple is looking even more stunning!

On Wednesday, I had a busy morning - fringe trim, deliveries to Porcupine Ridge and two hours of Mah Jong with Judi in Muffins & More café. When I arrived home, our neighbour James popped in to ask me to witness his signature and we enjoyed a good chat, especially as Morse didn't bark once, but wagged his tail happily. 

Meanwhile, Wes drove to St John of God in Ballarat for a stomach scan, which took some time. He arrived back with flathead fillets for dinner, whisky to help him recover, cash because we were out of it, and vanilla slices for afternoon tea!

The next day I had an early Zoom with Terry Borg, where we avoided discussing Bluey, much as we both love it and delved into health and footy instead. Then Old Friends - Kathy, Lib, Karen S & Joyce, where we heard a little about New Zealand, sympathised with everyone's various ailments, and ran out of time, as usual.

Wes went off to see a doctor to get his results and was told he probably has diverticulitis, but has to have some more blood tests to be sure. We both read about the symptoms and agreed they were very like what he had, and were relieved to discover that we only need to tweak our food intake slightly to improve his chances of reducing future attacks.

That night, the Blues beat the Dees by 1 point in a most exciting game, which would have thrilled all Carlton supporters, especially the one I married!

More Autumn beauty in the garden - double Japanese wisteria, followed by ornamental grape, and espaliered ornamental cherry trees

On Friday morning, I had an early Breastscreen appointment in Ballarat, and we decided to see a film afterwards, choosing Freud's Last Session, which we saw with one other person in the cinema. What a stunning film! Anthony Hopkins is always worth watching, and we enjoyed Matthew Goode's interpretation of C S Lewis. Once again, I can't better Wes's description - 

It is based on a play, and it is a fictional account of a possible meeting between the 2 wonderful intellects of Sigmund Freud (the atheist) and C S Lewis (the believer). Brilliantly written, acted, and film-crafted, it tackles the inadequacy of humans creating or questioning beliefs, as well as the recurrent damage done so often by parents, and the effects of declining to explore our memories or reasonings.

Yesterday, we had planned breakfast out, followed by local footy, but I woke with very little energy, so we opted for a quiet day at home instead, which seems to have done the trick.  

We were very sad to read of Martin Atkinson's death in yesterday's Age newspaper. I first met Martin when I joined the Bushwalking Group, and then when Hepburn Shire U3A was formed, we learned Cryptic Crosswords together. He was a star at anagrams - much quicker than the rest of us. We spent many happy hours with him and his wife, Patricia, shown above on Christmas Morning 2004 with Wes. Martin had the best model railway we had ever seen - it went out of his shed, into the garden, around a tree & back again!

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 5th May, 2024

 
The downside of a beautiful friendship!

We headed off to the Daylesford Market last Sunday after I had published my Dispatch, where we mostly bought food for Morse as we still had plenty of fresh fruit & vegetables from last week. Yvonne was up in arms as the wifi signal is so weak at the Market that she is losing customers, who don't have cash, and want to pay by card. That includes us, and we had five goes before the payment finally went through.

Back home, I turned much of our vegetables into a big cauldron of soup, in the hope that we could all enjoy them at some time. Wes was still struggling with eating, but the thought of soup appealed, so it was worth doing. 

A last vase of Autumn flowers & leaves

The soup seemed to have done the trick and by Monday morning, Wes had the energy to spend some time in the back garden, not doing anything too strenuous. We spent our School period discussing the likelihood of another overseas trip, and decided to review the subject again mid-June, as neither of us feels our health is sufficiently good for us to make plans yet.

That afternoon, I finally finished Morse's new coat and tried it on him. He was delighted with it, and especially pleased when he got to wear it when we went for early morning walks. 

We've been busy with Zooms again this week - Wes spoke with Barbara in NZ twice; joined me in a catch up with Mike & Linda Kirby, and participated in the Jackson Group discussion. I had hoped to speak with my aunt, Jeff, in the UK, but she had a bad reaction to her latest COVID booster and we had to cancel. However, I caught up with my sister, Leanne, twice; and had a good time chatting with Old Friends. 

As well, on Tuesday, our friend from the early 80s, Margaret Nolan, was in Daylesford with a busload from her retirement village in Taylors Hill. Margaret recently turned 90, but looks younger and continues to go to Collingwood matches, and enjoy social outings with her friends. We caught up with her at the Daylesford Bowling Club, and had about 20 minutes together before her lunch arrived.

Recently, our Sydney friends, Jane & David Knox, went on a cruise and unbeknown to us, two of our Daylesford friends, Bill Guest & Steve Doyle, went on that same cruise. Here they are having dinner together and enjoying each other's company. Jane & David are wonderful friends to travel with, and, although we've known Bill & Steve for 25 years, we've never been away together, but I suspect they would be equally delightful companions.

Jane, Steve, David & Bill at dinner

Judi & I enjoyed a lovely morning, chatting and playing Mah Jong, and I went home having won half the games for a change. Wes & I then chatted with Mike & Linda, as we had postponed our Zoom from last week. As usual, I was quite tired from the socialising and was in bed for dinner, although I have been able to stay up most nights recently. Wes served a beautiful big mushroom on sour dough toast with parsley, while I watched footy shows on TV. 

The next morning, we were up early walking Morse around Lake Daylesford, before returning in time for Wes to participate in the Jackson Group fortnightly Zoom, where two Australians, Graham & Rod presented a programme on Business 2024. Afterwards, I had my weekly Zoom with Old Friends - we were looking forward to catching up with Karen Stevenson, after her trip to NZ, but she was quite unwell and unable to join us. Hopefully she will be back on song next Thursday morning. 

Wes visited Dr James that afternoon, and was told that he was probably still suffering from bad food poisoning. However, James suggested he have a blood test on Friday morning & a stomach scan later in the day just to check. 

On Friday morning, after Wes had his blood test, Lake Imaging rang to say he couldn't have his scan that day as they wouldn't have the results of the test & wouldn't proceed without it. They made another appointment for this Wednesday, which made us both feel that it couldn't be all that urgent! Once again, we had postponed catching up with Rob & Dene & Glen that morning - fingers crossed that it will be three times lucky. Rob & Dene came past and left morning tea for us & Glen; as well as baby gladioli bulbs from their garden - all of which was very thoughtful and kind

Top - dogwoods doing their thing & middle & below is back and front of our wonderful Japanese weeping maple, which never fails to shine - during Autumn especially.

That night, Carlton hosted Collingwood in a big game at the MCG for the Peter McCallum Cup, in front of over 88,000 fans, the biggest home & away crowd for these two teams. It doesn't come close to the 121,000+ who crammed into the MCG back in 1970 to see Carlton come from behind to beat Collingwood in a memorable Grand Final. The Pies were lucky enough on Friday night to break the deadlock with just over a minute to go when Nick Daicos kicked a goal and put us 6 points ahead. 

Needless to say, we were both too tired to do much yesterday, reserving our energy for today, when we are due to visit Leanne. Although Wes did give Morse a bath, plant bulbs and give the lawns a mow, which was much more than I managed! He is definitely feeling much better this weekend after a difficult fortnight.

The best sunset all week!

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 28th April 2024

 

We started our week in the usual way - walk around Lake Daylesford early on Sunday, followed by a trip to the Market and then we met Les, Fiona & Brodie at the Cemetery for a catch up. Morse was excited to see all three and chased around madly, while Brodie only showed interest in the ball that Les kept throwing for him. We came home to a late breakfast of crumpets & honey, and then settled down to watch the Collingwood & Carlton games again, as they had been such good victories. 

On Monday, after a very cold walk around Lake Daylesford, I did the supermarket shopping early, put out the street's bins, and brought home our usual post shopping breakfast - a coffee scroll for Wes, but an apple scroll for me - it's been 34 years since I last had a cup of coffee and still don't like the taste or smell! 

We then headed to the garden to plant 100 freesia and 75 daffodil bulbs in the few remaining places that don't already have bulbs. It was hard work as most of them were planted on an incline, which needed some weeding before they could go in. 

Early morning Autumnal view of Daylesford from the highest point of Duke Street

Wes woke on Tuesday feeling quite unwell, and realised he was probably suffering from food poisoning. He moved to the downstairs guest bedroom at once, just in case it was something else that I might catch, and spent much of the week recovering. I had to leave him at 9am after my Zoom with Leanne, as I had a dental appointment in Ballarat to replace two more metal fillings that were about to crumble. Fortunately, he didn't become any worse while I was away. 

There was no Mah Jong on Wednesday, so I moved my Thursday Zoom chats to that morning, as I wasn't going to be available on ANZAC Day. As usual, I had a most interesting catch up with Terry Borg, and then Kathy, Lib, Joyce & I ranged over a variety of topics.

Our weeping Japanese maple doing its Autumn thing

I have been knitting a new dog coat for Morse, bright red, so we can spot him in Daylesford cemetery, and it is fun, after what seems like years of scarves, mittens, beanies & berets to keep other people warm. It is good to have a project like that when I have to just sit for a while, and yet I still feel as though I am doing something.

Wes was too unwell on ANZAC morning for us to attend the services, and it was raining, which stopped me going out. James, our neighbour, was heading back to Southbank and gave me a lift to their unit, from where I could walk to the MCG easily. What an amazing experience yet again! The ANZAC ceremony was very moving and enhanced by the participation of The Roulettes, the RAAF's aerobatic team, which is based at Sale. 

The game itself was a wonderful spectacle with some individual and team highlights, culminating in the second draw in 29 years. I felt that was the perfect result as both teams had given everything and every player was exhausted by the end. Our captain, Darcy Moore, again spoke well, this time begging everyone to support the ANZAC Appeal which benefits returned service men & women struggling with homelessness, mental health and displacement. 

This amazing mark by Jamie Elliott was one of many stunning moments

Wes & Morse picked me up from Ballan Station after the game & we got home around 9pm. It took all of Friday for us to recover from that and decided me that I would return my ticket for the Collingwood/Carlton game this coming Friday, as it doesn't start until 7.40pm, which means getting back to Daylesford around 1am. I had been looking forward to catching up with Laura Borg, who is in Australia from Thailand for a short time, and very excited to be a guest of her mother's good friend, Liz, in the MCC. Luckily Laura understands, and I will have a chance to Zoom with her before she returns to Thailand. 

Yesterday, Wes started to feel a bit better, and was able to sit up for most of the day, instead of being in bed. We took Morse to the cemetery early so he could run around chasing bunnies, which he did happily and wore himself out. 

Morse recovering after his busy morning!

The Blues & the Cats played a good game of footy late that afternoon, but in spite of everything that Carlton threw at them, they couldn't manage to topple the unbeaten ladder leaders. The big difference was kicking for goal, where Geelong were very accurate early and Carlton wasted too many opportunities to take the lead. 

This morning we've been back to Daylesford Cemetery for Morse to have a good run, as Wes is still not 100%. He has managed to keep some food down and slept better last night, and will have a very quiet day again. We had hoped to host Rob, Dene & Glen for a morning tea catch up, but we've postponed it. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 21st April 2024

We just love this cartoon, courtesy of FB

Our first week back after our break has been busy, as they always are - so much to do getting back into usual routines etc. We started on Sunday with a visit to the Daylesford Market, where everyone was thrilled to see us, and Morse was delighted to be back to normal. 

Afterwards, we drove to Strathmore, where we spent a most enjoyable visit with Leanne, arriving back here with a hummingbird cake 6 hours after we had left. Morse had enjoyed a very quiet time with a large bone and no neighbours to bother! That night Wes served steamed shitake mushrooms & bok choi on rice - nearly as good at Chef Dong.

On Monday, after supermarket shopping, we tackled cleaning the lounge & kitchen - a job that is always easier when done by two. Everywhere looks sparkling clean again, and hopefully it will stay that way for the week. I was quite thrilled when we were finished to head off to Sarah for a remedial massage and she freed up my neck, which had gotten stiff with all the driving we did.

It was an early start for us all on Tuesday - while Wes & Morse walked around Lake Daylesford on a nippy morning, I had my first chat for a month with Jeff, my aunt in Lincolnshire. She was able to tell me that she has been able to find new homes for nearly all the possessions she needed to rehouse, and that her house is on the market with a viewing this week. Afterwards, I caught up with Leanne on Zoom, where she was still on a high after our good time together. 

Wes & Leanne having a chat

Then we were off to Springs Medical Centre, where I had an appointment with my doctor, Ellie, who is just back from maternity leave. She had a daughter, Pippa, to join her 3-year-old, Billie, and she looked remarkably well and happy for someone who is getting disturbed nights. I discovered that an issue I have had for 3 months with a very sensitive tongue is called "Geographic Tongue" and should disappear, or may stay for good. I hope the former, as I can't tolerate chillis at present, and the chef is complaining that his dishes are too bland.

We then moved waiting rooms and saw Dr Brad, who had to okay our flu injections, which were delivered very efficiently by Nurse Serena. Neither of us had any reaction and we are pleased to have some protection for the coming Winter ills. 

On Wednesday, we took Morse to Daylesford Cemetery for a run and watched a beautiful sunrise, before going to Leitches Creek to pump mineral water. I then went back to Springs Medical to have my annual blood test, before heading to Muffins & More for a pot of Jasmine tea, while I waited for Judi to arrive from Ballarat to play Mah Jong. Heen, the newish owner of the café, was appalled to discover that I supplied the tea and then paid for it to be served, so she has bought a big bag of it herself - a lovely surprise. That afternoon, Wes headed to Mooltan in Hepburn to chat about politics with Jenny & Eddie Beacham & David Reilly.

This stunning Portland sunrise came from our neighbour Glen's new camera

Wes had a very successful Jackson Group Zoom on Thursday morning at the earlier time of 7am, which meant we had a slightly shorter walk to make sure he was ready. Afterwards, I had a great Zoom with Old Friends - Kathy, Lib & Joyce, where we were able to help each other with issues that have arisen in our lives. Then, in this busy week, I went to EKO for my last facial at their premises. Emma has decided to concentrate on sales of products, which are going well, and have a break from hands-on treatments. EKO will be missed by me and all the locals who have loved going there over the past 10 years. 

On Friday morning, it was too wet to walk, and none of us minded as there was a very cold wind as well. After a great Zoom chat with Leanne, I headed back to Springs Medical for an appointment with Peter, the podiatrist, who I see every three months. We're getting a good relationship going, after a shaky early start, when I discovered he knew nothing about Aussie Rules and much preferred Rugby League. This time, he told me he will be playing in a charity AFL game in Castlemaine where he lives, over the King's Birthday weekend in June! 

Wes & Bob White had a lovely lunch together at Passing Clouds Winery, in Musk, which is about 10 minutes from Daylesford, and 10 minutes from Trentham, where Bob lives. I would have enjoyed spending time with Bob & Wes, but the menu doesn't cater for non-meat eaters at all.

It's been so cold lately we decided to move to our Winter doona cover, so I spent the day washing all our bedding, and making the changes. 

Yesterday Wes & Morse drove me to Ballan to catch an early train to Melbourne for the Collingwood vs Port Adelaide game at the MCG, where we were not favoured to win. I had invited my Mate, Danny, and we met up at the Shane Warne statue before going into the ground and having lunch in the Hugh Trumble café, which has been very nicely refurbished since our last visit. 

We visited the MCC Library, which is celebrating 150 years, and had a chat with Gayle Gibson on our way to our seats, where we were in the back row on Level 2 with a great view of the ground. The Pies started very slowly and we were all worried, until someone flicked a switch (probably Scott Pendlebury) and we kicked 8 goals in a row to take the lead, and were never headed. It was an exciting match to witness and lovely to do it with such good company.

I listened to the Carlton vs GWS match on the train coming home, and Carlton did a similar thing after letting GWS take the lead in the second quarter. Wes & Morse picked me up at Ballan, and we decided not to listen to the game, but watch the last quarter live when we got home. The Blues registered a very important win over the previously unbeaten Giants, and when we heard that Daylesford had beaten Hepburn in the local footy, we had the trifecta of unlikely results!

Needless to say we're exhausted today and it will be a very quiet one after the Market & a trip to Daylesford Cemetery. I've got to get the energy to do it all again this Thursday, when Collingwood & Essendon play on ANZAC Day.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 14th April 2024

 

Life's like that!

We've had a wonderful holiday - one of our best ever, although the last accommodation, which cost the least, was the best appointed! The only place to offer crisp, ironed linen, plenty of space and everything you could wish for, including good heating, tissues, clothes hangers and washers. We had to buy a washer in Adelaide because our expensive unit had none. 

Last Sunday, we had breakfast at The Flying Fig, and although we are grateful for the suggestions for other good cafés, we won't budge. The meals are so yummy, beautifully presented, the staff are friendly and remember us, and the location is easy to reach. After breakfast, we headed back to our St Peter's unit for a rest, before we set off to walk to Norwood to visit their 35th Food & Wine Fair. It was most impressive, with the main street blocked off and lots of food & wine available. We found a beautiful bookstore, Dillons, and we also found the Norwood football ground at the other end of the main street. Richmond & St Kilda supporters were lining up to enter the ground, and there was a wonderful atmosphere.

This dish is called Ottoman - scrambled eggs, pita bread, avocado, smoked carrots, haloumi, spinach & yoghurt

We walked back home for another rest before heading back to the Adelaide Oval to see Collingwood play Hawthorn in a nail-biter. The Pies were well ahead at half-time, but the Hawks rejigged things and came back fighting after the main break. The sole reason we won was our ability to shut the game down, as we only scored 2 goals after half-time, but stopped the Hawks scoring the final goal they needed to win. 

Monday was our last full day in Adelaide, so we went back to The Flying Fig, before driving to Norwood to see Wicked Little Letters at the Hoyts Cinema complex that we had spotted the day before. I bought the tickets online, and we were both amazed to be in Gold Class standard reclining seats with a huge screen. I really enjoyed the film, but it wasn't Wes's cup of tea. It was chock full of good actors, including one of our absolute favourites, Timothy Spall, and a cameo by Dame Eileen Atkins. 

Afterwards we drove to the Pyrenees Wine Region to visit Shaw & Smith, makers of a great Sauvigon Blanc. We were impressed with the stunning views from the tasting room, and were well looked after by Ronnie, a young Carlton supporter, who gave us some beautiful wines to try. We ended up buying a mixed dozen, which should arrive here shortly.

Back home for a rest before dinner at Chef Dong, where we had eaten on the Friday night. We were warmly welcomed back and enjoyed another stunning meal with a suitable bottle of pinot gris. When we got back home again, we did most of our packing so we could get away early.

We set off at 7.30am and made a stop at Coonalpyn, where the Bakery made great sandwiches. There is a painted silo, a large area with picnic tables and clean loos and quite a few drivers were taking advantage of the facilities to have a break. We had tea & coffee thermoses with us, which were perfect with our egg & lettuce sandwiches. 

We arrived at Summerfield Winery in the little town of Moonambel, where we picked up a cheese platter, and were given directions to our cottage in the main street. We were most comfortable there with heaters in every room, a huge TV with more options than we had enjoyed in Robe or Adelaide, continental breakfast provisions and peace & quiet. 

We loved these two chimneys at the side of our Cottage

We spent Wednesday mostly reading and relaxing, although we did start our day with a walk around the township, which has many signs detailing the history of this place, which was started during the Gold Rush. There is no general store or Post Office - only the old pub, which now describes itself as a coffee lounge, and isn't open every day. 

Rather than drive to Avoca or Stawell, we opted for lunch at the winery, where we enjoyed a green salad & a pumpkin wood-fired pizza. There were plenty of more interesting options available, but they all included meat! I had a glass of the sav blanc & Wes tried the rosé, but the real specialty is their reds, in particular their cab sav, which is very yummy. The winery was too busy for us to do a tasting, so we will just have to return there.

The next morning we set off at 8am and arrived back here in Daylesford at 9.30, stopping only to fill up with petrol and check the tyres before pulling into our driveway. Wes unloaded Pearl, then hopped into Sammy to drive to Eureka Kennels and pick up Morse. Needless to say, Morse was delighted to be brought back home, and with a good report from Eureka. I had unpacked everything while Wes was away, and after a lunchtime sandwich, we got stuck into our desktops, where there were lots of things awaiting our attention.

On Friday, we enjoyed a lovely walk around Lake Daylesford and finished just as dawn was breaking. Back home for me to Zoom with Leanne, and Wes to get stuck into the garden. Daylesford had enjoyed some rain while we were away, so all the plants looked happy & healthy, and there were even a few roses in bloom.

Lake Daylesford at dawn

Yesterday we took Morse to Daylesford Cemetery, where he had a good run, before coming home and having another good sleep. Wes washed the cars and collected potting mix & mulch in preparation for some serious work on the garden this coming week. I caught up on ironing, and bought some bright red wool for a new jacket for Morse, as his current one (which was knitted for Frodo) is looking worse for wear. 

That afternoon, Wes drove to Ballan to catch the train to the Docklands Stadium to see Carlton play Adelaide. He was hoping to get there early enough to catch up with Ben Lazzaro & family, so went equipped with Cherry Ripes, a long-time footy tradition. Unfortunately the train was 30 minutes late and he arrived only in time to join the nervous crowds queing to get into the ground and missed out on seeing the Lazzaros. As well, after the Blues led for most of the game, the Crows found some energy in the last 5 minutes & won by 2 points. 

Adelaide Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 7th April 2024

 
Poor Snoopy!

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday, and Morse didn't miss the Daylesford Market at all. Around 9am we drove to Vaughan Springs, stopping first at the cemetery to look for the graves of friends - Danny Spooner & Gael Shannon - see photos, and secondly to find some of Wes's ancestors, the Greenwoods - no luck.

from the top - Danny & Gael's bush grave; their headstone; a plaque commemorating those without markers; Wes opening the door to the portal & seeing himself inside

We then drove to Vaughan Springs itself, admiring all the wonders of this little hamlet - the Chinese cemetery, the model railway line, the long slide, the balancing rock, the houses made from train carriages, and the foundation stone of Ball & Welch. We parked by the water and gave Morse the chance to retrieve, which he hasn't done since Lewis died. Amazingly, he got the hang of it, and enjoyed getting wet while retrieving sticks. 

On the way back, we stopped at Glenluce Mineral Springs, which is definitely off the beaten track. I have very happy memories of walking there with 3 other members of the Daylesford Bushwalking Group, including my dear friend, Annie Smith, who died in October 2020. It was hot & dry there and the mineral spring was out of order - very different from that first visit many years ago which was cool, shady & the mineral water was abundant. 

Wes reading the Glenluce signage while Morse potters, and the refurbished mineral spring area

That afternoon we watched Richmond unexpectedly beat Sydney in an exciting & close game at the MCG. Dinner was toasted tomato & cheese sandwiches done in the Sunbeam frypan - we can't bear to part with it! But, as usually happens when you are about to go away, something went wrong that night after a lovely day. The dishwasher refused to work. I emptied it out and tried again, but to no avail. In the morning we unscrewed the hose pipe and found a small piece of bone wedged in the opening, once it was removed, everything went back to normal.

On Monday, it seemed strange not to be going to Coles Supermarket, stocking up with scrolls and bread at Baker's Delight or doing School. Instead, we started packing after a lovely walk around Lake Daylesford, and Morse got a worried look on his face. 

Latest knitting for the Salvos Op Shop

Wes took Morse to Eureka Kennels on Tuesday morning, where he was delighted to be put next to another lab.  He is really very comfortable as we take one of his beds from home, as well as a pillow, some friends, and plenty of apples as rewards after his daily walks. We got away ourselves around 10.30am with the plan of driving to Dimboola and having a late lunch at the General Store. Sadly, when we arrived there, we discovered it had changed hands and the two bored young females working there could offer us nothing for lunch except a bacon butty! Fortunately I had packed ANZAC biscuits and filled a thermos with Jasmine tea, so we fortified ourselves until we got to Robe, checked into our AirBnB and had fish & chips for dinner.

On Wednesday, we had a late breakfast at Drift, our favourite Robe cafe, before driving to Beachport, where we got the last good-sized lobster. The woman serving remembered us from our last visit and dressed our lobster beautifully, even including two packs of ice to get us back to Robe safely. We picked up a Heathcote sparkling red and enjoyed a lovely meal that night.

Post Office rock, Beachport

The next morning, Wes got up early to start the Jackson Group Zoom and once that was up and running, we went for a lovely coastal walk and ended up back at Drift for granola and fresh fruit, before we made our way back to our holiday accommodation via the beautiful Robe cemetery, which is well-laid out and has an index of all the graves in the historic section. 

After a break, we headed off to Cape Jaffa winery, which had been recommended. Sadly we had a bad experience with very young staff run off their feet, and didn't enjoy our time there. We bought a bottle of sav blanc to recoup our tasting fees, and headed to Wangolina Winery, where we had the perfect introduction to their range of interesting white wines. We ended up ordering 2 dozen to be shipped to Daylesford, joined their wine club and promised to return in December to taste their reds. On our way back, we stopped at the Vietnamese cafe in Robe for a late lunch.

That night, we went early to the Black Swan wine bar, a favourite haunt, where I had a couple of Wangolina proseccos and Wes tried their rose and then a very rich local sav blanc. We indulged in a plate of parmesan chips before heading home to watch the footy.

The next morning, after another walk and breakfast at Drift, we packed our bags and drove to Adelaide, where we spent 20 minutes trying to find our unit in St Peter's. The fence is charcoal grey and so is the number, and we thought it was part of the next door property. Eventually we made our way in, and got settled. Later we went for a walk along the River Torrens and enjoyed the amazing bird life in this very pretty area.

I hope you can spot the flock of ibis in the trees

That night we walked to Chef Dong, about 10 minutes away and had a stunning meal - Wes enjoyed Peking style steak and I had the salt & pepper whitebait. We also had a dish of mushrooms & bok choi, which was to die for. They had Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc on the their wine list, which was the perfect accompaniement to our meal. We hope to get back there again tomorrow night.

Yesterday, we had breakfast at The Flying Fig, our favourite North Adelaide cafe, which specialises in Jewish cuisine. The owner remembered us from our previous visits, and we had a good chat. Wes had a bagel with cucumber & avocado, but I couldn't go past the baked eggs. Then we went to Rundle Mall to soak up the footy atmosphere, bought a few things in Myer, did a walk around the Adelaide Central Market, and came back here to have a rest before the footy.

We loved the footy experience at the Adelaide Oval - lots of families, supporters of all teams wearing their colours and a carnival atmosphere. We could have done without the incessant loud noise from the ground announcers & DJ, but we realise our age group isn't their target market. Carlton & Freo played a very exciting close game that the Blues only won in the last few minutes - Never in Doubt as Wes would say. 

After the game finished, we went upstairs to the top level where there were fewer patrons & much less noise and debriefed over a glass of shiraz - we're in Adelaide so it wasn't a rough red, but an extremely palatable drop! We stayed until half-time of the second match, which was also exciting & close between Geelong & the Western Bulldogs and arrived home in time to see the last quarter, where the Cats hung on by 4 points.