Sunday 25th onward

Sunday 25th June

A truly peaceful, quiet day. Started very gently indeed. Tea in bed, lounging around, pottering and pootling. Doing nothing in particular. Pottered some more. Ambled about.

Ian decided that today was the day for going to the tip. Got out the trailer. Packed it. Not sure that I had realised that we were all going to the tip with him; kind of assumed it would be him and The Builder bonding. But no; we all went. The bottom of the trailer was absolutely covered with bottles. Was fun throwing them all into the skip, but not as much fun as throwing them into English skips when you get to smash them as well! I expressed the hope that these weren’t bottles generated by us in the previous week. No, I was assured. Many of them were still there from our last visit!

Right. All that energy expended removing bottles from the trailer. Time for lunch. We went back into town and had lunch at Oscars, opposite Target. Roast beef for The Builder and me; soup and a sandwich for Ian; an enormous BLT (with egg) for Lindsey. And a nice bottle of wine. At about half past one we had an urgent request from Austin, Julia and Ant for emergency breakfast supplies. They had kicked on from Austin’s birthday feast on Saturday and gone clubbing. They none of them felt that it was quite safe to drive, given that they hadn’t got home until nearly getting up time! We took note of the emergency breakfast request and continued to much and sup.

The Builder and I have bought new luggage. I fear that the Pink Bag is approaching retirement. Sad, really; I’ve had it since I was at Ballarat CAE doing my library course. But we will take it back to England. It’s not quite ready to go into complete retirement just yet.

We delivered the breakfast supplies and The Builder and I stayed to chat to the recoverees while Lindsey and Ian went off to buy a washing machine. AS you do! Then we repaired back to Mount Helen and pottered about watching the kookaburras buzzing the currawongs in the garden, while Lindsey and Ian went to look at a car they are thinking of getting for Emily.

And so to dinner. Austin, Julia and Ant appeared and we had fish and chips and started the new bottle collection. Then Austin and Julia declared defeat and went home. Lindsey went to bed, for her holiday has now finished and she leaves at 07:00 to go to Melbourne when she’s working. The Builder and I also went to bed, thus finishing a lovely, lazy day. I do enjoy long, lazy Sundays, especially when they involve Sunday Lunches out!Monday 26th June

And another peaceful day. Well, it was peaceful for The Builder and me. More or less. Lindsey vanished at 07:00 to head to Melbourne for her first day at work after the holidays. Ian trundled off at 09:00 for a meeting in Ballarat, followed by a meeting in Melbourne. The Builder and I pottered about and meandered through the morning. I cleared up the kitchen, which was not an onerous task given that we had had takeaway the night before. I was just sorting out some washing when there was an interruption to the peace and quiet …

All of a sudden Harry, Zac and Lucy started barking. Really, really barking. Excited, come-and-look-at-this barking. I was just putting down my bundles of washing when I saw The Builder going out to investigate. Some minutes later I thought: Those dogs are still barking and there is no sign of The Builder. Went out to investigate myself. No sign of The Builder or, indeed, of anything to have excited the dogs in such a way. Eventually, The Builder came back and reported that, when he went out, there were a rottweiller and a husky merrily making free with the driveway. He very bravely decided to show them out. Brave, for rotties and huskies are not small dogs, though they don’t normally attack people. I think he was worried that Lucy would eventually bounce over the fence and we really don’t want Lucy discovering that the fence is not a real barrier to her freedom!

Anyway, after all that excitement, it was time to meet Austin for lunch. Back to Pipers at the head of the Lake. I didn’t have Greek lamb salad!!! I had a warm beef salad but without the walnuts and with extra beetroot. Was very delicious. Then we went for a wander around the wetlands bit of the lake (closed when we were over at Christmas). Not very wet wetlands, I have to say! Strange. A visit to Ballarat and we haven’t been for a circuit of the lake. Must Do Better next time!

So Austin went home to play with his new games machine. I was about to take off back to Mount Helen via the supermarket when I saw a sign to Snake Valley and decided to take The Builder for a bit of an explore. Went out to Carngham to show him the Magnificent Church which so astonished me when we first moved to that area (big church, substantial tower, very few people thereabouts) and on up through Beaufort just to see if it is still there. It is! We came back along the main highway. Lake Burrumbeet is in an even more parlous state than Lake Wendouree. Almost no water in it at all.

And so back to Mount Helen to prepare dinner. Tonight I was cooking. Roast lamb, roast potatoes, roast carrots, pumpkin, parsnip, with boiled peas and corn and Yorkshire Puddings which rose AND crisped this time. We sat in the lounge room, dogs in their baskets farting smellily (the dogs, not us!) drinking gin and tonic (us, not the dogs) and watching the lights of Ballarat twinkling while we were waiting for dinner to cook. Was rather nice. Austin and Julia joined us. Ian came back from Melbourne to join in. Lindsey stayed in town, varying her usual night from Tuesday to Monday. We all had a good time, the boys played snooker, we ate the Sunday Roast on a Monday, then Austin, Julia and Ian went back to Drummond Street to watch the soccer and The Builder and I went to bed.

Tuesday 27th June

Not a quiet start to the day. I was on dog feeding duty!! First I had to get them out. They bounced. Then I sorted out their food. They were bouncing outside. Then I let Lucy in. She really really bounced. Then I fed Zac and Harry outside. They bounced. Then I let Lucy out and fed them their Green biscuits. They really bounced. Lucy ate Zac’s biscuit. Had to give him another one. Nearly took my finger with it! Dogs successfully fed I turned my attention to the kitchen and eradicated all signs of a previous evening’s lamb feast. We trundled into Ballarat and picked up the supermarket supplies for Sheffield and Chesterfield. I happened to notice that they were selling crays for $20 and remembered that Ian and Lindsey had suggested I might like to refurnish their freezer with lobster bisque. Decided that I could do this, if only I could remember what the other ingredients are besides cray, prawns and fish stock. Wandered to Austin’s place to check, then we all made out way to Pat’s place for lunch.

Pat and Eric had moved into a rather large, light and airy house on the far side of Alfredton sometime in February and not all that long before Eric died. The Builder and I haven’t been there before. It’s a nice house, but I wouldn’t want to live in quite that location, neither town nor country if you see what I mean. But I think it had been handy for Eric for driving to Beaufort without going through town. It was nice to see Pat and to catch up (and to suss out the house!). We stayed for a couple of hours then went back to the supermarket for the rest of the bisque ingredients and then on to meet Ian for more bowling. (Blows my average this; until I went bowling twice in less than week I had been twice in four years!). I have learnt my lesson and only played the first game. I made ONE HUNDRED AND THREE!!!!!!!! And I made a strike. A really proper one. In fact, I made two, but one bounced in off the bumpers. The second one went straight down and whacked all the skittles over. Big Grin. The Builder only made 107 and Ian 109, so I wasn’t last by a long way at all!! Mind you, Austin was streets ahead with 150 summat. The boys played the second game with the bumpers off. Ian won this time, 151 to Austin’s 148. The Builder demonstrated exemplary consistency with 109.

Our last evening. Lindsey came home, with Emily in tow. Ian made a most magnificent seafood platter. There were a fish curry, tempura prawns and scallops, crayfish in a yummy sauce, salmon in nori seaweed, salad with asparagus and lychees, there were home made fries. There was passionfruit soufflé to follow. The boys played snooker. Again. The dogs were less farty cos this time I remembered to give them their charcoal biscuits. I made up the crayfish bisque, leaving it to be strained in the morning. Austin and Julia wandered off. The rest of us went in leisurely stages to bed.

Australia has been bundled out of the soccer World Cup. A very late, somewhat dubious penalty to Italy resulted in the only goal of the match. The Australians think they wuz robbed, with a tiny amount of reason. Austin and Ian have now transferred their allegiance to England, who has made it through to the quarter finals. However, the Socceroos have no reason to feel shamed. It’s only the second time they’ve ever reached the finals, and the first time they’ve advanced into the final 16. Well done them!

Wednesday 28th June

Our last day. And not a peaceful start at all. Lindsey and Ian vanished in a puff of smoke at around 07:00, Lindsey driving Ian’s car and running him to a station somewhere. We need to take our hire car back this morning so have Lindsey’s huge, big, ginormous car for the rest of the day. But first, there’s the kitchen to tackle. The plates and things had been put into the dishwasher last evening, but there are loads and loads of dishes remaining, and two sinks’ worth of pots and pans. Plus there’s the bisque to strain. Right. Set to it. I tackled the kitchen in stages. The Builder and I strained the bisque, using brute force and Ian’s meat tenderiser. We took the car back, The Builder pausing to complain about the tyre pressure when we got he car. I had been driving towards Melbourne when we very firs got it and happened to mention that it had a pronounced pull to the left. We tested the tyre pressure. The left hand front tyre was well over the mark. The other three were significantly under. And none of them was the same. The man at ?Hertz was somewhat dismayed. At the very least they’re supposed to supply you with roadworthy vehicles!

Anyway, back to Mount Helen to finish the tidying of the kitchen, strip the bed, and pack our bags. Just as well we have new ones. WE seem to be going home with very much more than we came with! Oh. And we have FOUND Matthew’s present. Tabitha gave me a small something to give to him when we left Sheffield. I remember picking it up and then it completely vanished. We have searched high and low for it. Today, The Builder found it in the very front pocket of his back pack. I think it’s been hiding! We’ve given it to Emily to pass on. She seems quite reliable in these matters!

I went out into the dog compound, being Very Brave Indeed, to say goodbye to the Danes. I don’t really expect Harry to be there the next time we come. And there is the possibility that Zac might not be either. He’s only 6 but Danes are not a long lived breed. Harry is very very unusual to have lasted to 11. Anyway. Out I went. Up the BOUNDED, screeched to a halt and started bouncing around me. Zac tried to jump up and put his paws on my shoulders, failing only because Lucy pushed him aside. This is unusual behaviour for Zac; he’s normally slightly aloof. Harry leant on me. Lucy bounced up high. Then I went inside and sluiced myself down. Said farewell to Emily, then jumped in Lindsey’s Leviathan and took ourselves down to meet Austin and Julia.

Julia has the beginnings of a cold L

GCs for lunch today. I had a magnificent lamb souvlaki. Not that it ws really a proper souvlaki; had loads of marinated, rare lamb with a greek salad, tzatziki, and toasted Turkish bread. Fantastic. Then we all went for a final amble in Target and around the shops. We called into the poster shop which used to be run by Jill, a woman we knew when we were in Jeparit. Still is, although it’s on the market so they can go travelling and have a change of direction. Spent a few minutes catching up with her, then we took Julia home so she could get ready for work. She’s recently started working full time so she can save up some money for next year. Austin is hoping to spend most of 2007 in Japan, while Julia is planning to spend the second half of the year finishing her course at a University in North Carolina. I see travel possibilities coming our way!!

A fond farewell to Julia.

The Austin, The Builder and I took ourselves down to Carlton. I’m pleased to report that I can still navigate my way around Carlton without having to think about it. More than can be said for a lot of Melbourne – but then they haven’t put in an extensive new road network in Carlton. WE parked in the Safeway car park then walked into the city so Austin could visit a couple of sports shops (he’s on the track of a red wind cheater), the Asian supermarket (he bought us a packet of biscuits shaped like very tiny burgers, but filled with chocolate) and the Minotaur, sci-fi book shop. Then we ambled back to Carlton. “Let’s go up Swanston Street” said I. So we did. Imagine our surprise when, as we neared the top, we ran across Ian coming down Swanston Street, chatting into his mobile phone. We flagged him down and dragged him to Lygon Street with us. But then he escaped. He needed an express post envelope and all the Post Offices were shut. He fled to his office.

So Austin, The Builder and I drifted up Lygon Street to the University Café where we sat and drank wine and ate antipasto while waiting for the others to join us. Ant and Christian rocked in. Then Lindsey. Finally Ian. While we were waiting for our food, Simon rang Lindsey’s mobile. I was chatting to him when I became aware that The Builder and Austin were chatting happily to someone Not Of Our Party. It was Rich Smith who left Sheffield in November to come to Melbourne in the hope of finding teaching work somewhere. He’s now working in Altona and living in St Kilda. But a true coincidence to run across him while sitting in a pavement café in Carlton. What are the odds?

Snapper for me. I do like Australian fish.

And so to the airport. Lindsey and Austin, in Lindsey’s Monster car (actually, it’s very easy to drive, until you want to park it or manoeuvre it into small spaces) delivered us to the airport in plenty of time. We met Ian there. Ant and Christian have gone to Mount Martha for a few days. There was a very tiny queue so it took almost no time to check in. Then Lindsey, Ian and Austin took themselves variously back to Ballarat, where Austin and Ian went to the pictures and then to the casino, where Ian won $50. Lindsey allegedly went home to bed, though she was responding to text messages from me right into the early hours. We went through customs and immigration, where3 there were also no queues, bought Tabitha’s perfume (which I had entirely forgotten about until Austin reminded me in the car) and pottered about until it was time to board.

We boarded. And sat there. And sat there. And sat there. I dozed off. It seems there was a problem with the toilets and the water. So not an insignificant problem then. A plumber and a plane engineer and a crew of helpers came to sort it out. We sat there. I dozed on. Then I woke up as the pilot was saying: It’s been fixed, we’re just putting the plane back together. We sat there and sat there. The Customer Service Manager came on to say they had closed the doors and we would be leaving shortly. WE sat there. Then, worryingly, an announcement came over asking if there was a medical doctor on board who was willing to be of assistance. Someone got up and moved to the front of the plane. I assume they were a doctor. We sat there. The “medical incident” was sorted out. WE sat there while the paperwork was dealt with. Then we sat there. And sat there. Then we were told that a second medical incident had occurred and that this one was quite serious. We sat there. Eventually an ambulance arrived and the poor poorly passenger was off loaded, along with their bags. WE continued to sit there while more paperwork was dealt with. It worries me a bit that the ambulance was still sitting there when we finally took off, three hours late, several minutes later. It still had all it’s lights flashing but didn’t seem to be in any hurry to go anywhere.

And so to Hong Kong, without any real further incidents. Was a bit bouncy coming into land, but that was kind of fun. I slept most of the way so even if there had been incidents, I might not have noticed.

Awake now. We were further held up leaving Hong Kong – but at least we only sat on the tarmac for around 45 minutes before we finally left. And nobody died, or was taken seriously ill. Whether we will make our train is a moot point. What is certain is that all the folk musicians on their way to a wine and folk festival in Finland will not make their connecting flight. Still, someone will get them there somehow. The muso sat next to us is carrying a toy sheep called Gomez. Looks much too young to be going to a wine festival does that sheep!

We’re flying over China. There are the most fantastic views of the mountains, valleys and rivers. It’s quite stunning