Catch Up:

 You find us at Mount Martha this weekend (after a blog silence - sorry!)

The weather has been quite a lot colder over the past couple of weeks. We've definitely turned the corner towards winter. I've had the fire lit in the evenings, and during the day if I know we are going to be home all day. It was quite wet yesterday. Not downpour wet, just nice rain wet. So Lindsey and I went to the mushroom farm first and then went to the Zoo Drive market. There are tramway repairs along the lake road and one side of the road is closed. If it had been a nice day we probably wouldn't have got a parking space. As it was there were fewer people about. Parking wasn't an issue. Neither was overcrowding at the market!

There were some people about

although social distancing was not a problem!

Funnily enough, most people were gathered
around the hot food and coffee stalls :D

We quite enjoyed the market. We shared a steak and cheese toastie from Tim's Toasties. We bought pastries and pasta, tomatoes and eggs, sauces and stuff. A good, if damp, morning.

It was Lindsey's birthday on Wednesday. We had a lunch party at work for her. One of the doctors brought slow cooked paprika chicken. One of the receptionists made ham and cheese pinwheels. We had tiny cupcakes and a cheesecake covered in fresh fruit. And I made gyoza. It was a lovely lunch

Lindsey and I have been and inspected the Mount Clear Aged Care facility. It was opened just under two years ago and seems to be really lovely.  There are lots of lounge rooms, common rooms, dining areas. The bedrooms are all en suite with wet rooms. There are registered nurses on site 24 hours. There seem to be lots of activities and things to do. Jim is going there for a two week holiday on Thursday. I hope he likes it there. It would be very convenient for me, for when he needs to go into permanent care. It's only a couple of kilometres from home and it's just up the road from the butcher, the baker (when it comes back after the fire) and the IGA.

Boys snoozing up at Hill House:

If you look closely, you can see Jim huddled on the
bed behind the dogs.

And now awake:

Jim and Hugo

Jim and Rupert

Stella, for mysterious reasons, had a couple of teeth out a week or so ago. Her mouth is still bleeding and unhappy, and she isn't supposed to wear her front teeth plate for the next little while. So last night we had flathead tails with soft peas and milk-cooked sliced potatoes with cheese. Nice and soft. No real chewing required. I am planning meatballs for lunch today. I thought I might form them around chunks of blue cheese and serve them in a tomato gravy. Stella assures me that she can manage roast potatoes so we'll have them as well. And I'll sort out her (nicely full) fridge so she has lots of soft finger foods to hand during this week. I think she'll be able to manage a small seafood pie, some chicken sausages, boiled eggs, that sort of thing, don't you?

An impromptu Saturday Road Trip

Some months ago I had an email from a friend sending photos of Skipton in North Yorkshire. Skipton is a town which I am reasonably familiar with. I used to go there for lunch when visiting my uncle who lived near Blackburn in Lancashire. When I lived in Sheffield, Skipton was close enough for a day trip. I like Skipton. It's a pretty little place.

About a 45 minute drive from here is another Skipton. I am not as familiar with it - it's a place I used to drive through, many years ago, when I lived in Beaufort and then Ballarat but not somewhere that I recall ever having actually been to. I decided I would go to my local Skipton, take some photos and send them to the friend who sent the North Yorkshire photos.

Then I forgot all about it. The email fell down, down, down the list and out of my memory bank.

I found it again late last week.

On Saturday I was at a loose end. Lindsey was in Melbourne. There were no markets, it being the fifth Saturday of the month. But the Mushroom Farm had, according to Facebook, restocked after its Easter break. So I suggested to Jim that we go out there so I too could restock. Jim was a bit unsure about this. He was wearing a long sleeved tee shirt and jumper but was also wearing a pair of pyjama pants and his slippers. I had washed his tracksuit pants and his trousers and none of them were dry. I pointed out that no-one would notice - he could stay in the car while I did the shopping. So he came. For the ride.

I did the shopping and then suggested to Jim that we head out on an adventure. Neither of us had any plans for the day and it seemed a good chance to head out to Skipton for a look around. He seemed a bit nonplussed by this idea but agreed that we should go.

It's a lovely drive out to Skipton, through Smythesdale, Scarsdale, Linton. Then we arrived in Skipton. I have to say, there's not a lot there though it too is a pretty little place. 

The main drag

Historical Society

Mount Emu Creek

There are pictures of platypuses dotted around

I surmise that there are platypuses in the creek

I might have bought something for lunch but the takeaway shop has closed down and the deli wasn't open. There is a small IGA but I wasn't tempted to buy groceries. I did, however, see signposts to Beaufort and decided to head there. A Saturday road trip.

I lived in Beaufort for 3 years in my mid-30s. We moved from there to Ballarat and I haven't had many reasons to return, and not at all since I returned from the UK. I've been close but I can't remember having been into the town for many, many years. So many, that I had entirely forgotten the existence of the lake although we used to go there often. Our church had sunrise services there on Easter Sundays. It was a good place for family picnics. Some of our guests at Jim's birthday party had mentioned it and told us of information boards detailing indigenous culture and history, but it hadn't really registered (although Freyja remembers them talking about it).

Beaufort was quite busy. There were lots of people at picnic tables around the rotunda, lots of people in the shops and cafes, lots of people having a good time. The takeaway shop on the main road hasn't closed down and was open for business. Unfortunately, it only takes cash and I seldom carry cash. I went in search of an ATM. We couldn't go into any of the cafes because, if you remember, Jim was wearing pyjama bottoms and slippers. Freyja rang while I was hunting for an ATM and looked on the internet. I had walked past one, in the window of the news agency - right next to the fish and chip shop! I had looked in through the door of the news agency but not at the window.

So, fish and chips acquired and the existence of the lake having been brought back to my memory (we had driven past the lakeside caravan park on the way into town, plus the lake is signposted) we drove to there to eat them.

Where our Easter Sunday services took place,
looking towards the caravan park

I would have gone and looked at the information boards dotted along the boardwalk, but it didn't seem fair to leave Jim abandoned in the car (again!) for all that length of time and he certainly couldn't have walked it. Not only was he wearing slippers, but we hadn't brought his walker. I'm not sure he would have walked it anyway. Something to do on another day.

I must admit that I was surprised to find a proper, 110 km/h freeway joining Beaufort to Ballarat. When I lived there it was a single lane road. It was (and still is) the main road from Melbourne to Adelaide, taking you through the Western District and places such as Ararat and Horsham. It was quite dangerous at times, given the number of freight trucks that used it. The existence of a proper freeway was a very pleasant discovery, although I don't know how far west it goes. It made for a very good drive home.

A good, unplanned day. We will go again, having first got Jim properly dressed, and try one of the cafes.

I have done a bit more work on the patio and now it looks like this:

I've put the boxes with the mint plants in front
of this bed

I need to sort out the bit with the barbecue.
It's all jumbled up

I've made a start on the new fruit bed:

I think, if I ever get it all finished, that it should look quite nice

Backyard

 This is how the backyard patio looked yesterday morning:

And this is how it looks this morning:

These are the culprits:

Three baby dwarf apple trees:
Bramley, Fuji and Snow

I was intending to put them in large tubs along the side fence but then thought it might look better if I put in an edged bed, using some of the wooden raised beds I had in the garage. A quick video consult with Freyja and she agreed the wooden beds would look better, so that was what I did:

I had intended to leave them as two panel beds, but I think I might put the third panels in and top up the soil (which I took from one of the metal vegetable beds I am intending to replace) with some compost before I plant the trees. I might also plant the Bramley on the other side of the fence. I think they will probably grow too big, even as dwarf trees, to fit three in that little bed. I would have bought two trees, but I really wanted the Bramley and I believe that a Bramley won't pollinate other apple trees (although they will pollinate it - apparently). That's ok. I'm sure I can find room somewhere. But I might almost have enough fruit trees now. There are two lemon trees, a Tahitian lime tree that Jim got for his birthday which I think I will put with the lemon trees. There are an orange and a mandarin tree in tubs out the front and now three apple trees. Plus I have raspberry canes, a rhubarb plant, two gooseberry bushes, two blackcurrant bushes and two blueberry bushes. It's only a teeny tiny garden and it grows vegetables and herbs as well.

It's supposed to be good weather today and tomorrow, which is a public holiday for ANZAC Day. I'll try and get the patio sorted out so it's useable again. And so that it looks beautiful, of course 😂

I seem to have accidentally trashed the kitchen as well.  I'm really not sure how that happened. It's true that I came back from the market and the butcher yesterday with lots of bounty, but even so!

I'd better go and tidy it up, I suppose. Although, if I happen to excavate the coffee pot ...

Easter

We had a lovely week with Stella in Ballarat.

We had a rest day on Monday, after the weekend of partying.

On Tuesday, Jim and I moved up to Hill House. Lindsey and Ian were working away, so we went up to help Stella look after Rupert and Hugo. Stella, Jim and I went out to the Mushroom Farm for supplies in the afternoon.  It's closed now for the school holidays, until after Anzac Day.

On Wednesday, we all came down to Tani bright and early. Jim's carer was due at 10, leaving Stella and me free to go out for her blood test, and then to go to Peter Alexander for pyjamas. We went back to Hill House until Ian came back and left Stella there when we came home. 

On Thursday afternoon, Lindsey, Stella and I went to Bridge Mall and went clothes shopping. We stopped for a hot chocolate in one of the cafes - the weather was nice enough for us to sit outside. While we were there, a white van pulled up and a bloke got out and started unloading boxes for Darrel Lea, a chocolate company which has a shop in Bridge Mall.  As he walked past us, he greeted us with a "Happy Easter" and dropped a small Easter egg each on our table.  I think that would not have happened had we not had Stella with us 😁

Stella had bought some lobster tails while we were in the supermarket. So on Good Friday, she, Lindsey and Ian came round to our place for a seafood platter lunch. We had the lobster tails, flathead tails, prawns, tiny salmon fishcakes, roast potatoes and salad

There wasn't much left on my large
serving platter!

Saturday was a rest day. For Jim and me, at least. Up at Hill House, they were preparing for a visit from Emily and Andre.

Easter Sunday was a quiet affair - we had all gathered the previous Sunday for Emily and Andre's wedding celebration and people didn't seem to fancy a visit to Ballarat two Sundays in a row! So Jim and I went up to Hill House for an Easter Sunday lunch.

And on Monday, Lindsey took Stella home after an action packed 10 day holiday in Ballarat and things have gone back to more or less normal.

The weather has turned autumnal

Kitty Kats curled up in a blanket on the bed

Rain and fog have visited us -
and I have now pulled up the zucchini plants

Whiskey is pleased that I have lit the fire

I don't know if I have mentioned this before (although I think I have) but when I first moved to the UK I was quite shocked to find that all the shops were open on Good Friday. It is a solemn holiday here, in principle at least, and everything is closed. In the UK everything is closed on Easter Sunday. Many shops are open here. I was therefore somewhat surprised when Lindsey mentioned in passing on Thursday afternoon that the IGA would be open on Good Friday. And so they were. It was the first time they have opened and I'm not sure how they were able to, but I have to say it was very useful. It meant I could pick up the few things I needed for my seafood lunch in the relative calm of Friday morning rather than having to dash in on Thursday evening before they closed.

Rupert enjoying playing with a
new toy octopus, 

Partying

It was Jim's 80th birthday on Saturday, so we had an afternoon tea party to celebrate.

Lindsey and I swapped cars early on Friday morning. She went off to work in my little Ziggy. Jim and I went to Mount Martha in her more spacious Alf to collect Stella and to bring her to Mount Helen for. the celebrations.

Wendy had intended to come up by train on Friday afternoon. This seemed a bit silly since I was in Melbourne in a large car, so we swung by her place and picked her up too.

Lindsey's capacious car was very carefully packed with a wheelchair, a walker, suitcases, party food that we picked up at Tully's and various other bits and pieces. We delivered Stella to Lindsey and Ian's place and went with Wendy down to ours.

I made teeny tiny cupcakes for the party. I made teeny tiny frogs in ponds, with teeny tiny chocolate frogs I found on the Internet. I bought in party pies, party sausage rolls. Freyja brought vegan friendly party pies. Lindsey made sausage rolls and cupcakes. The dining table was laden with afternoon tea goodies. The desserts were all vegan friendly, apart from Lindsey's cupcakes. We had a variety of vegan friendly party pies and party sausage rolls, as well as meaty ones. We had wine, non-alcoholic wine, beer and tea and coffee.

We had guests too. Lindsey, Ian and Stella. Wendy. Freyja and Simon. Jim's daughter Jeanette and son in law Matt came down from Sydney. Some of my oldest friends (not seen since before covid) came. Young friends came, including a 2 year old who Brandy and Whiskey were not delighted to encounter 😂 Matt and Belinda called in with Sage and William later in the afternoon. It was a very good afternoon.

Thanks to Wendy for this photo

And thanks to Wendy for this photo too

You may remember that my niece Emily got married in Canada last November. We had all intended to go to Canada so we could attend the wedding. Alas - Covid border closures meant that we attended via Zoom instead. At Christmas, Emily and Andre went to visit his family in Trinidad and had a wedding celebration there. On Sunday, the wedding celebration train arrived in Victoria. We all made our way out to Nintingbool, just outside Ballarat (and not far from the Mushroom Farm) to the Nintingbool Winery. We were hugely blessed with the weather, which was just perfect for an outside celebration in the beautiful countryside of the Central Highlands. It was a lovely, lovely celebration.

It wasn't, of course, an actual wedding service, so it could be quite informal. My nephew Christian "officiated". Various people made (short) speeches. Emily and Andre renewed their vows. And then there was (more!) party food, plenty of wine (as befits a celebration held at a winery) and much merriment.

If you should be looking for somewhere to hold a celebration in the countryside outside of Ballarat, you could do a lot worse than the Nintingbool Winery. Not only do they produce exceedingly nice wine, they also produce exceedingly nice food in a magnificent location

Wendy drove us home from the celebration, then she went back to Melbourne with Freyja and Simon. Jim took himself off to bed and didn't reappear until breakfast time on Monday! We had clearly worn him out.

And a word of caution: If you should ever borrow your sister's small car for the day, be aware that it does not have all the bells and whistles that your car has. This way you won't come back to the car after work, only to find the battery is completely dead because Ziggy does not automatically turn off the headlights in the way that Alf does!!!

Welcome Visitors

I forgot to say, in my grumblings about unwelcome visitors, that we also had welcome visitors during the week.

Not at our place, but Freyja and Simon were in town on Monday and Tuesday, staying at Hill House with Rupert and Hugo during the day and visiting friends on Monday evening.

So Jim and I went up to Hill House at lunchtime on Tuesday, trying to fit in between Zoom meetings and other things that people working from home do. I took with me some vegan burgers that I found at the Mushroom Farm. I have now bought lentil burgers, Italian burgers and mild curry burgers and they are all very delicious. I note that they sell them at the local butcher's as well 😂 This is a useful find. I can buy several and keep them in the freezer for unexpected vegan burger emergencies.

It was good to see Freyja and Simon. Much more pleasurable than the invasion of pestilential creatures at our place

Unwelcome Visitors

I may love autumn but I am not quite so fond of the visitors to the house that autumn sometimes brings!

I noticed an ENORMOUS, Frannie-eating moth on the hall ceiling the other night as I was heading to bed. In years gone by this would have been a catastrophic disaster. I was most definitely not fond of moths (oddly, butterflies were ok). As time has gone on, I have been much less fussed by them, so I decided to sort it out in the morning and went to bed.

Naturally, the moth wasn't there when I got up in the morning. It had moved to a much more convenient location on the wall by the TV in the lounge room. I captured it and took it outside. It was quite pretty, seen up close

A fearsome monster, I'm sure you'll agree

Then I saw a spider loitering on the floor by the pantry door. I went and got my spider capturing glass, only for the spider to scurry under the pantry door and disappear towards the back. I was somewhat surprised to see a cockroach lurking on the pantry floor. It was dispatched with insect spray. THEN, as I was getting the food processor out, a mouse appeared and ran at speed towards the spare bedroom. Fortunately, for its long term prospects, the cats were asleep elsewhere and didn't notice it. I haven't seen any further sign of it. If it is a sensible mouse it will have headed out to the garage where the cats (and I) won't disturb it.

I'm not sure why all these creatures are moving into the pantry. There isn't anything of interest in there for them. All food is in pest safe containers. There is no food lying around, nothing for them to nibble. It's not even a peaceful, quiet space. I open the doors, rummage around, move things about several times a day. A deep clean of the pantry wasn't high on my list of things to do. It is now!

The weather has become colder. I have pulled up the tomato plants and brought all the green tomatoes inside. Not as many as last year, but there weren't as many plants. The beans are finished and I am about to pull them up and then make a start on my garden reorganisation project. I can't move the fruit bushes yet; they're still in full leaf. 

Last picking of runner beans for this year

I put the little radiator on in the bedroom yesterday morning so the room would be warm when the district nurse came to give Jim his shower. Not five minutes later:

It wasn't THAT cold yesterday morning!

Another autumn sunrise

Autumn

I love autumn. It has to be my most favourite season. 

I love the golden light of the sunrise. I love the smell of ripening tomatoes on my front porch and the faint smell of wood smoke in the air. 

(I do not love the smell of the smoke from controlled burns, or the sight of massive plumes of smoke which accompanies it. It can be quite worrisome until you realise that it's a controlled burn and not a bushfire in Mount Clear!)

I love the misty mornings and the sunny, warm afternoons and the chilly evenings.

At this time of year the sun is lower in the sky and shines directly in through the windows at the front of the house. It comes in all year round, of course, but in summer and winter it is more diffuse.

Because the sun is lower in the sky, in the autumnal afternoon it sits behind the trees at the back of the garden and bathes the courtyard and vegetable garden in a beautiful dappled, golden light.

The markets and farm shops are full of nectarines and peaches, pumpkins and squashes, the last of summer's raspberries and blueberries, autumn's apples and blackberries, cabbages and cauliflowers, peas and green beans.

It is just possible that I might have been over-excited by all this bounty at the market and mushroom farm yesterday and bought too much in the way of fruit and vegetables, or at least too much for us to eat this coming week. I may have to get cooking and processing. And reorganise the freezers so I can squidge a bit more in

Morning light, looking east, towards Hill House:

That is cloud, not smoke.
It faded away as the sun rose up

Zucchini plants, still flourishing despite the much cooler nights:

Pretty Kitty Kats:

Brandy

Whiskey

I've just paid their annual registration fees. I know I've said it before but I still think that Lindsey gets more for her money with two Great Danes for her $86 than I get for two cats, one a teeny, tiny cat at that, for my $86