Monday 15 May 2017

First cold snap of the year 6 & 7 May 2017

Had a bit of a circuitous route on the way to Inglewood this weekend.

Inherited/re-housed a bit more furniture, and also took some other very heavy pieces to Alex and Sarah's

We ended up taking some veranda chairs and table, and Mongolian low chest of drawers to Inglewood





Got to Inglewood after 1pm, so unpacked and had some lunch up on the veranda on the new furniture.  The table worked really well, because as Justin had pointed out, it has 3 legs, so doesn't wobble around on the slightly sloping veranda floor




Was a lovely sunny day, and reasonably warm in the sun, but cold out of it

And, it was a lot greener than just a week ago.

I did a bit of gardening, but also had some work to do, so did that in the dining room.  I was very pleased to have my work internet dongle.  however it was freezing in the dining room, had a coffee to warm me up


Put the Mongolian drawers in the Red room, with the Screen behind it, not sure about that though



Maile and David dropped in to tell us that it was the 1st weekend of the month, and to remind us to come up to the Village Green

Justin had been looking forward to just a quiet night at home, however I persuaded him to come, and we had a very nice time.  Got there around 6pm, and there weren't many people - Terry, Maile & David, Arleen & David, Anne & Phillip and one of their friend's.  Mark & Chrissie came a little later.

I had certainly dressed warmly for it, thermal underwear and a number of jumpers/jackets and even a hat. I was warm enough, and there was also a fire in a brazier which warmed our hands.  Had some wine, and some little snacks

Stayed til 7.30 or so, and then home to dinner.  I had prepared some bolognese earlier and had it warming in the oven at a low temperature to meld the flavours even more.  Was pretty good if I do say so myself.

Had a picnic dinner in front of Jarhead the movie upstairs.  Thought about a fire, as it was pretty cold, but we had a small blow heater and rugs.

Sunday, and a slow start, reading the  paper online.

I suggested that we put up that William Morris tapestry that Justin had bought some time ago.  Justin had thought it would be tricky, and we'd need dyna bolts etc, however it was pretty light, so we could just use a normal picture hook

Justin had to cut the pieces of dowel down to size first



 


And then it was ready for hanging








Next off we thought we'd wash the ute, as it was filthy!  Had some sort of mould?? on it , or else it was persistent dirt.  It was actually nice to put my hands in the bucket of hot water to warm them up.

I don't think we've ever had it that clean!



Had some nice hot pies for lunch, and I did some more work (not thrilled about working on the weekend, but it had to be done, I had a training presentation on Monday,and my client had wanted me to change a whole lot of things from my self deluded final version on Thursday)


The mushrooms/toadstools had also grown quite a bit




And I noticed that a solitary asparagus fern had resurrected itself in the vegie patch.  They had been going pretty well last year, but then the heat must have fried them, and they disappeared

Alex and me April 28 - 30 2017


I was in Sydney on the Friday for some meetings and presentations, so arrived back in Melbourne around 6.30pm

Alex had kindly offered to pick me up from Tullamarine airport - and then to go onto Inglewood.

The food at Tullamarine didn't inspire us for dinner, so we thought we'd wait until Kyneton.

Stumbled across The Source in Piper Street. Was a fabulous restaurant (used to be Annie Smithers bistrot)

Annie-Smithers-2015-34sm.jpg
photo from the internet
Annie-Smithers-2015-59sm.jpg
photo from the internet

I started with a Campari and Hepburn Springs (local) lemonade, and Alex had a beer.

Then duck (Milawa Free Range Duck - Hay brined & roasted duck breast, croquettes of confit leg, onion soubise, cherry, fig, lentils & quinoa, duck jus)  for me, steak ( Aged Sutton Grange beef Pommes anna, carrot puree, roast heirloom carrots, chablis mustard, shiraz jus) for Alex, and some hand cut , chips with tomato salt to share,

Were also given some little amuse bouche after the  yummy bread and butter, ie a roast capsicum and tomato saucer of soup, and a passionfruit sliver of jelly after the cheese and biscuits :-Cloud 9 Triple velvet, A camembert style triple cream cheese, made here in the Macedon Ranges. Small batches of this mild flavoured, beautifully luscious cows’ milk cheese are handmade on the local farm) 

Got these florid descriptions from their menu on their website.

Food, service and atmosphere were great (was relatively expensive though) - and my dear brother -in law shouted me.  In fact he proceeded to do so all weekend, I just got the drinks for dinner on Saturday night at the Pub,

Finished up around 9.30 or so, so got to Inglewood around 10.30, just unpacked and went to bed.  wasn't too cold in the house which I was relieved about.

Got up around 7am in case Alex wanted to go for  walk, however he slept in a bit and got up 8ish so we had some breakfast (inside, was grey and overcast, not cold though)

Had my haircut/coloured at 9am, and came back after 11am.  Didn't want to get dirty, so just stayed in my regular clothes and hunted for bindis.

Everything was a lot greener, and it was definitely Autumn, leaves becoming yellow and falling.  Not too cold though, even worked up a sweat with some of the more vigorous gardening.





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Bakery for lunch - where we saw an article in the paper about a man who wanted to trade a German Castle ( Schochwitz Castle) for a Melbourne apartment.  Or it was for sale for $750k euros, which seems pretty reasonable to me - as it is fully renovated!





photo from the internet

photo from the internet

Did some gardening after lunch, weeded out the front.


Olives looking good



And strange fungi in the garden




Also a large dead cicada/moth?




Alex bought some dips and biscuits, and we had them up on the veranda before dinner

Dinner at the pub - of course an Outback



Back to the house and we watched Warhorse - which Alex didn't think very much of - too sentimental


Image result for warhorse movie

The footy club were having a ball across the road at the Town Hall, a little raucous after 12, but not too bad

Saw Andrew N the next day cleaning up - ie picking up empty bottles and cans

They had also just put up this new bust of Edwin Tivey looking across at our (his old) house



Went for a nice walk  - usual circuit in the scrub, and then more weeding out the front.





Was feeling a little cold, so had soup and toast outside for lunch - was not bad (not great either)

And more weeding after lunch