Nimmitabel: A Work in Progress: DC Gals and no Helen & co Fri 4th

As always, it took me longer than anticipated to leave Melbourne for Inglewood on Friday

George helped me load up the aloe veras - as they were too big to put in the cabin - and we put the net on top

I was having my old Data Connection gals up for the weekend - they hadn't been there before - but had seen the show

Linda and Nancy were coming up, unfortunately Lisa couldn't make it

Linda said she was planning on leaving around 1.30pm, and so anticipated arriving around 4pm - allowing time to get lost

I barely got there before Linda at 3.30pm...

Had just unpacked the car and put stuff in the fridge

Gave her a very quick tour, and we went up to the veranda and waited for Nancy to arrive

Nancy arrived, and I gave them both the "tour", and put Linda in the red room, and Nancy in the green room

We also walked up to the pub to check it out - as we were planning on having dinner there tomorrow night - and I wanted them to see what it was like - manage their expectations...

We went in the front bar and ended up staying for a few drinks - Kahlua and milk. Saw a few people that I knew - we had fun, and stayed for about an hour.

Went back to the house - and Linda brought out a delicious plater of cheeses, meats, biscuits etc which she had brought up - and we had some bubbles to go with it in the kitchen

It was all a bit too delicious and too much of it - so we didn't feel like any of the dinner that she had brought - we just grazed on all of this - including some of my pate which Linda loved

So, a relatively early night and a slow start on Saturday

Staggered breakfast in the kitchen - I had kept the aga and heater on overnight - so it was nice and warm in there

The Quasair people and Chris's brickies that he recommended came at 11am to measure up again - and to bring the cardboard model to check that it would fit

And then outside to see how many bricks needed to be removed and where the hot water service would need to be moved to

Terry and Peter the brickies thought that the back wall looked a bit like a dog's breakfast - with electric cables, water pipes all over the place. - so we'll try and tidy that up also

Basically what we're going to do is remove 2 or 3 courses of bricks at the back there, and insert the rectangular rangehood from the back. The fan and engine will be outside on the back wall - which is why the hot water service will need to be moved. (unfortunately the plumber and electrician couldn't be here at the same time - so I've only spoken to them about it)

Terry & Peter will need to put a lintel - to support the brick hole - and they'll also repoint the bricks there at the back. Coincidentally Terry also knew David P and Stuart B who did the previous rendering/plastering

Anyway, once they left, the gals and I went up the street, and had a wander through the shops

Found a wooden canoe oar at Denis' that I thought Justin might be interested in (he wasn't)

And a couple of candle wall sconces

An anchor

And surprisingly some more wooden canoe oars at Fuss Pots - but we left them too

Back to the house for some late lunch - Aga cheese, ham and pickle toasties - yum

And because it was such a beautiful day we went to Melville Caves after lunch and I was surprised to see quite a few kangaroos there

Came back and sat on the veranda and had some afternoon tea - but not too much as we wanted to be hungry for dinner

Because they had been saying how much they liked open fires - I decided to set one up in the dining room

Justin had taught me years ago how to set a fire - and it was very successful

Had a few drinks in front of it before dinner

Linda had also given me a lovely fire irons set - from her auntie's place in Tassie - she knew if would go well here

And yes, we had Linda's delicious massaman beef curry and Indian carrot and rice fritters - yum

I also put a lot of candles around the room - and of course we all look more beautiful by candle light

Luckily we went to Melville Caves yesterday, as Sunday was overcast and dreary

We stayed inside and played some cards after breakfast - which was a lot of fun

And then the gals packed up, and we went to the Bridgewater Pub for lunch - which Nancy generously shouted us

They then continued on to Melbourne, and I went back to the house, as Helen and Michaela were coming tomorrow

I did some tidying up - including in the cellar where a bottle had popped (some time ago) ...red wine dripping onto the spare bathroom tiles

it was from a very old bottle of port - 1981!

I also did some vacuuming and mopping etc

And of course some more gardening - planted those aloe veras from George

As it was, Helen and Michaela didn't come - as Michaela had a bad cough - and felt like staying home

I stayed til Wednesday, had a coffee with Pauline one morning and another with Terry another morning, and did lots of gardening/tidying up

Generally stayed out til around 5pm, by which time I was pretty cold, so came inside to have a nice hot bath

Also responded to the postcard and letter that we had received because of Restoration Australia - sent them our Nimmitabel postcards. In also picked up a new Inglewood brochure from the Post Office

The plumber also came on Wednesday morning - and I showed him what needed to be done re the hot water service. Also got Terry the brickie on the phone so they could talk to each other

Saw this new brochure with a lovely photo of David & Arlene