Medieval Party 22 & 23 October 2016

Well, we finally had it - Jan's medieval party up in Kingower.  She'd been talking about having it for a couple of years, and here it was.

But first, we had to try and get costumes - tried the Op Shop - but nothing really appropriate for me, although I did get a velvet jester type hat for Justin. (unfortunately he didn't really like it)

Then onto Lizzies, where I'd spied a potential dress the week before.  Still there, but a bit small. Found some other possibilities, and settled on a long black hippy, yet hopefully medieval type dress.

Trying on all these clothes took a bit of time, and by the time I'd finished, it was lunch time.

Was a bit cool, but sunny, so rugged up and had some hot pies outside.

post lunch

I also picked that orange that I'd been eying off for a while.  new flowers were already on the tree, so I figured it was time to pick it.  Quite a thick skin, but nice and sweet.  I look forward to more this season.

1st orange ever!

what a beauty

nice and sweet

Justin thought it was going to rain in a few minutes (after lunch), as he'd seen the clouds towards the back of the house.  I thought that was fantasy, yes it might rain, but not in a few minutes.  Well he was right!  It poured quite nicely, and any plans that I'd had to do some more weeding were washed away.

Scampered inside, and read the electronic papers, and even had a nap (was a bit tired, as I'd had a big few days beforehand - conference at Wollongong)

And then onto the Medieval party at the Village Green in Kingower.

Terry had erected a Maypole with brightly coloured ribbons.  Bby this time it was sunny and blue again, but quite windy.

maypole

The meat was on the spit, and potatoes in their jackets

dinner

Terry, not in costume 

Obviously other people got dressed up too.  Justin didn't want to wear the coloured hat (beneath his dignity?).  So I did - went well with my dress... It was pretty cold, so I was glad that I had a thermal top and pants on under the dress.  Once the wind dropped down, it wasn't as cold, but  j was certainly glad that he was rugged up.

Chrissie & me 

Jan & me

Jeff the Viking

And there were a few new faces - which was nice.  Ernie and family of 5 boys, etc

Went round the Maypole a few times, but got a bit tangled also - as we were instructed to do different activities by colour, and then to try and undo them - didn't really work!  Had fun though

round the maypole 

bit tangled

Had a lovely roaring fire - and a great night as always, apart from the mozzies that is.  Yep, because of all of the recent rain, the mozzies are plentiful and hungry.

roaring fire

Sunday, and a sleep in, and breakfast inside, as it was a bit dull outdoors.

But then some more weeding.

An antipasto lunch, and by this time the sun had come out.  Thought we'd try one of our salamis that we'd made with Terry, along with some of my artichoke stem pickle and salad from the garden.  Very self sustaining!

me, a knife and salami  #1

me, a knife and salami  #2

me, a knife and salami  #3

salami closeup

Inglewood artichoke stems 

Inglewood salad

More weeding, and then when I had done what I wanted, put up the hammock and had some time off reading and relaxing for an hour or so

I'm in the hammock there

Justin took some photos of the garden - looking quite lush and green

olive grove - lots of flowers

Helen's heritage apple tree

hoop pine

Buninyong friends and a siesta 15 & 16 October 2016

Planned to catch the train to Bendigo and then the coach onto Inglewood on Friday after work, however, they're doing track work for the next month on the Bendigo line, so had to catch a stop start coach (very jerky driving in the peak hour traffic) to Bendigo, and then another coach to Inglewood.

From door to door it was close to 4 1/2 hours!  Obviously some of this was down time through waiting - waited til 6pm for the 1st coach to leave, and then had to wait another 3/4 hour for the Inglewood coach.  No matter, I had both a book and an ipad.

Arrived around 9.30, and settled into bed and watched a couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen. They likewise had a touch of damp in the cellar (which with typical British understatement was few feet of water)

Had a lovely leisurely breakfast outside with my standard morning classical music and the newspaper.  Then mixed up a double batch of pizza dough in preparation for lunch.

Went and had my haircut at 9.45  (this was why I came last night, Justin didn't feel like driving up on Friday, and wanted to take his time on Saturday morning)

Justin arrived after 12, and we did a bit of a tidy, and made the guest beds.  Leslie, Chris, Andrew & Miranda came around 1pm.  Welcomed them with some bubbles

Andrew & Lesley

Chris & Miranda in the background

Showed Andrew and Miranda around, as they hadn't been here before.  Cracked open a bottle of bubbly and the gals assisted me with the pizzas, while the blokes went and kept Justin company with the pizza oven.

Jill and Mick also dropped by with 3 cases of wine (which I'd ordered).  It was sadly the last of the Old Loddon.....that was it no more.  Chris and Leslie had asked for 2 boxes, and we took one box.  Jill said there might be a few odd ones lying around in the sheds etc, but certainly no more cases.  It was a little bit sad, end of an era.

here's a photo I found of Jill from the internet

 Another splendid leisurely, late lunch under the Hoop pine, and Miranda told us about her Bunya Bunya and how some guitar makers had taken the wood (they'd been offered it), but they'd heard nothing since. Given that they didn't pay for the wood, and it's quite rare, the expectation was a couple of ukuleles. - unmet so far....

After lunch we went for a wander in town.  They were interested in looking at the antique stores.  Also stopped for a drink at the pub where we said hello to Enzo and also saw Christopher (who'd been up in Wedderburn, Wally's old mate).  Didn't recognise Christopher at first, because he was out of context, and I'd been told that he was living in Melbourne now, but he's moved to Inglewood, behind the old bakery.

After the pub, we were all a bit tired, so I suggested a siesta which was enthusiastically embraced.  So we all retired for a couple of hours, and actually slept.

Woke up refreshed around the same time, and very surprised that it was 7pm!  How did that happen?

Up to the veranda for some light nibbles and G&Ts - it's that time of the year, and it was a lovely evening.

And then it was onto dinner prepararations, as I thought it would be nicer to have dinner at home in the dining room.  Prepared our fabulous, never fail Inglewood pork rack, and some veggies, and then just let it cook

Dinner in the dining room, lots of wine and good conversation, and another late night.  Prepared a ciabatta bread loaf for the morning(sadly it didn't work out, didn't put the pan in the machine properly, so had a half cooked floury mess).  Dinner was great though,

Upstairs to the music room where Justin led, and the rest of us joined in wholeheartedly

Andrew on harmonica and Justin on guitar

Miranda and Lesley admiring the performance

a trio now

A latish start on Sunday morning.  Some who will remain nameless, slept in til after 10am. Excellent blackout curtains.

Chris Lesley, and I also went for a walk to what Chris called the junk/scrap yard, but was really where those rusted out tanks are, and the very full yabby dam.  I think he might have wanted to salvage something, but both Lesley and I knew the pieces were beyond redemption.

Nice walk anyway, just did the mini one, not the big circuit

Back to the house, and then a walk around town.  We all had a coffee at the Paris end of town at Gee Gees, and then into some of the shops. Barry at Fusspots had a few keys for me to try on our locked glass cabinet. Chris was sure that they wouldn't work, but I wanted to try anyway.  And yes, of course they didn't work.

Coffee at Gee Gees

However Chris had also brought a whole lot of keys.  His didn't fit either, but he had also brought tools and had a key that was a close enough fit that could be filed down.

Chris' box of odd keys

the locked cabinet

 And yes, brilliant success, he did it! The cabinet is open!

Unlocked!!!!

I also planted a whole lot of cuttings, plants that Lesley and Miranda had brought for me. Hopefully at least some of them will survive.

I should also say that the almonds are looking nice and plump, lots of nuts on most of the trees.  with a bit of luck we'll even get to eat some of them - ie the cockies won't get them all

plump almonds

The Buninyong  crew left before lunch, and I did some more weeding after they left.

And our last job was to remove the old oval table from what was the study, as we planned to take it back to Melbourne to repair the crack down the middle.

Now I don't remember it being a problem getting it into that room.  Maybe I didn't assist Justin that time, but it was certainly extremely difficult getting it out this time. We made a number of attempts,  and almost gave up. Thought we might have to take the door off. But no we turned it over, flipped it around, did all sorts of things to coax it through the door, and finally made it, without too much damage done to either the door frame or the table

Got it onto the ute, packed up and left. Weather was fine when we left, but started to spit a bit and then rain quite steadily. Not good, but what could we do. Didn't have a tarp. So had a wet table and bags.  All survived

Carolyn & Morels? 8 & 9 October 2016

My old school mate Carolyn was down from Sydney so she, Justin & I drove up to Inglewood on Friday night after a quick dinner in Melbourne.

Fairly uneventful drive, but it was a bit rainy and misty at times, cleared up by the time we got to Inglewood around 9.30pm or so.

Showed Carolyn around the new and improved house - still waiting on the upstairs hallway lights to be fixed, and Justin pulled the string off the scullery light, so that has to be fixed now, but, it's certainly changed a lot since she was here last.

That was about 4 years ago - when we had a wedding in the garden, the roofing scaffolding was up, and the electrician came to hook up the new hot water service

Below is a photo from when Carolyn was here last in Nov 2011.  Looking very dry, and the side fence had fallen down

brown and threadbare

This is what it looked like this weekend

much greener

Note that the pebble and sand piles are still there (but smaller).  I must admit that Mark had de-weeded the pebble pile, as it had got quite overgrown

Anyway, back to Friday night, we sat in the dining room and had a few drinks and some chocolate.  Nice combination.  Justin went to bed, and Carolyn and I stayed up longer chatting, as we hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Saturday morning, and it was a brilliant sunny blue day.  Carolyn and I went for a pre breakfast walk, leaving Justin to sleep in.  Chose the scenic loop past the rusty eucy equipment, and the very full dam, that I'd walked the week before with Alex, Sarah and Jo.

Saw a couple of kangaroos, some rabbits, an eagle, and more wild flowers - very nice.

Back for breakfast which we had outside on the Mark fixed ex Ocean Grove table.  Also very nice.

Showed Carolyn around town, borrowed some small keys from Gypsies - but none of them fit our locked cabinet.  Will have to keep trying.

Also had to bail out the cellar - I was the bailer and Carolyn and Justin were the carriers - took quite a few trips even though there were only a few centimetres deep.

Lunch was IGA antipasto, cheese, smoked salmon, dip,etc- up on the veranda for a change of scenery,

cheers

Read the papers and relaxed for a while, and then went to Bridgewater, showed Carolyn the river walk, and was surprised at how high the river still was.  Could tell by the submerged bathing platform.

submerged bathing platform #1

submerged bathing platform #2

Carolyn pointing at something

And then a visit to WaterWheel where I bought a mixed dozen.

Back to the house where we picked up Justin,and my supposed morels and drove to Kingower for official morel identification by Arlene.

Saw Terry along the way, and said hello.

Found Arlene and David at the winery, and showed them the morel mushrooms.  They thought they were right, but perhaps a bit finer than theirs, so wanted to compare to their own.  And the internet said that they're supposed to have hollow stalks

My morels #1 

My morels #2 

My morels #3 

Went back to their place, and Arlene pulled out a bag of frozen chopped morels.  Theirs were darker and had thicker striations, but we thought ours were right.  Given that I had found them, I was going to be the guinea pig again, and just try a little. Post script to that story was that we ended up throwing them out.  I'd frozen them in Melbourne and put them in a zip lock bag, and then put them in a cooler bag for transporting.  Anyway, after Arlene's we went to Melville caves, and then onto Kangderaar winery, back home and forgot to refrigerate the cooler bag.  By the time I looked at the morels again on Sunday there was a lot of brown liquid, and they were looking a bit mushy.  Not appetising at all.  So threw them out, hopefully I'll find some more on the verge.  Second post script, just went and had a look with Fraser - couldn't find any at all.  Will have to wait til next year?

Stopped at a wildflower spot just before the caves (Arelene had told me about it, and I remembered it from the tour a few years back)

Found a spider orchid, and some other flowers

spider orchid

unidentified flower

 That said, Melville Caves was perfect, very clear, and lovely blue sky, could see a long way.

Melville Caves #1

meadows of cape weed (pretty though)

Melville Caves view

view #2

between the rocks

Justin #1

Justin #2

And  the garden at Kangderaar Winery winery was lovely also. Lots of very fragrant freesias, ranunculus, some tulips etc.  Bought a case of wine here too.

Back home, and some more relaxing on the veranda.  Justin played his guitar.

And off to the pub for a reasonably early dinner.  We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly our food came.

Back to the house, and upstairs in the music room.  Justin also wanted to watch Would I lie to you on Channel 2.  He also got Carolyn and I up to sing - we were great! (or at least I thought so), however there were no offers forthcoming to join the band....

Carolyn & Justin duet

Sunday morning, and I had planned to go for another walk with Carolyn, however given the late night the night before, I guess I was still a little tired, so didn't wake up til after 8.30 - too late for an hour walk as we had planned to cook up pizza for lunch, So we had breakfast instead, just toast and inside, as it was a bit windy, and grey,

Prepared the pizza dough in the breadmaker, and then went out to weed.  Still lots to do.  Carolyn came out and helped also - told her she didn't have to, but wshe wanted to - very nice.  Justin did a bit of whipper snippering also.

 Filled up Gordon's trailer (again).

Justin fired up the pizza oven, and I prepared the pizzas.

Delicious as always.

pizza for lunch

pizza close up

More weeding after lunch, then a tidy and pack up, and back to Melbourne. dropping Carolyn at the airport.