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.

Karen & Mark 18 - 24 Sep 2016

As I said in the Music night entry, Karen and (later) Mark came up for the week with their Choc lab Moby.

Mark made himself very useful tidying up the garden and fixing the broken table

tidy path #1

 

tidy path #2

tidy path #3

fixed table (it was broken underneath)

Mark whipper snipping

Karen oversaw, and kept the home fires burning

a well earned drink at the end of the day

And Moby enjoyed being the dog of the manor

my house

Moby and concrete friends

Merrill came over for a bit too and polished the silver!!! Fab!

before

after

Music Night 17 & 18 September 2016

Well, it was Music night weekend again, back in the Church as it's still a bit cold in September.

Justin and I came up on Friday night, as I was going to help Terry with some cooking in the morning.

Found a visitor in the kitchen which I moved on into the garden (didn't think Jo or later Karen would appreciate it

huntsman visitor

Also, given all the rain, we had a look in the cellar, and yes, it was flooded, not too bad, maybe 10cm or so.  Up through the soaked ground

flooded cellar

Saturday morning was lovely and sunny and blue, so we had breakfast out in the garden

walking back with the tray

Went up to Terry's around 9am - as did Arlene, June, Chrissie and Dermott.  On entering the house I could smell the most marvellous bolognaise sauce cooking away on the stove, waiting to be assembled into a lasagne.  It must have been simmering away for some hours.

We made a lamb, barley and vegie soup, lasagne (Terry had of course made the  pasta sheets) and some fruit sponges. June and I were not keen on making the sponges as we didn't consider ourselves experts in that field.  I did end up making them with Arlene (under instruction), and they weren't bad.

Terry also gave us a sample of the salami that he'd made a few weeks before our salami making session.  It was very good and tasty, just a bit on the salty side (but not anywhere near as salty as my proscuitto).  I was very impressed, and was given a bit to take home for Justin to sample also.  Given that we had more guests coming, I left after we'd made the food - and had a quick lunch at home.

Started some weeding - the other side of the front fence, as I wanted it to look nice.   The frogs were providing a gloriously noisy chorus again, and I also dug up one.  Luckily didn't hurt it.

Alex and Sarah had stopped for lunch in Kyneton and arrived around 2pm.  Sarah helped me with the weeding also. Told her she didn't need to.  And we just about finished it. (hoorah)

Alex and I were wondering if Justin would notice what we had done ie moved the rugs, changed the the light fittings around.  He noticed that I'd moved that glass cabinet, as it wasn't in the dining room, but he didn't notice anything else for ages. (a bit unfair, I didn't turn the overhead light on in our room last night, just had the bed side lights on). I've also misplaced the stupid key for that cabinet, so it's locked closed without the glass shelves in it.  I remember the woman giving me the key when we bought it, and I put it somewhere nice and safe ie handbag, purse etc.  But given that this was some months ago, I just can't find it now.  Must have put it somewhere else safe for "safe keeping"  I subsequently asked Karen to ask Denise if she had any spare little keys that we might borrow to open the cabinet.  No such luck yet...We'll also check some of ours out.

Now, to change the subject, Justin had to bail out the cellar - luckily we have lots of gum boots.  I also texted Gordon the roof man to see if he can come back soon, as our other Gordon advised that there was going to be a 100ml downpour on Tuesday or Wednesday (there wasn't!)  and we would have had more substantial leaks through the roof, as the gutter box would fill too quickly

Captain Gum boots

 Justin also had lots of of time to practice his music before the music night

Practicing #1

Practicing #2

cowboy boots for tonight

Chris, Jo & Yvonne arrived around 4.30, and brought some well appreciated supplies.  Champagne and cheeses etc which we  enjoyed under the tree.

Off to the Church around 6.30, so that we could help set up.  Surprisingly not that cold in the Church.  Had rugged up in preparation but didn't really need it.

And then the bands came on - first the Kingower Rangers, and Graeme from Passing Clouds also came up and did a bit of spoken word

David, Graeme, Mark #1

David, Graeme, Mark #2

Justin and the city slickers (my name for them) came out around 8.30 for the first set, and then another one around 11.30pm

Another success.  I also called out for them to play Old Paint (by Linda Ronstadt), as Justin had been practicing that one and I liked it.  Chrissie and Maile also took up the call, so they had to sing it. Went down well.

Slow hands Lewis

Chris

The band #1

The band #2

The band #3

The band #4

the end

towards the end of the night #1

Towards the end of the night #2

Breakfast the next morning - bacon, eggs, spinach, mushrooms etc - which Jo had kindly supplied.  Inside, as it had rained overnight, and was a bit dreary and damp still.  Made a morning fire for cosiness,  Justin and Chris cooked up the bacon outside

a breakfast hive of activity

boys and bbqs #1

boys and bbqs #2

breakfast plate

breakfast #1

breakfast #2

breakfast #3

breakfast #4

Given that it was wet, it wasn't really gardening /weeding weather, so we sat inside reading the "papers" on the tablets.

relaxing

Started to get a bit stir crazy, so took Jo, Sarah and Alex for a walk.  Went to where the rusted machinery is, and the dam where Karen and I had once tried to catch yabbies (unsuccessfully).  Last time I was there it was completely dry.  Now it was flooded

dam- hopefully full of yabbies 

This is what it looked like back in May on my Girls weekend #1

This is what it looked like back in May on my Girls weekend #2

This is what it looked like back in May on my Girls weekend #3

a study in rust

unidentified goop on path #1

unidentified goop on path #2

wild flowers #1

wild flowers #2

wild flowers #3

So, went for a nice walk, my favourite circuit, past the dam and "ruins", into the scrub/bush - along a track of course, onto the white gravel road, past the old chook sheds, and then back to the house.

Had been back about 5 minutes when Karen arrived with her new excitable dog - Moby.  Her & Mark (and Moby) stayed a week as their floorboards were being polished back home.