Don Pasquale and Olive Oil 22 - 23 May 2021

 I subtitled this weekend "from Dylan to Donizetti", as we went to the Bamboo Bean last night.

Chris had curated 28 Bob Dylan songs in deference to his 80th birthday, and had got Justin, Pete, his son Hamish, and his music teacher to come along and contribute also

Was a surprisingly good night, and I'm not the biggest Bob Dylan fan out there    

Anyway, on Saturday, we had a bit of a lie in with ipads and breakfast in bed.  I had wanted to go and get the olive oil on the way to Inglewood this morning, but John (the olive oil man) wasn't available, so we made it Sunday afternoon.

That meant that we didn't have to leave early, as Don Pasquale started at 2pm in Tarnagulla

Left around around 9.30 or so, and when we arrived had a look around the garden, and lunch in the rotunda.  It was a beautiful day - sunny and blue

Went and changed into our finery around 1pm, and then off to the opera

Damo and co had organised the Inglewood Community bus to take them there, we just drove ourselves, as we weren't sure what time we were going to arrive

Got there around 1.45, and it was a pretty full house

As per the norm, Rachel was Madame Carandini, and explained each scene, as the opera was in Italian, and we wouldn't have known what it was about otherwise

Anyway, it was fun, and we were glad that we'd dressed up.  There was also the opportunity to get a plate of food (very reasonable $6, supplied by the local CFA) and a glass of bubbles during the interval 

I'd asked Mark to take a photo of us - and he took a few - and Google has stitched them together as per below - interesting effect

So, it finished around 4.30, and back to Inglewood to sit on the veranda and enjoy the last of the sun. 

    

While sitting there, we saw the Inglewood community bus go by and waved (thought it was quite late though) and then a bit later Damo and Nicole parked out the front as they had ordered a pizza for dinner.  We invited them up for a quick drink with us - while they waited, and we "planned" what we'd do for the Gondoliers performance in mid June  (at the Inglewood Town Hall).  Justin had suggested lunch, but the dining room won't be ready by then, so maybe drinks - prosecco of course either before, after or both. Damo and Nicole were keen

So, had a quiet evening, watched some more of Line of Duty - in our room (put the tv on the desk)  

Sunday had a very cold start - the thermometer in the kitchen said 6.9 degrees.  I made us fried eggs and hash browns - delicious.

Afterwards went into the garden and did some weeding etc, while Justin trimmed the olive trees - did a good job

Justin also inspected my plastering and sanding handiwork - didn't think that much of it (I was a bit crushed) - he wants to bring in the professionals - as he didn't think I had sanded down well enough in the curved cornice part (and other parts), or I hadn't filled properly etc 

I had wanted him to help me move the table so that I could get the scaffold around next to the chimney, but it was more complex than that - as the bookshelf  also needed to be moved.  We've got too much furniture....

If it were up to me - I'd get rid of the bookshelf and the organ, and just have the table and chairs, dumb waiter and sideboard, and lounge suite in there.  But Justin wants to keep the organ in there, and is talking about bringing the good bookshelf from Glen Iris there (but we don't have the ute anymore - it was written off by Fraser a couple of weeks ago)  

Anyway, nothing has been decided yet.

Had a late lunch, and listened to live music being played in the back courtyard of the Brooke St cafe - they were pretty good playing old standards.  Maile and David dropped in to say hello, and we told them about the upcoming Gondoliers production at the Town Hall. After they left we tidied up and left for Sedgewick to pick up the olive oil that had been produced from our olives

I believe that we got about 20 litres or so - the big container that Terry had was full, and my smaller one had about 10cm in it 

John (the olive maker) was there this time - and he showed us around a bit.  He also said that the larger olives didn't have as much oil, the small black ones are the best, but the hardest to pick.  I still have 2 pretty much full trees of little black olives in my group of 9, plus the self sown one outside the fence, and the big tree near the house.  So I'm thinking of doing another batch.  Maybe not 80kg with John, so maybe 50kg with Apulia olives - but we'll see

Drove home with google maps - and saw that there was a big traffic jam ahead - so we had to make a detour.  Ended up on Ballarat Road again (like when we got lost on the way back from the airport)

Ended up getting home around 7pm - and luckily didn't drop in at Coles on the way back - as it was subsequently identified as a covid tier 2 site.....

 

    

Olive Picking 17 - 19 May 2021

Sometime last year, my friend Rachel gave me the idea of pressing my olives into olive oil.  She'd either done it herself, or knew others who had

Anyway, this year there was a bumper crop, I already picked some green ones for table olives, and prepared them 2 ways - the old "favourite" - soaked in water for 30 or so days, and then put in a brine solution, and then also a pillowcase full of olives and rock salt - tied to a tree branch - and these would then shrivel up a bit leaching out the water and bitterness because of the salt.

Anyway, I not only had this year's batch - but previous year's batches clogging up cupboards, and I can only give away so many to family and friends....

So, the plan was to pick a lot of olives over the next 48 hours (that is apparently the longest time they should be allowed to stand after being picked) 

I arrived in Inglewood around 11.30 on Monday morning, unpacked, and then toured the garden, 

That self sown tomato is going gang busters

And the grape vines look pretty in their Autumnal colours

After this walked down the street, and said hello to Steve and Denise etc  - and then had some lunch.

Changed into my overalls, a beanie and headphones and took out my newly purchased plastic baskets (like shopping baskets)

And at 1.30 - started picking

To mitigate the boredom/repetition, I listened to a talking book from the Library

If I forget you - by Thomas Christopher Greene - was ok, didn't love it     

I picked til close to 6pm, taking about 2 hours to fill a basket. And I filled 2 and a bit baskets. 

I discovered that bigger olives are better to pick than smaller ones, and that you don't pick them one at a time - but pick them in "bunches" - sort of roll them off the stems

The branches are also still quite supple, so could bend down the higher branches to retrieve the olives  

Had a nice hot shower to warm up afterwards, and then a G&T and some modest nibbles, and then a left over dinner 

Then into bed and Netflix

Tuesday - the big day. Started at 9am, and finished at 5pm.....

Whew, big day, basically filled all of the 8 baskets that I'd brought - was pretty pleased

Some of the olives were like little mangos, some like cherries, others like grapes - I tended to have a bucket per tree (I left a couple of trees that had smaller olives - thought I'd come back to them if I needed to.

Maile also came and gave me a hand - voluntarily, no strong arming her, and she even went back home and picked up  David to come and help too - fabulous!

Now, the baskets were pretty heavy - maybe 15 kg each? - and if so that meant that we'd picked about 120kg - woo hoo 

Note, I filled up that red basket on Wednesday

And on Tuesday I listened to Heartbreak Hotel (by the same author as Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) before Maile came

It was more engrossing than the other book, but there are a lot of different characters - I guess they'll all end up at the hotel eventually.

Steve dropped by after we'd finished picking with a screw driver and other tools - as we'd said that he could have the saddle frame in the back hall for the Tivey saddle to rest on at the RSL.

Took a bit of persuasion to come off the wall - but he managed

We're glad that its going to be reunited with the original major Tivey saddle - look forward to seeing them together.

So, on Wednesday, Terry came with his and Arleen's olives - Terry had approximately 40kg, and Arleen had approximately 60kg

We loaded them into the Passat (luckily the boot was empty) - and I drove to the olive processor.

Luckily I called him on the way, as he wasn't there, and just said to leave them in the olive shed.  I was a bit disappointed at that as I had wanted to know how many kg I'd picked, and I'd also wanted to see the olives pressed

Maybe next time

Google maps said it was 48 minutes away - through Kangaroo Flat, and then beyond

Found the shed

Unpacked the car 

And assumed that the white thing was the press

He also seemed to have a fancy type of olive rake - perched on the wheelbarrow

And also had a trailer filled with what looked like olive detritus

I sent him a text with photos - asking if he could weight the plastic baskets as one lot, the 5 x big boxes as another lot, and the 5 x medium boxes as the third lot - so that we know how much we have - and then how to divvy it up - but I haven't heard back as yet.

He said he would do it on his return yesterday afternoon - hope it all went well, as I'm really looking forward to this home grown olive oil.  

And then back to Melbourne

 

More "unprofessional" plastering Thursday 22 - Monday 25th April 2021

I hate traffic!!!

There was still something that had to be finalised about Mum's estate - so I drove to Helen's to get her to sign some paperwork.

It's only 15km away - but it took me 58 minutes to get there according to Google Maps.

I was only inside there for 4 minutes  - and then back in the car, on the road.

And then another 2 hours and 41 minutes......to get to Inglewood.

It was excruciating!

I had left home at 3.40pm, and didn't arrive at Inglewood til 7.23 - almost 4 hours!!!!

Anyway, had some dinner and a good slosh of wine and watched some Netflix in bed.

Friday morning, and an electrician arrived to check out the house for putting in hard boxes for electric radiators

I also asked him to check the old powerpoints/light switches to make sure they weren't live, as I wanted to remove them in preparation for plastering/wallpapering etc 

I had assumed that they would be ok (ie not live) - but you never know, and better to check to make sure.

Anyway, he stayed an hour or so, and then I went down the street to buy some eggs, and I also had a coffee with Denise and Steve.

Steve also told me about an old Tivey descendant who had bequeathed Major General Edwin Tivey's saddle to the Inglewood RSL.  He said that she was still razor sharp and remembered that there was a saddle frame by the back door of our house

And yes there is 

We often wondered what is was - door stop? and we also wondered if it was for a saddle - and apparently it is.  

On consultation with Justin - we told Steve that the RSL could have the frame if they wanted it.  Steve then told me that they've already had a new one made up - anyway, we'll see. 

And then back to the house, and a quick inspection of the garden.

Was amazed that there were some jonquils in flower - so early in the season (they normally flower - Winter/early Spring)

I was also surprised to see that my self sewn tomato plant had a little green tomato on it.  I don't think it will get ripe though

 Anyway, then back inside - took the dining room light switch off

And also undid the wiring over the dining room door

And also removed the  very old bits from the previous owner's tv antenna on the window sill.  This could of course have been done years ago

And then onto the plastering - and my first introduction to fixing up the cornices.  

But first I had to get rid of decades worth of dusty cobwebs, and a load of dust in the bottom curve of the cornice.

I opened the front door to clean off the broom, and was surprised to see Maile and David standing there 

I reckon I did a pretty good job - we'll see what Justin thinks

So I did that pretty much all day, and then Saturday too.

Enjoyed a nice hot bath on both Friday and Saturday nights - to both clean and warm up - as it was certainly getting colder in the house.  Was warm enough while working though.

Sunday was Anzac Day - so I went to the ceremony - starting with the short march at 10.30

Was the 100 year anniversary of the cenotaph being there

Went back to the house when it was over, had some quick lunch - and then started sanding - very dusty business

Very much needed a shower when I finished

And finished - I very nearly did - there's still a little bit of wallpaper by the fireplace, as I couldn't get the scaffold there (furniture in the way)

And I also need to take down the smaller fancy pelmet to patch up behind it 

And there are a few cracks, small holes, and more work needed around some of the skirting boards in order to really finish up.  I think another couple of hours - but I always tend to under estimate, so probably more like another day or two.

But that said - then we could start with the painting - yay, and then the wallpaper 

More Professional Plastering 11-15 April

 A solo visit this time - as David the plasterer had called and said that he would be in Inglewood on Monday morning

That meant that I left for Inglewood on Sunday afternoon

Got up on Monday at 6.30am  - as i wanted to be up and dressed when David arrived

Was surprised to see many galahs foraging on the ground - 20, 30, 50 of them - who knows - certainly too many to count.  I tried to get closer, but they flew away

David arrived just after 7am and started working in the dining room again - putting in the skirting 

It had unfortunately bowed a bit, so he had to cut it in a few places

He also needed to come back on Tuesday - so I had to call Helen and say that I wouldn't be able to make Xavier's birthday dinner on Tuesday night - we changed it to Friday night

Anyway, back to Inglewood - David, plastered - and I pottered around in the garden on Monday - picking up those piles of cuttings and putting them in Gordon's trailer

I also moved all of the bits of wood (from the jacaranda tree) that Gordon had chopped up

On inspecting my pomegranates which were looking lovely and red - I was horrified to see that the bloody fruit flies had got into some of them (like the peaches and the apples)

So I had to collect the bad ones up, and bag them in plastic 

David finished up early afternoon on Tuesday - so I attempted to pay him.  However it was a cash price, and once again I didn't have my purse/credit card with me.  But I had my mobile phone - so went to the ATM at the Bendigo Bank - no good, needed a card for withdrawals.  I also went in the bank, and they told me the same thing

Hmm, so quickly back to the house, - and into the car

Drove to the supermarket - no good, couldn't EFTPOS any cash out, nor the chemist, then onto the Roadhouse, no good there either, then to the Post Office, and finally to the estate agent.  Yay,- success! Jamie did have some cash which he very kindly lent me - I went and paid David, and then immediately transferred the money back into Jamie's bank account.  Whew - had to go to 6 places before I could get some cash.

And what with the Good Friday appeal debacle last time, and now this, I will make a point of always taking my purse/credit card to Inglewood - just in case

Anyway, after David left, I put on the overalls and  got rid of the wallpaper around the door (that we had to leave up for Restoration Australia)

And then I started plastering myself

I reckon I'm doing a pretty good job, but haven't touched the cornices yet

The rest of the works are looking pretty good too

I did also realise that some cornice upstairs in the Bee room needs replacing - but its not the same as downstairs - Grrr, so Stuart will have to come back and get the profile again

On the Wednesday night - I happened to see a lovely sunset - below is my original photo

And here is the google touched up photo - with more brilliant colours

I was pretty single minded, and just worked, didn't really socialise, but on the Thursday morning I dropped in on Terry for a coffee and lovely baklava that he'd made- and told him that I had been speaking to some people the other side of Bendigo about making olive oil out of my olives - and thought he might be interested also

He was, and so we'll see how we go