An hour or so later, the rains came… and hard! All my lovely red gum firewood was getting soaked, and wouldn't be able to be used in the fire. At 6.30am I managed to get myself out of bed, put a jacket on, and dig deep into the wood pile to find any wood that was just a little bit dry. I found about 8 pieces and took them inside.
As it's an eco-friendly fireplace, it suggests only to use wood kindling and firelighters - no paper or cardboard to get it going. It has air vents to manage the heat, and heat banks to store the heat for when the fire has died down. So as it was now 7am, and I was wet from collecting all the dry wood in the rain, I was desperate to get this thing going. I didn't have any firelighters, I found some dry pinecones and branches in the old woodstore out the back, and did what I could with a packet of matches. Until they ran out… I had one match to go, so I grabbed three tissues and lit them over the kindling and miraculously, I HAD FIRE!!! Once it turned to embers, I put on a red gum log and I was happy.
It was lovely looking out on the cloud-capped mountains, the greenness of the trees and the receding lake (it's currently at 68% capacity, and I've been told it will start filling up again now, as they drain the lake to help the fruit growers in the nearby Goulburn Valley over the hotter months).
After the fire was set, I got myself ready to go into town to get some supplies. I had to go to my neighbour's to find out what was happening for dinner, as it was her birthday last week, and we were going to celebrate somehow. The local restaurant is now closed for the winter season, and we could go into town for a meal, or just stay at home. It was decided that I would buy all the ingredients for a roast lamb dinner, an apple crumble and I had in mind to get the birthday cake too. A couple of our friends up there had told me that they wouldn't be there this weekend when I was up there 2 weeks ago, but somehow they were both there, but one was leaving that afternoon to start a new job… so we had an extra body for dinner, and I had to go tell him not to pull anything out of the freezer because it was 'roast night.' So I went over, we had a little chat, and the other friend dropped something off on his back door, and strangely didn't even say hello. So I saw a flash of him walk passed, got off my seat and said hello. But he didn't want to talk… saying he was leaving now and got into his car in a bit of a huff. The other friend and I just thought he was probably annoyed that I was there, and hadn't gone to see him yet, even though he didn't understand the reason why I was there… anyway, it was his problem.
The roast dinner was a smash… a few laughs, a little bit too much alcohol and the birthday girl was appreciative of her little birthday surprises… after all, it was her 'birthday week.'
This morning, I got out of bed a little jaded, the boys gave me some chocolates, a card, an iTunes voucher and said that they left a couple of presents at home. Dexter my dog, slept on my legs keeping me warm, and somehow managed to wake up to the smell of the unopened chocolate box and managed to peel the protective plastic wrapped off, but I got hold them before he got too far. But that was about it for Mothers Day love in the house, as I had to get the house ready to say goodbye. (I love my house on the lake… wish we could be there always). I did the rounds and said goodbye to my friends, then took my boys to 'High Tea' at the Flowerdale Estate, in Strath Creek… about 1.5 hours from my lake house, but on the way home to Melbourne. It was a beautiful estate which has accommodation, a health spa, a gorgeous dining room and lovely grounds to wander around. Dexter sat on the front verandah as we enjoyed our delightful lunch in the gracious dining room.
We had cucumber sandwiches, a tiger prawn with melon sitting on a lettuce leaf, a chicken pie, shallot and cream cheese croissant, vegetable quiche, a roast beef, aioli and watercress ribbon sandwich, a hazelnut macaroon, red velvet cupcake, salted caramel tart, pistachio nougat, walnut brownie and I think that was about it… all tiny little morsels perfectly presented… and of course, all with silverware and cups of tea.
It was lovely look out the headlight windows into the autumn foliage. After our High Tea, we walked around the grounds and found a dam the boys could skim rocks into...
Then the boys found the maple tree and tried to see who could find the biggest leaf!
It was a perfect autumn's day in the country.
After our walk, we returned to the dining room for lemonade scones (I must admit, mine are better), with jam and cream. Before setting off home… the long way through the CBD, thanks to Sat Nav.
So that was my Mothers Day weekend. I really can't complain :)
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