The Block

One day (hopefully) we will be living at 60 Newcombe St, Drysdale. The block is only 20m by 25m (500sq metres) and has a fair slope from front to back. The nature strip is very wide which makes the block seem bigger. It faces North West, is only 10 mins walk from Elissa and Toph's house and less than 10 mins walk from the Village centre. It is also less than 10 mins walk to the medical centre and Merilyn should be able to wheel me there when I get old. Opposite is a small reserve with some large trees, and the slope means we will have quite an outlook from the back deck. It is the last block in the street to be built on and we have almost finished designing our dream house (future blog). We are looking forward to living there.

Looking towards the street

View from street ( the large house at the top just right of centre is on the corner of Elissa and Toph's street)

The Saw

I bought a large crosscut saw at a clearing sale about 15 years ago intending some day to display it somewhere as an historical item. It hung in our shed, hidden from sight, waiting for me to decide where to hang it- inside? outside? round the front or round the back? should I clean it up or leave it 'natural'?
When it came to the final 'clean out the shed time' I had to make a decision, to sell or not to sell? A friend from church, Lyn Martin, who is an artist who does some of her work on old saws, heard about my saw, came around for a look and said she would like to buy it because she had a commision. I was glad to see it going to a good home so I let her have it for free. That was early December. Imagine our joy and suprise when in January at our farewell lunch the church presented us with the same saw painted with Pomonal scenes. A real treasure we will proudly display in our new house.

The background scene is the Grampians as seen from Pomonal. From the left to the centre is our property, including the house, outbuildings and animals, including visiting kangaroos.

Next comes the shop - the 'heart' of Pomonal. Meeting place, coffee shop, post office, our grand- children's favourite 'spider' shop.

And finally the church. Over the past 10 years we have become very involved and have been thrilled with the community involvement of the congregation. Only 20 or so people but a real committed team using their God given talents.

You can see why we were so thrilled and why the saw will have pride of place in the new house.

Week 3 - a new home

Start of the week was hectic. Monday we decided we had too much stuff we needed in Drysdale and it would not fit in our car and trailer on the final day. Borrowed a very large tandem trailer, packed it and did a late trip down to Drysdale. Left there at 5.30am on Tuesday morning, back to Pomonal by 8.30 to continue packing. Morning tea at the store (lasted for an hour and a half and we were able to  farewell some local folk), packed all afternoon and evening and finally got into bed at 12.30am Wednesday - we are too old for this!!!

We were up early, the truck arrived at 8.00am and they were packed and gone by about 1.00pm.

All our possessions (almost) off to storage for who knows how long.

Wednesday afternoon we started cleaning the house, had already done the flat, and went to friends for tea. Thursday we cleaned all day and went to other friends in Great Western for tea and left our loaded trailer there to be picked up some time in the future.

Finally Friday arrived. Left Pomonal at 9.00am and cried half the drive into Stawell - so many memories, so many things and people we will miss, some (not many) un- realised dreams. In Stawell Bruce took keys to the agents while Merilyn had a haircut. Off to Ballarat to sign papers at the storage place and on to Bunninyong for lunch. A phone call at 12.30pm informed us that the sale had gone through successfuly. Another call at 2.00pm to tell us that we now owned 60 Newcombe St, Drysdale - 500sq m where we will build our new home. Mid afternoon we arrived at the Drysdale resort ( Huddart's new house) where we will live in our A-van for the next little while.

After a cooling swim the van was up.

And we had our first visitors for breakfast next morning.

A new chapter in our life begins.

Week 2 - More Farewells

Such a busy time! One day we loaded a large hired van with lots of stuff and took it to Elissa's place in Drysdale (a 3 hour drive) - they only moved in 4 weeks before. Bruce left at 8.00am to return the van to Stawell whilst Merilyn stayed on to baby sit the kids whilst Elissa and Toph went to a MTC play in Melbourne. She caught a bus to Ballarat next morning and then the train to Ararat where Bruce met her and then back to Pomonal to continue packing. Friday night was dinner with friends from the Indoor Bowls Group and our last game of Bowls in the Pomonal Hall.

Barb Panther, her grandson, Alison Bainbridge, Linda Handscombe, Neil McCumber

Bruce, Daryl Panther, David Handscome, Phil Williams

Jon,Hannah, Brttany and Toby, arrived next day. Brittany had only arrived home from Toulouse, France that morning and insisted on a farewell visit to Pomonal. She had lived here for a few years when she was very young and has had many holidays with us. She holds the record for rides on Hilda, the donkey, and our horse Comet. 

 

Our beautiful grown up grand daughter and her good looking parents and dog.

Next day, Sunday, was a pretty emotional day. Farewell to the Church and many friends. At lunch they presented us with a magnificent bushman's saw painted with Pomonal scenes.

Then it was time for Spike to go to his new home in Moyston.

The box of tissues was well used this day,

A New Year Starts

The First Week

The Huddart family - Elissa, Toph, Jack, Leisel, and Meg - and the Singapore Bertram family - Matthew, Lucinda, Alice and Felicity - came up to Pomonal to say their farewells. Lots of reminiscing, laughter, game playing, walks and some tears. Twenty two years has been a long time for us to be in one place, a lifetime for all of the grandchildren. Matt and Elissa both had their 21st birthday celebrations in the Pomonal Hall.

Last rides on Spike

                                            "... maybe next time..."    "There will be no next time Meg"

Family walk to the Pinnacle

The girls stayed on for a few more days and we found a new walk to Turret Falls

A happy week remembering lots of happy times.