Day 10 Wed. February 24, 2010

Caroline photographing squash for taste test

Eucalypti along the Bay Trail

Spoon dinner at The Long Table in Red Hill.

When Linda walked the 100 yards to work, she picked greens for lunch at the Fork to Fork Cafe. Next she picked turnips, and other vegetables for the taste testing later in the day. She seeded 3 varieties of tomatoes, and washed the little potato cucumber seed. The chefs in the cafe roasted 3 varieties of turnips and squash for later in the afternoon when Clive, Lou, Ellen, Tim, Caroline and Linda taste tested and rated for possible use for the seed catalog.

Meanwhile Anne had another lovely breakfast from the North veranda overlooking the gardens and the Bay with birds and a good book for company. After cleaning the kitchen and her room, she loaded up her pack, fastened it to Clive's bike and headed down the mountain for another ride on the Bay Trail. This time she headed east, enjoying all of the colorful Dromana boat houses clustered along the shore. The Dromana jetty had a few fisherman trying their luck but the beaches were deserted. Unfortunately the trail ended at Dromana's edge and although she was able to ride on grass and parking areas for a while in Safety Beach, she was eventually stopped by a creek entering the Bay. Turning around she got back on the Bay trail and followed it through Dromana, McCrae's Beach, Rosebud and West Rosebud before turning around again in Tootgarook where she ate a picnic lunch.

The highlight of her ride was in Rosebud when she encountered many runners before realizing that she was riding on the triathalon course for Rye Grammer school. She stopped to watch the runners and was able to see the last of the bikers switch to running. Speaking with one of the teacher/course directors she verified that she wouldn't be in the way if she regained the trail just past the running finish line. Imagine competing in a triathalon as a 10 year old girl. She thinks the boys must have raced earlier as they were among the cheerers on the sidelines. The only downside to the lovely ride was the push up the long hill to Heronswood. A shower refreshed her and a few more chapters passed the time until Linda returned from work.

About once a month a group of co-workers from Digger's Club get together for spoon dinners. The holder of the spoon gets to choose the restaurant (or theme if at home). Tonight was Adam's turn and he chose The Long Table, a wonderful restaurant in the Red Hill area of the peninsula known for it's many wineries and for the Red Hill Brewery. We stopped by the brewery first but were disappointed to find it closed. We did get to see the hops growing like giant vines on wires strung 15 feet high. We also passed many vineyards and noted that all the grape vines were covered in netting to keep the birds off until after the harvest. We met the rest of the group, 8 in all, at the restaurant where we enjoyed a lovely 3 course meal with wine for $30, the Wed. night special. Good company and good conversation kept us out until after 11PM. Bed was again a welcome sight.