THURSDAY 8 JANUARY     BALLARAT

I was feeling somewhat better this morning.

After breakfast, we rode the Lake circuit – in the opposite direction, this time, just for some variety.

John went off to bowl at the Wendouree Club at 1pm, after an earlier than usual lunch.

I walked to the town centre to hand in our rented telephone handsets at the GPO. We’d discovered, just as we were about to leave on Monday, that we were paying rental on these, at $7 a month. No point in continuing to do that – but finding out anything to do with Telstra in Ballarat has not been easy.

On the way back, saw the Sovereign Needlework shop and went in for a browse. Now that I am no longer working, will have time for some of the handcrafts that I’ve long wanted to do. The challenge will be to find something compatible with caravan life. The shop had a great collection of tapestry and hardanger materials, cottons, wools, frames and the like. It took great strength not to buy anything, but was food for thought, there.

It seemed a long walk back, via the Botanic Gardens. My legs were very tired by then, and it was a warm afternoon. We had cycled 12.3kms this morning and I walked about 10kms this afternoon!

Had brought a lot of travel guides and books with me  – too many, now that we are reducing what we carry. Began to sort them into a “keep” pile and a “return home” pile. Then John came back and wanted me to go practice bowls. It was easier to go than argue, but I was certainly  stiff and sore by the time we returned at 6.30pm.

On the way back from bowls we drove out to Sebastopol to buy some supermarket special beer and wine at the Safeway there.

I abandoned the planned spag bol for tea – it was too late to cook a decent sauce. Had the pasta with some bottled pesto instead, and the rest of the strawberries after. I froze the mince I’d bought this morning.

Finished sorting the books, after tea, and my map collection too! Reduced the quantity by about 40%.

I was really stiffening up and we went for a little stroll around the park. At the phone box, rang and left a message for son, saying we were staying on here for a few more days.

John watched a Chinese film on SBS. I had a superb, hot shower  on my tired muscles, and went to bed.

Tallied up another 23kms on Truck today.