Follow up to Kinglake

Hi everybody,
I have been having a really lazy time at Nagambie, Victoria, with my friend from way back in Exmouth and Donnybrook, days. We have talked our heads off , drunk bottles of bubbly, put a few bets on the horses, (Melbourne Cup) and Oaks etc. On the weekend we went to see her daughter, who I last saw when they left WA, in 1988!
Courtney is a beautiful young woman whom I have the utmost admiration for. She and her partner had been in their own home at Kinglake for 6 months when the fires went through in feb 2009. They lost everything! Apparently as most people, they also didn't have top insurance cover, but they did have some. They strated to rebuild quite soon after, and have now got a gorgeous new home on their land. Her man works in WA in the mines, fly in fly out, so she carried most of the load of the rebuild, while also still being at uni finishing her degree and working full time. whew!
Imagine having to go out and get everything from scratch. Undies, all clothes, shoes, bedlinen, china, cutlery, just everything.!! She made the comment that she washes her clothes frequently because she still doesn't have enough work clothes for a week's work! I don't know how she stood up to all that trauma!!
Any way we had a wonderful yak, and she recalled the times when as a child she came over to wa to be with her fatherfor summer holidays and visited my ex-husband and seeing my kids, Genevieve and Ben, I hadn't really thought about that, so it was interesting to have some insight into what was going on in the family after I had moved on.
I had a phone call today from sister Jean who is cruising on Radiance of the Seas on her way to NZ. The ship was in Melbourne, and tonight we saw it on TV before it left harbour for Hobart! Once again I am quite envious of any one else cruising when I am not!
I had a few bets on the Melb Cup, had 3rd, on a bet plus a sweep. Then proceeded to put those winings on Oaks day, and those winnings (some of them), on Stakes. whooee! $241.00 on one race, $200.00 on another and generally picked a few winners! Not so good for my hosts though!I have really enjoyed chilling out in Nagambie, and ready to move on tomorrow.
Hope you are all keeping well and safe travelling. love vicki