You've

read here a few times how lucky I feel that I have such great women friends in my life.

One of my newer friends is Nessie.

Nessie has a mind like a steel trap, she's smart, she's tough, she's tells it like it is,

my favourite kind of person

And she's from Otago

that's quite relevant cause until last weekend I hadn't encounted Otagans enmasse

they are a breed apart,

a good breed once you've cracked the code and I think I did.

But back to Nessie

Ok coming from the Waikato I know the ins and outs of dairying

but sheep are a whole new ball game for me.

I know I have the babies but two lambs do not a flock make.

What goes with large flocks of sheep?

working dogs

this is Ashley

one of 13 dogs that Nessie and Ben have

Aw cute doggie

ok yes cute, but these dogs work and work hard

they understand blunt commands, hard pats

and food.

So it did occur to me that working dogs spend their days sorting sheep out and then they eat sheep so their discipline is amazing cause their food smells like their charges

but you know what happens to dogs that worry sheep a little too much eh?

I got to Nessie and Ben's on Friday afternoon

in time to 'help' with preparing the dogs kai for a the week

I say 'help' cause Ben handed me half a sheep carcass and I almost dropped it

they are heavy as and their skinny ankles are slippery.

I did better the next day

when I helped Nessie as she chopped the halved carcasses into halves

quarter carcasses are much lighter

and I need to start lifting weights again

How townie is that?

Things are heavy so instead of just lifting heavy things I go lift weights

and you know I won't.

I was going to add a photo of the freezer filled with sheeps
but that was a bit too much for townie tummies.

If you think that would be a bit off putting, you might want to stop looking about now

Where there are sheep carcasses there are heads
and entrails otherwise politely or officially know as offal


Ness is not actually venting on ewes heads who failed to get knocked up

and were eating perfectly good pasture she is hacking open their heads to when the offal boil up finally gets going the brains cook too.

This is where the dog food comes from on farms
I'm having a wee moment of conflict here cause this is fairly obvious to farm folk but to townies like me there are lots and lots of on-farm things that happen that I just never thought about
but if I did it's obvious where the farm dog's food comes from in the most economical way.
It's not like there are a few thousand sheep close as can be,
much closer than a shop.


So fantastic Nessie,

who is probably reading this going what the hell is Sara on about this is normal!!!

Looks after the sheepies, keeps her doggies under control

provides lovely soft merino wool for jerseys, leads her corner of Young Farmers well,

is diligent and reliable, sensible and doesn't muck around

but most of all is a good friend.

Thanks Ness for a great weekend and I'm looking forward to visiting when there is less going on so we can sit on that porch of yours and really catch up.

See you Tuesday in Roxburgh!