When I was younger, I was a rock-climbing bum, and used to travel Australia on a meagre budget to visit climbing areas. Near Mt Arapiles in Victoria, there was

When I was younger, I was a rock-climbing bum, and used to travel Australia on a meagre budget to visit climbing areas. Near Mt Arapiles in Victoria, there was (hopefully still is) a farm that had worked out that local climbers were the best source of cheap labour :-) They literally paid a day's wage with a bag of food. I spent many happy days working on that farm (I already came from a rural background so was comfortable around animals etc) and the work always made me feel stronger, and more importantly, useful. I also had the heart wrenching experience of animals dying in my hands, and was only consoled by the fact that the farmer was more distraught than I. It made me realise that the best of farmers know their animals, and care greatly for their animals above and beyond any possible monetary value. The fine line between "stock" and "pets" is a difficult one to walk. It made me realise that the depictions of Wal and Cooch (especially Cooch, who would take a baby bottle to new-born lambs in the middle of a storm) from the wonderful comic strip "Footrot Flats" [1] were poignantly accurate, and that I really don't have what it takes to be a full time farmer. I wish the author the best of luck, and a happy, harmonious life for the future. Also, playing live music at the local pub with your son is awesome :-) [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footrot_Flats http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footrot_Flats