November 2026

Rain at last, very lucky here to avoid damage and had a lovely soaking series of falls, the dam just filled and didn’t overflow. The growth has been amazing and I might have to replace my ancient (25 yo) Greenfield mower! I was given an electric Toro, for which I am very grateful, but it has an unfortunate tendency to start screaming abuse at me when the going gets tough and simply goes on strike! So much for modern technology…  I think some kids are reacting in a similar manner.

The pups have done really well and the smaller pups in Naka’s litter have caught up with their siblings. Some of the Gilee x Vamp litter have gone, Sharon and Selwyn Brown took their two this week, along with a Mina boy. I look forward to hearing how they grow up and work, Selwyn is a master at getting pups going! When I asked on Facebook if anyone knew more about Gilee’s breeding I got an amazing response from Dan O’Bree, son of his breeder, and contacts to cary forward. Hopefully we can utilise some more of the Breezebend/O’Bree bloodlines in future. It’s getting harder to find the old lines as so many are leading back to the same stud at present, and I worry about the long term future of a breed when this happens.

Some of you might remember that I got pretty cranky with a little red/tan bitch pup that got in with my chooks awhile ago causing havoc,  and said she was free if anyone wanted her. Well she was rescued and has since bred a nice litter. This pup’s first look. 

Mina’s litter to Barru Spinifex/Don is very even, lovely pups. We’ve noticed some of the old Karrawarra traits returning, they’re noisier and not keen on ear piercing but a beautiful litter and hard to pick a keeper. They are named after seven brothers famous for running a burger chain in Hawaii: Spencer, Sterling, Seth, Shem, Seek, Shez and Max. 

This boy, Spencer, will be staying for now.

This is Fagan, Clover’s single pup TCI by Wills. He’s a real character! Fagan is going to the Keswick Kelpie stud near Leyburn and we’ll be keeping a close eye on him. Michael Croft has Karmala Klim/ Bravo( Barney x Mina) and recently brought him over to show us how he’s going.  Bravo was pretty excited being at a strange place and on even stranger sheep but settled nicely.

We are always on the lookout for the opportunity to add a bit more genetic diversity without losing the traits that have taken years to establish… and of course, improve our dogs. An astute judge told me recently that he thought our dogs were better now than when he first tried them; well, a lot of thought and effort has been deployed over the years. I have also been criticised for selling too many pups; notably by Tony Parsons who told me long ago that I was too fussy! After breeding stud Merinos in a previous life I was crystal clear in my mind that the only way to improve was to remain true to your ideal, and many nice pups have been sold on after picking a very small number to potentially breed from. It didn’t end there of course…these went up to the Zeimers to be assessed on cattle and in the heat and humidity of Nth Qld.

This year we have AI’d two outside sires of O’Bree lines and bred two litters by Barru Spinifex; I have a nice young bitch by Karrawarra Cash X Karmala Karma, Brooklyn Terrace Windfall. We also bought a Surefoot Munson x Lost River Fizz boy, Surefoot Flip/Rum, and  Willinger Sugarloaf(Karmala Sundown x Kuloo Hawk). Rum maintains the same calm on sheep as he does on chooks. He worked so calmly that we were too busy watching to take a video! Sugar also had a quick look and did very well keeping the sheep together, but they were very calm for Rum. Time will tell us more!

Willinger Sugarloaf

Surefoot Flip/Rum

The Gibson litter down south is growing like weeds and surprising Janet with their smarts! I am enjoying chatting with her about their adventures and her opinions of the different characters starting to emerge. Her Border Terrier Ottie is keen to play but poor old Max the JackR is totally unimpressed.

Spring also brings lots of birds and for years now the galahs turn up in October with their babies, teaching them to fly using my trees. This year the cockatiels are back too, and it’s a joy to see dozens of them swooping around in the evenings. The tawny frogmouths are also back but sadly one adult disappeared after incubation started and I worried about the remaining one feeding babies on its own. Eventually three were scattered around the yard one morning and I got no thanks for trying to keep them safe! I found one dead  next day but was delighted to find two still alive a couple of days later. To be honest, I wonder that these strange birds aren’t extinct!