After much searching, her brother arrived from home with a spare key and advice that a new one would cost $410.

Next day our worried student was back at Target and a young male staffer searched much of the store, sometimes on hands and knees, and eventually found the lost keys.

Thank you Tim at Target, you've made some friends for life.

NOTICE of tomorrow's important workshop at Tarana Fire Shed has arrived late on my desk, but there is still time to attend the event that has a 10am start on Thursday.

Respected former Department of Agriculture agronomist Bob Freebairn will present the workshop and his discussion topics are:

Everyone is welcome. No RSVP, just rock up with a $20 note to cover catering costs.

Thanks to Tarana Community Farmers Markets for sponsoring this event.

It will be of real value to every landholder.

Bob Freebairn writes the excellent Down To Earth column every week in The Land.

TWO highly respected members of Bathurst's community passed away in recent days.

Wendy Young was a tireless volunteer for Riding for the Disabled and for school Parents and Friends Associations.

Ray Baillie was an Australia Post mail contractor for many years.

Both of these people were long time Bathurst residents and their descendants are following their footsteps as valued community members.

SOUTHDOWN judge at Sydney Royal Easter Show, Peter Shepherd from Wheeo at Crookwell, had to walk a fine line as he awarded grand champion ram and ewe to Ross and Jeanette Wilson from Bathurst's Cottie's Run Stud and reserve grand champion ram and ewe to their 15-year-old grandson Jake Webster of WestRay Stud at Bathurst.

There is some friendly competition between these generations and of real interest is the use of semen from New Zealand Southdown studs in the South Island.

LAST week's Rural Notebook mentioned The Land newspaper's planned Sheep Week across much of NSW and all of Victoria, and there seems to be plenty of interest in the event.

This program is already well established across Victoria and has run for several years with good attendances.

Bathurst Merino Aassociation is being involved in the plans for Sheep Week being held at Bathurst Showground on Tuesday, June 18 and all sheep studs in the Central Tablelands will be invited to display sheep on the day.

As the Bathurst Ram Expo is already established at the showground each August and incorporates a working dog auction, junior sheep judging and a Super 6 Competition for flock ewes, stud breeders will probably make a choice of which event to patronise.

SOME of the formation members of Bathurst Merino Association gathered for a yarn over Easter and a few memories were revived.

BMA was formed in late 1992 and the first ewe competition was held in March 1993. At its peak there were 112 financial members.

A check of 1999 membership showed 91 financial members, of whom 46 have either left the industry or left the planet.

Foundation secretary Andy Kajons recalls the early days of the group and others remember the "tin ears" of both Department of Agriculture and Rural Lands Protection Board spokesmen who were clueless on the extent of the Ovine Johnes Disease prevalence in south-eastern Australia.

I think that its a credit to all concerned that BMA is still operating successfully in 2019.

The BMA founders have not forgotten Andy Kajons' loyalty to the group during the tough OJD years.

AN old mate asked his wife to get 1kg of galvanised clouts at the hardware store.

The store attendant asked her: "How long does he want them, dear?"

She replied: "Oh, I think he's hoping to keep them."

***

DAD walked across the street to a house where the young plumbers were trying to unclog some pipes.

He growled: "Can you go a bit easy on those long wires? My missus has leaped off the loo three times already."

***

THE tourist asked: "Have you lived in Oberon all your life?".

He was told: "Not yet."