These events are great venues for networking, catching up with the neighbours' kids and enjoying a yarn with friends.

Many thanks to the Perthville Neighbourhood Group for presenting a great community get-together.

PETER Moore advises that a Lithgow Landcare-sponsored Pasture Walk will be held this Friday at 941 Sodwalls Road, Tarana with a 9am start.

Agronomist David Harbison will conduct the tour that will inspect pastures that were direct drilled by Sofala contractor Ash Miller during late autumn.

Peter assures me that a smoko and a biscuit will be provided and all interested producers are welcome.

OTHER RECENT RURAL NOTEBOOK COLUMNS:

Strong bull and ram sales defy the mongrel conditions

The industry is changing, but ewe competition remains a constant

Ewe beauty: Celebrating a major milestone at Burraga

NEW management at the Village Store Perthville has changed the outlook of the store as owner Sri is concentrating on making this a welcoming place to shop.

While many customers buy their fuel at the servo out the front, there may well be a lot of people who will appreciate the emphasis that is now being put on takeaway food.

Menus and prices are available at the counter and the grill will operate all day.

Organisers of the Perthville Village Fair would have been pleased to see the new owner meeting the locals at the fair; he believes in service with a smile.

KILDARA Glen stud reported a total auction clearance of its Poll Dorset and Border Leicester rams and an almost total clearance of Australian White Rams.

Poll Dorsets topped at $1300 and Borders at $1300.

This is a tribute to a small local stud that continues to offer very good quality breeding sires at competitive prices.

THE Norwegian weather site predicted 13 millimetres of rain by the time this column is printed and it looks like the region did better than that.

Our district has been looking worse by the week and we are seeing a lot of bare ground with raised dust in the offing.

Producers tell me of steers that cost $900, carried for eight months, and owners will "take $900 if we can get it".

Store cross lambs at $130 to a feedlot are good selling, rather than hoping for general rain; but seasons can change rapidly during spring and dam-filling rain may be close by.

A FRIEND tells me that he left Bathurst 50 years ago and never returned.

Like many others, he mentioned bitterly cold winters with snow falling at times until late spring.

Several speakers at public events in recent times project the idea of residents of inland districts planning to move to Oberon, Orange, Blayney or Bathurst to take advantage of mild summers.

The claim is often made that new residents don't fear the harsh Tablelands winter as "we intend to live in the house, not the front yard".

THE confidence that is being shown at bull and ram sales is a show of faith from the primary production specialists that the drought years must soon pass into history and the businesses that produce protein to a hungry world will be rewarded.

These producers deserve much praise as they make big decisions with their very own cash.

This is so vastly different to the fellow who thinks of great projects that all involve someone else's money.

MENTION was made at a seniors' meeting in Bathurst that members of these clubs would be ideal guest speakers at similar clubs.

Members are all of a similar age, have lived much of their lives in Bathurst and have many interests in common.

Every member has an interesting life story to tell and a comment was made that "it's a golden chance to read my own obituary".

An invited guest speaker is often a public servant, chooses his words carefully, and presents an address that must comply with code of conduct limitations.

THE wool market rebounded from the doldrums of the past weeks with good gains in all micron categories.

The superfine merinos were up around 80 cents a kilogram, the fine merinos up around 90c/kg and the medium and broad merinos up around 180c/kg.

The crossbred wools also saw gains of around 100c/kg. The Northern Market Indicator finished the week on 1534c/kg, up 126c/kg.

The big question is whether these levels can be sustained or whether it was a week of buying frenzy just to meet shipping deadlines at the end of the month.

Next week will see 31,107 bales on offer nationwide.

GEORGE called at a cafe in the high country and mentioned the cool, clear air that is so healthy.

"Oh it is, love," the waitress said. "The only death in this town in the last three years was the local undertaker and he died of starvation."

***

THE couple were strolling through the markets when the hot dog vendor greeted the wife very warmly and mentioned their teenage romance.

Later, Dad said: "If you'd married him, your hubby would be the hot dog vendor rather than the richest man in town."

"Ah, no, my dear," she replied. "I would still be married to the richest man in town and you would still be crutching sheep for your father."