Unfortunately, many native grasses are responding very slowly and the white top grasses to the north of Bathurst probably will need the warmth of spring before they develop.

Meantime, we see lots of haysheds being filled with wrapped silage and good quality hay that was made before Easter.

This season won't last forever and full haysheds and full silos will make their owners sleep much better in future.

LIVESTOCK prices continue to please sellers and concentrate the minds of buyers.

An agent stated on radio this week that "200 kilogram weaners for at least $1000 will need brave hearts and reliable cheque books".

Four-year-old merino ewes joined to poll dorsets, 16 weeks wool and asking $275, are on the money for value and will sell quickly.

If we look over the fence at well-bred steers, 12 months old and starting at $1400, or merino wether weaners with 20mm skins for $150, we can see the financial packages that restockers will need.

Livestock buyers in 2020 don't remember yards of some hundreds of plain sheep being sold for "$1 per pen", plenty of $20 sucker lambs, and $30 vealers being sold every week at Bathurst saleyards.

Interest rates hovered around 20 per cent at some of these times and old-timers still ask me: "How did we survive?"

Of course, the generation before me had come through the Great Depression and World War Two.

The man who said "life wasn't meant to be easy" was probably right.

OTHER RECENT RURAL NOTEBOOK COLUMNS:

THE decision to cancel this year's Trunkey Wool and Horse Festival has added another event to a very long list of public events that fell victim to the COVID crisis.

Bathurst Merino Association is still planning to go ahead with its Ram Expo and Dog Auction on Saturday, August 15, but the health regulations will be strict and commonsense will have to prevail.

Ongoing disease outbreaks in Melbourne are showing us how careful we all have to be as we see crowds in shops in our bigger towns and lots of people enjoying their social freedom.

One day we'll return to a few handshakes and a hug or two, but 'til then we must be careful and obey health directions.

ONE of Bathurst's newest citizens is Isabella Ann Louise James, who has arrived safely to live at Rockley Mount, Perthville.

She is a little daughter for Kathryn and Blake James, a first grandchild for Susie and Gary James and Louise and Robert Wood and a great-granddaughter for Doreen James, Roslyn Wood, Terry Renshaw and Rosemary and I.

THE closure and proposed sale of the Presbyterian Church in central Forbes is another sign of changed community life.

Apparently, only four parishioners were attending services and this story is being repeated in many parishes.

There isn't an "understorey" before the 70-plus age group and any debts that have accumulated will probably have to be repaid by asset sales.

Plans for the future need urgent attention right now.

THIS weekend's Eden-Monaro by-election for the federal seat will be an indication of the national state of play.

When John Barilaro put up his hand for nomination it looked like a possible transition for him from NSW Nationals leader to a replacement for Michael McCormack.

Things went badly wrong and the bookies expect a close win to the lady mayor of Bega for the Labor Party.

Eden-Monaro is always regarded as a bellwether seat and a better guide than any opinion poll.

GOING back several weeks to Mark Latham's book Take Back Australia; Mark grew up in Green Valley, southern Sydney, and became mayor of Liverpool, subsequently Member for Werriwa, "Gough's old seat", and then federal Labor leader.

He lost a close election to John Howard and left the party and is now a One Nation Senator.

He writes that he left the ALP because the party had changed from representing the blue collar, Irish-Catholic, battler's party to a following that has a quite different outlook on Australian society.

The years roll on and we realise that political leanings didn't affect the friendships that we shared with neighbours and workmates.

I hope that the politics of hate will soon disappear as we live in a great country and must not spoil it.

THE final sale of the 2019/20 wool selling season continued the recent downward trend, with the Northern Market Indicator finishing the week on 116c/kg, down a further 25c/kg.

All merino types lost around 30 to 40c/kg, while the crossbred wools lost another 30c/kg.

Most merino microns have now lost around 600c/kg from this time last year and the crossbred wools have lost around 500c/kg.

No one can see where the bottom of this market might be but there doesn't seem to be any upside until the European and Indian mills get back into production to put some pressure on the Chinese.

Next week will see 31,074 bales on offer nationwide.

OUR friend was world-travelled before the virus shutdown. He had visited both north and south poles and he was diagnosed as bi-polar.

***

"Mr Speaker, half the Nationals seated opposite are crooks," the staunch old Socialist roared.

The Speaker ordered him to re-phrase, so he roared again: "Mr Speaker, half the Nationals seated opposite are not crooks."

***

HIS dad always said "pardon my French" if he used a very bad swear word.

When Tommy arrived as a five-year-old at school, his teacher asked: "Does anyone in Kindy know any French words?"