There is no point in blaming the system or the governments as we have to play with the cards that have been dealt and, to this stage, the generation systems are coping.

In the farm sector, it is vitally important that generators are on-site for shearing operations as well as workshop services.

Most of us have opinions on the electricity situation but we know that governments are elected to direct solutions, so we carry on with our own lives and hope for the best.

WE pay a tribute to Bathurst identity Andy Kajons on his 80th birthday.

Andy was a sheep and wool officer with the Department of Ag in Bathurst from the early 1970s until retirement; his peers in that position were Col Langford at Goulburn, John Cahill at Cooma, Barry Trimmer at Orange and Dick Kearins in Dubbo.

Andy helped to form the Bathurst Merino Association in early 1993 and he guided the group through the nonsense of the OJD debate to its very practical solution.

Thank you Andy and we wish you many happy years with your lovely family.

THE recent death of Hilton Bonham in Bathurst revives memories of a strapping 18-year-old playing first grade rugby league with Bathurst Railway and, later, being a Group 10 and Country representative player.

He trained and drove a number of pacers on country tracks and my memory tells me that most of them carried Waltham as part of their name.

AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation is obviously looking seriously at the problems that may be faced in the future harvesting of our wool clips.

There are labour shortages in most industries and the increasing national sheep flock is coinciding with the declining numbers of shearers and wool handlers.

Reports come in this week of an injection to a sheep that weakens the wool fibre to a stage where the whole fleece can be plucked off without a need for nets to carry the fleece.

The theory involves a machine that is similar to a chicken plucker and the sheep would be de-fleeced while standing and be left with about one to two centimetres of wool for protection from sun or cold.

In a similar view, a prototype robot for apple picking carries the code name EVE, of course.

I WAS surprised to read that analysts from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) have predicted a fall of 150c/kg by Christmas 2022 in the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator.

The MLA analysts expect the indicator to fall from the current 1120c/kg to 953c/kg by year's end and it covers many market inputs, including the trading of young store cattle.

LAST-MINUTE sowing of cereal crops is being carried out on country that has been waterlogged for many months and farmers in our district are being ultra cautious when using trucks and machinery in boggy paddocks.

As always, the ATVs and farm bikes are a godsend as they can paddle through most problem areas.

For those who are really caught with hopelessly bogged trucks or tractors, a tracked excavator can traverse a lot of areas where no-one would dare take a rubber-tyred tractor to the rescue.

The cost of freighting an excavator on-site and a steep price per hour can mean a cost of around $1000, but at least your machine is out.

AN interesting visit to country Bathurst is the clearing sale at "Numeralla", Sallys Flat this Saturday.

Along with some good farm machinery, there will be quite a few collector's items and lots of friendly Aussies to talk to.

The address is 2319 Hill End Road, Sallys Flat. Start time is 10am and details are available from James Hagney at Clements and McCarthy Bathurst: phone 6331 2366.

AN old mate and a young lady each applied for a lion tamer's job at a circus.

To show their skills, the lady went first in a red bikini and the growling lion licked her arms and shoulders.

"Can you do that?" the circus owner asked our old mate.

He was confident. "My oath I can," he said, "just get the mongrel lion out of there first."

***

A SUBTLE difference between Prince Charles, Peter Dutton and a monkey's mother: Charlie is the heir apparent; Mr Dutton has no hair apparent; and the monkey's mother is a hairy parent.

***

WHAT has 26 legs but can't climb a ladder? Gold Coast Titans.