“Sure, I’ll just turn off the –” Paula was talking to thin air “– stove,” she mumbled to herself. By the time she had pulled on her boots Dan was waiting at the gate in the tray top ute, with the engine running. Thank goodness for elastic-sided boots. Rowena had talked her into buying a pair of R.M. Williams. They were supposed to last a lifetime.

“The spray unit’s out in the corner paddock.”

Paula climbed in beside him and he started moving off even as she shut her door. She looked over the paddocks they passed. When she had first arrived the colours had all been greys and browns. Now the paddocks were varying shades of green, with the brilliant contrasts of what she now knew were yellow canola and purple peas. She cast her gaze ahead and felt comfortable in the knowledge that she could find her way around their farm. It didn’t seem quite so vast now she had a better understanding of the layout. She’d worked out that farmers had their own way of naming the hectares of paddocks on their properties.

“Why do you call it the corner paddock?” she asked.

Dan had slowed down and was looking at some sheep over the fence nearest him. “The what?” He glanced at the track ahead and back at the sheep.

Paula followed his gaze. His mind was obviously on the sheep. She recalled the time they’d had to pick up a ewe and its lamb that had been attacked by dogs. “Are they all right?”

Dan moved the vehicle forward again. “Yes. We only shifted them in here a couple of days ago. I was just checking.”

“Are these sheep going to the sale?”

“No, they’re all over at Ted’s. This mob’s ours.”

“I don’t really understand how all that works, Dan. How do you know which sheep are which?”

“Since we formed the partnership we’ve kept the joint sheep at Ted’s. His property had been totally cleared of sheep so we’re starting with a clean slate. The sheep here are the same breed but not as top quality as those over at Ted’s. It takes a long time to get the breed how you want it.”

They passed another paddock with sheep and he slowed down again. “We’ll have to shift this lot soon. Feed is getting low.”

“How are you managing without Rocket?”

“I get by. He couldn’t do as much lately anyway.”

Dan kept looking ahead.

Paula knew that to Dan, Rocket had been far more than a pet, he was part of the team. “He had a good life.” She sighed.

Dan looked at her quizzically. “He was a dog.”

Paula didn’t reply. Dan could be as gruff about it as he wanted but she knew he’d loved Rocket. Probably more than she loved Tarzan. “Will you get another sheep dog?”