Also ...

This is Kelly, in her younger, rather more svelte, days. Sadly, she died in 2002, at the age of about 16. Rebecca and Ed, with whom she lived for many years, did amazingly well to keep her going, and happy, for so long.

Kelly had an adventurous life. She was dumped at the Camden Vet Clinic, on the outskirts of Sydney, and was in danger of being put down until I decided to take her, as I was finishing university. She looks like a blue cattle dog-cross, but several knowledgeable people have told me she's a German coolie, a rare type of sheep dog. She'd obviously been a farm dog, and may have been dumped because she was scared of cows. But she has all the herding instincts - quite good at sheep provided I yelled at her continuously, very good with the Henty hens, and even in her grown-up days quite respectable with cattle, although with a healthy awareness of the risk of headbutts.

She moved around NSW with me, being an invaluable companion and friend, and for the year I went to Europe even returned to being a farm dog - well for a few months, until she refused to join the others in their kennel at night, declaring herself a house dog!

She then moved in with Betty, a young collie, and help teach her how to behave, or at least what you could get away with! That was in Canberra, but she then moved back to Sydney, with kinder weather for old bones.

Me, a working dog?