Although I get paid for sleeping the very next day I'm feeling as if I'm floating on big fat clouds. I'm not here. I'm somewhere. This night Kelpie 'Cooper' was whining without interruption, he wanted to go home but was not supposed to do so.

A couple of months ago I started a Small Business: looking after animals when the owner is not present (www.animalservice.com.au). So a lady gave me a call whether I can come in January caring for her horses and donkeys while she is undergoing a knee surgery. I went to her place and had a vision to see myself in 20 years: a very old (80 years) crippled woman was trying to get along feeding 3 horses, 4 ponys and 2 donkeys (in three different paddocks). Not to mention xxx sheep, xxx goats, xxx geese, xxx peacocks, xxx chooks, rescued birds in xxx aviaries, xxx cats and (luckily 'only') one dog. She moved in the pace of a garden snail - using a walking stick to get along. No, definitely no: this is n o t the way I want to live (suffer) in 23 years. I love animals, they are my life - but I don't think that it is possible to care for a zoo when standing with one foot in the grave. "I'm okay" she repeated several times. "Only my knee hurts." She really believes that she is back on her feet three days after receiving an artificial joint. No, no, no. This was an impressive lesson I was taught yesterday. I will concentrate on planting native shrubs and trees and revegetate my 8.5 ha property (without stables and paddocks).

Clare has mercy on her stupid mistress!