Chapter 3

With a month in hand before shearing Diana decided to do a spring clean. She started upstairs. Nick and Helen's bedroom was spartan and spotless so although she moved all the furniture it was done in a day and did not inconvenience them. Hal's was a completely different kettle of fish. It was clear that he saved up putting clothes in for washing until he had a 'worthwhile' quantity. They were scattered around his room on chairs, the radiator and mostly the floor. The same was true for magazines, mostly farming ones. A first glance into his room showed that she was going to have to ask him to clear it up a bit. She was a bit hesitant about asking him but when she did he did not argue but looked rather sheepish saying that it would probably take him a couple of days because he would have to look through all the magazines for articles that he wanted to keep for reference. Diana cheerfully accepted that saying that there were plenty of other rooms for her to do first.

She was pleased that all the curtains were washable. She was not sure what Helen's reaction to having them dry cleaned would have been. She ironed them in the kitchen at times when she thought the men most likely to pop in for tea or coffee. They were delighted not to have to fend for themselves.

Although this meant that Diana had little spare time for the shop it worried her and she said so to Helen who brushed it off immediately.

"Don't worry, my dear. It needs doing. I haven't had time in years and it was beyond dear old Bessie."

Helen was thrilled with the way Diana had turned out. She had liked her from the first but she was hard working, unfailingly cheerful outwardly and got on well with the family. On her admittedly few appearances in the shop the customers seemed to like her too.

Diana did have her moments of sadness but only when she was alone and not working to keep her mind occupied. Her room was the one beyond Hal's. The wall between was not that thick and he heard her crying on a couple of occasions in that month after lambing. It concerned him but he was much too shy and reserved to say anything to her about it. He did mention it to Helen though.

"I'm not entirely surprised, Hal dear. Her husband's death was really quite a short while ago and she must still be grieving for him. Let me know if it gets any worse and I'll have a word with her. In the meanwhile I'll keep an eye on her."

She did but to all outward appearances Diana was unfailingly cheerful. On the other hand it worried Hal. It was the first time he had come across such behaviour. He understood it to an extent but wondered how she had coped with their separations. Had her husband done something for her other than marrying her that really meant a great deal to her? He said nothing to her though. It was not his business and he was also too shy to. All his conversations with her had really been about farming despite a little teasing.

That was how it went on. When he wandered in in search of a drink they would chat happily to each other. Diana was always interested in what he was doing and why. She asked him to show her the bullocks one day when he was not busy and he was pleased to do so. As ever she was full of questions and he enjoyed answering them. She asked about the crops: what they were, why they grew them. He answered her questions happily and knowledgeably. She was impressed by his knowledge. He was impressed by her comments and follow up questions. It was clear that she was genuinely interested.

Then they were into weaning hotly pursued by shearing. Hal was right. Diana was profoundly affected by the sheep's grief but at least they were moved to pastures further away from the house than the kindergarten. Shearing for Diana was hard work too. Although the shearers brought thermoses of coffee or tea and bottles of water not to mention a packed lunch, her coffee and tea deliveries had to include them. She had to chase after Nick and Hal based on which pastures they told her at breakfast that they would be working from and to. However she had finished the spring cleaning and, truth be told, had time on her hands.

Once again things died down and Diana asked Hal what the next excitement was.

"Harvest."

"When's that?"

"Depends on the weather."

"Tell me."

"Well, if we have a dry summer the grain ripens sooner and we might start at the end of July. If we have a wet one we wait until it dries out and then do it but if it starts raining again we do it willy-nilly in early September. The grain is the most important product but we need the straw for feed and if that's too wet it rots when it's baled and that can mean it catching on fire."

"Crikey! That could be dangerous."

"And expensive because you can bet the insurance premium will jump up the next year."

"I bet."

"It's not as bad as it sounds because if we have a wet harvest the harvester leaves the straw in windrows."

"Windrows?"

"Long piles."

"Oh, OK!"

"And we can leave them a while and turn them over to dry a bit more."

"So what are you going to be doing in the meanwhile?"

"Keeping an eye on the bullocks. This lot's due to go to slaughter any time from October onwards when we'll be bringing in a new herd who'll need nursing until they settle down. Then we need to check the harvester and the baler and service the tractors."

"No peace for the wicked!"

"Not much but I don't reckon farmers are necessarily wicked."

Diana smiled at him. "No, Hal. I was only pulling your leg. The only two farmers I know are really good people.

"Don't let it go to your head though," she added as Hal looked down shyly.

He smiled back at her, still rather shyly but warmly all the same.

He did indeed take her to visit the bullocks. He took her in one of the pickups with the two sheepdogs in the back. They left the dogs in the wagon and leant on the gate. Bullocks are inquisitive and, knowing Hal well, moved towards them.

"Um, they've all been castrated," he said slightly hesitantly, "but they always seem to pick a leader."

He gestured rather than pointed at one in the middle of the front who was standing slightly forward of the rest. "That's Hector."