WHAT DO YOU MEAN - WE'RE GOING HOME ??!!

BUGGER - BUGGER & BUGGER !!! Why am I always the last one to find out about the boss's plans ...I mean ... haven't I always been faithful, loving, considerate, great company ..... just to mention a few of my great attributes. Just out of the blue, the boss tells me that we are going home !!!!

Told me some story about Nanna & the family missing us ..... so I said "Well tell them to bloody come up here & visit us !!?? ...... I can't go home now .....I've got too much work to do !!

For crying out load .... I said ..... look at me !! I'm on the move from 6am to 8pm ..... I'm fitter than any dingo within a 1000 miles ..... every one here is relying on me to keep those stupid pigs in the yard because the electric fence is not working ..... I have to train the new foal & the shetland pony how to muster cattle & watch out for the mother at the same time !!!

And you want me to go back to sleeping around the back yard 20 hours a day, chasing phantom rabbits that the virus took care of years ago ...... & listening to those neighbour dogs barking all day at their own shaddow !!?? I'm a cattle station dog now boss ...... How about you go home boss & I'll stay here .... see you next year !!??

I said .... "Who do you think is going to rescue cows that get stuck in the creek bed or dam ..... you can't let them pick up cattle the way that other guy did ..... on the tynes of a fork lift !!!! '

And who is going to weld up cattle brands like the CZM brand you & I made for those cattle buyers ...... don't you remember ?? ..... the fancy brand they had made at an engineering workshop didn't work anywhere near as good as ours !!??

And remenber when you, Elliott & I drove the Patrol up the side of that mountain to check out the water pressure tank ..... we could see in all directions for about 20 miles !!?? Greg told me that the only other vehicle that has ever made it that far up the mountain over the rocks & 45 degree incline was a D9 bulldozer they used to cart the tank to the top !!!!!

And boss ..... you expect me to leave all this behind !!?????

And whichever way we looked boss .... we where still looking at Jervoise Station !! And boss ... I've only explored about 5 square miles so far .... I've still got 135 square miles to go !!

Remember when you & Greg took those ironbark logs to the sawmill at Innisfail ?? You wanted me to go with you boss, but I suggested that it would be better if one of us stayed at the station just in case something important needed to be done !!

But while I was watching Cooper blow out the candles of his 4th birthday cake, I realised that the boss was right .... It was time to go home !!! And how could I let him drive home on his own ??? 5 days of driving & he wouldn't have me to keep him company & talk about the great time we have experienced here !!

All of Cooper's cousins are here for the school holidays .... the boss drove half way to Townsville today to meet Christine & bring 4 of Paul's children back to the station. I told the boss they are all great kids because they all throw the ball to me & play soccer with me !!! They all told me they will miss Jack heaps !!!!!!

And all the backpackers said they will miss me too !!! They said that Jervoise Station will not be the same after Jack goes home. But I managed to convince the boss that we needed to stay for a couple more days ...... Paul will arrive tomorrow & Michele's husband Peter ( he drives cattle road trains ) will arrive on Saturday. So we will leave here on Sunday morning & arrive at Kirsty's house maybe Thursday morning.

Everyone is going to the Junction (great campsite that I told you about ) for a pizza night on Friday as a special send-off for me & the boss !! Then we are going to the Greenvale pub on Saturday for another send-off for me & the boss ..... but I told the boss that he can only have 2 beers because we will have a long drive the next day !!??

So all you fans .... next time I speak to you, it will be face to face !!!

LOVE FROM JACK & THE BOSS