It was a glorious October day in the mountains. The sun shone from a sky of flawless blue. A fragrant breeze rippled through the grass. Magpies carolled in chorus from atop a tall grey gum, and at that moment there was nowhere else on earth that Del would rather be. She glanced at her watch and realised that she’d forgotten to stop for lunch.
It might have been Sunday, but this was no day of rest. Del had been working since breakfast, trying to get the vineyard ready in time. For tomorrow, her brand-new flock of Babydoll sheep would arrive.
Kim had helped her to find them – two rams and eighteen ewes from a dispersal sale. Their purchase price had eaten into Del’s savings, but by buying an entire flock, the average cost per animal was way down.
Del wiped the sweat from her forehead and
