A walk in the countryside

Have you ever committed to doing something but for one reason or another it's just not happened? That's been my last six weeks; I've needed to go to the farm and perform my culling duties but over the last six weeks there's always been some reason (or excuse) for why it hasn't happened.

Just for clarity, it's not my farm, I am the registered shooter who performs culling duties on the cattle far for the farmer who doesn't have the time; it's mt side gig.

Culling maintains the deer, fox and kangaroo populations on the property at acceptable levels which helps the farm to be profitable. I've written about it many times so won't go over it. In short, I'm permitted access to the property any time of day or night, seven days a week, to perform culling duties and on those occasions I'm there completely alone. It's a safety thing.

Over the last weeks it's been very hot and with the the long dry grasses around the place I've decided it's too risky; its very crispy out there at the moment. My rifle spits flames, as most do, when it fires and a spark into log dry grass, the possible fire it could start, would be impossible for me to contain. It's just too risky. Of course, it's no fun when the temperatures push to almost to 40°C and that's been an excuse for a few weeks now also. If I'm totally honest I'll need to add in my dislike for snakes, most of which around here are deadly, as one of the reasons I've not been for a while also. They love laying and moving about in the hot weather. Fucken snakey bastards.

I've been thinking over the last few weeks or so that I have to get back there and today the deal was sealed as the farmer called me.

It seems the idiot fine fellow left a couple of horses inside the fence that encircles the house and will be away for a while. The problem is there's no water trough in there and the horses need water, obviously. He called asking when I was going there next to which I replied, next week, and then asked if I could go tonight to deal with the horses. I could not but told him I'd go tomorrow and get it sorted. What an idiot right? Him not me. Poor horses.

I really need to go at least once a week to be effective, twice is better, and it's been far too many weeks since I've been so I'm not too upset about having to go, it's a commitment I made and I've been shirking it. The weather is going to be 24°C tomorrow, light cloud and sunset is at 20:23 so I'll have a few hours of daylight before I have to switch on the spot...That's enough time to get something happening and then do a little night shooting before packing up and coming home. (By, something happening, I mean kill some things.)

It's not really a simple walk in the countryside although I'll do a lot of walking and it could certainly be classified as countryside. It's a fairly serious sort of business though; killing always is. But, first and foremost is to free those horses and get them watered.