New England bushie

Just a family photo today. I feel quite written out.

This shot shows my grandfather, David Drummond, at Forglen near Armidale. Quite the bushy isn't he?

A few things to notice.

The cables going into his top right pocket are his hearing aide.

He became almost totally deaf as a young man. Yet he managed to enter politics when all he could use to overcome deafness was a hearing trumpet.

The dog on the right was Ben. As children, we played with Ben, riding on his back. He was then older and slower, with white streaks. We loved that dog, as did Fa.

Blowed if I can work out just what the shot animal is that he is holding in his hand. Perhaps you can help. 

Look at the dead wood in the paddocks, and the tussocky grass. The first was due to clearing, the second the original native pastures. The Northern Tablelands became much more manicured once the native grass was replaced by pasture improvement.  

More tomorrow.