Masterton Ram Fair

As the legend goes, wool was once worth as much as gold! When Dad was young, he and his three brothers were tasked to pace the hot dry Wairarapa fence lines of their farm to pull the tufts of wool off the wires. Adding them to the wool fadges that would then be baled and sold for a solid profit.

The sitting room in my grandparent's home, where this specific photograph hung, was positioned on a cream tongue and groove wall - not that you would ever have known that, as it was covered from floor to ceiling with memorabilia - a massive collection of family memories, decades of photos including prized winning horses, marriages, family photos, grand children's successes and more rams. I remember as a child standing, gazing, wanting to learn more about the subject matter housed within each frame.

I guess you can say this simple black and white image of a family's prized ram takes me back to so many wonderful childhood memories. Chasing my cousins through a maze of rooms while we wove our way through the masses of legs of my uncles, aunties and grandparents. I can still hear the rich belly laughs, hands wrapped around freshly poured gin, and conversations around grass growth, rainfall, and the current condition of lambs. Some things don't change.

After my Pop passed away the collection of memorabilia was distributed amongst the family. This treasured image was gifted to me. I haven't quite collected the wall coverings of my own life events, but perhaps  I need to value hanging photographs more. Not for me, but for my children and grandchildren, to help spark their own memories connecting them to our family farming heritage.