This is what I saw when I began the chores this morning. A cat sleeping in my shopping bags. You know the bags that you pause on the verandah. The plan being to stow them back in the car later. Then they never make it to the car, and you end up at the supermarket without your bags, wondering what happened to The Plan! 
The leaves have begun to turn and fall here, we had a frost this morning. I am starting the search for the gloves put away last spring. The bird houses have been vacated. I have decided that I will not mow the lawn again THIS YEAR! What a joyful decision.
The Celi Diet is rocking along. I LOVE it when I make myself eat good food. I have so much more energy. My jeans are fitting much better thank you very much. 
I know that autumn is a beautiful time, we store all our food for the winter, and this means the meat too. To carry extra animals through the winter creates overcrowding in the barn and makes no sense economically. This is a rather somber reminder of what we are all about. Growing our own food is not only about the freshest hand picked salads and glorious tomatoes, and satiny silverbeet. It is also about growing our own meat in a respectful, sustainable, old fashioned way.
The first reason we started to grow our own meat and vegetables was that we wanted to have control over our own food. The second reason is we are appalled by the cruel and heartless way animals were grown for the mass production of dubious protein. We want no part of that. We could not rail against it unless we did something about it. So we decided to grow our own fresh clean meat. Using sustainable methods and organic natural feeds. i.e. grass. Tomorrow morning the Murphys (we call all the sheep for the freezer Murphys) – the two wethers are leaving. And this is why the Paddy Wagon is parked right up against the barn doors. Tonight I will shoo them through the barn, (a feat in itself I think) and up into the stock trailer.
Tomorrow morning when we drive them away it will be tougher. But if I am going to feed my family, friends and extended family members good food, then I need to man up and get the job done. They have been well treated, well fed, and have spent their lives outside in the fresh country air with a pure green diet and plenty of room to run. We will take them to a small abbatoir that is clean and calm and well managed. Enough said.
All our lives we collect all these experiences and put them in our pockets. We polish them as we walk along, take them out and look at them, drop them back in our pockets and one day find another use for them. Every experience good or bad is useful.
Speaking of experiences: above is a shot of my book planning. In writers jargon (most of which is gibberish to me) this is now officially a Work In Progress (WIP). Writing a play is about a million times easier, my written language from years in film and stage is pared right down to dialogue and stage directions. I have to get used to having all this space to write in. And being able to let my characters fly. I have over 60 little scenes jotted down and arranged into Acts (can’t help myself) and then Chapters. I am designing the recipe for our book.
Soon I will begin cooking. Just too exciting.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
65 responses to “Monday Morning Farm”
Good for you c! I am a meat eater but I don’t think I could man up 😦 I’d prefer not to have associated with my meat and lambs are cute. Still, they are tasty and somebody has to do it. Thank you 🙂 Whatever is in that bowl, I want it! Okay, the wine too.
You will have noticed that that lovely bubbly is in a red wine glass! I just thought.. whatever! I don’t have time to keep traipsing back and forth filling up one of those silly little champers glasses.. I am working! c
Good for you. I look forward to reading it!
Hi Wanda, Work in Progress as they say! and progressing. Just have to keep at it for a while now.. c
Great pics. Cool cat. Great barn. Organized plot-scene structure on your writing desk. When’s the book or film coming out?
Well i am still writing. This one is a book. And then i will start the coming out process. As you know the whole thing is a fab uncharted challenge. c
No guessing that I LOVED the pic of the cat in the bag – GORGEOUS!!!
Kudos to you C, not sure I would be man enough – I really do admire you!
Have a happy day.
🙂 Mandy
I thought you would like it! Such a sweet wee kitty! c
Can’t wait to read it!
The sheeps’s situation is a sad one, but is true you have given them the best environment any animal may want. So, enjoy your meat my friend!
When I was little my grandma (dad’s mom) gave me a little duckling and it was my pet … until one day after school when I had for lunch the most delicious and juicy “chicken” I ever tasted:(
NO. That is horrible! We don’t make pets of our dinner! Certainly not for children! Poor you.. c
Once, I had a white kitten jump into my fridge as I unloaded groceries. When I reopened the door, luckily a few minutes later, li’l Ajax hurled itself out of the ice box and onto my pant leg. For the 1st, and only, time of my life, I hit a high C — purrfect pitch, no less. Really glad to see evidence that you have, indeed, started the book and sorry that tomorrow it will be ‘Dead Sheep Walking” You’re right, though, your way is far better than the alternatives and these sheep were lucky to land on your farm.
That is brilliant. What was that cat thinking! so funny! c
Wonderful photos. Except the cat. I’d scream like a girl if I saw that. This is probably why I own dogs, they aren’t as good at surprises.
Your shopping bags are just not big enough!! c
you will taste the love of feeding the murphy’s, when they feed you! Blessed be 🙂 PS, I remembered the shopping bags this morning, but left the shopping list at home!
Oh I do that too.. leave the list at home. or Worse. take the list and forget to look at it! c
Love your shot of the barn–just beautiful. And good luck with your book-in-progress! That’s so exciting.
Thank you jenna. It is exciting, fun too..everyone should write one! c
Your organisational skills put me to shame. Good luck with the book, you’ve left me very intrigued and thanks for the photos too. I have 2 cats myself and love the picture of yours 🙂
Oh thank you for dropping by. Actually it is the teacher in me that loves to play with little bits of paper. having the cards motivates me too.. this morning I found myself wishing for more coloured pens and some highlighters! had to laugh at myself.. but there you are.. c
Glad you’re remembering to enjoy the ride despite the diet – I think that’s why so many diets fail. We just think about the sacrifices we’re making, the moment we can go back to the carbs / butter / whatever, instead of detoxing like you are and then going back to a modified version of la vida loca. Cheers! 🙂
Oh absolutely, I love to eat, and even if it is only a little meal it can always be a celebration of lovely yummy food.. I think really it is not the diet that matters it is how you eat forever that matters! c
Ah I remember the days growing up on my farm and when it was time to lay the cows and pigs to rest. It was always sad to see them go, but it was always better when they came back. 😉
Exactly.. coming back in little packages! I am looking forward to that bit! c
Love the cat…I have a bench INSIDE the door where the bags sit, and I still manage to occaisionally walk off without them! At least I don’t usually have much to buy!
How long have you been at this meat-raising thing? Is it any easier after the first time?
Well this is the first time I have sent off sheep. We took in a steer last year. He was a brute of a thing. Once they are gone it is ok.. big breath .. and get on with it.. you know. c
Love the pictures! Autumn is my favorite season because it’s just so darn pretty!
It certainly is prettying up here courtney, thanks for dropping by! c