Did you ever see that movie Dusk ’til Dawn. Well, a day on the sustainable, self sufficient, old fashioned farm is Nothing LIKE that!!!
It starts at dawn. John leaves for work in the dark at 5am. I talk to you guys and catch up with my messages until the sun comes up. I make bread and drink coffee. I watch the sunrise from my front porch.
After I put the sour dough by the fire to rise for the day, I rug up and go outside. I open the barn up, then the dogs and I go for a walk and check out the perimeter. 
Walking the fences.
I feed the cats, the dogs and the chickens. Then the dogs and cats and the chickens and I feed the sheep and the cows. I puddle about and do the mornings chores. Houdini is already out with her babies. Somebody is just not paying attention to her lessons.
Have you met White Cat yet? He is a long haired Himalayan who thinks he is a barn cat, so he has to be shaved two or three times a year! The mess this cat gets into is pathetic. Today he is looking quite respectable. A ridiculous cat to have in the country. Not my fault – he was here before me. White cat and The Big Dog are the original animals.
Just when you thought it was safe. Daisy is watching.
The chooks are thrilled that the corn has been harvested. Good pickin’s for a chook out there. I never lock them up now. Not until next spring when we plant again. They take themselves in to roost at night.
This morning I am mowing and weeding the asparagus. Later in the afternoon I feed out again – hay and beet shreds with eggs and garlic. Baby Bobby and Queenie have their own wheelbarrow but Bobby likes to eat with Mama. Hairy McLairy has a thing or two to say about that but always loses. The Bobby is growing.
Mary’s cat is wondering.. is it wine o’clock yet? He whines. No, Not yet.
I shoveled manure for the compost piles on and off today but have spared you the images. There is a lot of winterising to do. Preparing the barn for the animals and preparing everything else for the freeze that will come. Bringing in all the big pots. Daisy watches.
And my hose has finally given up the ghost so I have started carrying buckets of water to the troughs today. It is not shopping week so we make do.
The sun goes down as I am out there finishing up. John will not be home for an hour or so yet. So c’mon Kitty, must be time for a wee drinkie before making a lamb curry for dinner. The bread is on its second rise. We can sit on the verandah and watch the sun go down.
After dinner I will put the sourdough loaf in the oven to cook. TonTon and I will go out with the torch and check that everyone is where they are meant to be. Then we tuck the Big Dog up in his blankets for the night. He sleeps in the barn and likes to be covered up completely, even his head, he will tuck his head under as I arrange the blankets and stays like that until I open the barn up again in the morning.
Many years ago, John found Big Dog beaten and wired by the neck to a fence, at a construction site, almost strangled. Just a pup. This must have been over ten years ago. Now he sleeps on a fleece of sheeps wool no less. The Big Dog loathes having his photo taken. He hates the camera, and gives me the most baleful look before he turns his tail and lopes off. He thinks dogs that sleep inside are sissys and refuses to come in except when a really nasty storm is coming, then he will condescend to go into the basement, that is how we know it is going to be bad.
And so another day .. yesterday.. gently passes.
c
This page is dedicated to our Mum on All Souls day. Her name was Mary.
The Kitchen's Garden 
99 responses to “Farm Days from Dawn to Dusk”
I started reading this and viewing the photos and thinking, “I love that photo.” And then I got to the next one and I thought, “No, I love that one even more.” They are all beautiful. The lighting. The composition. The moments you captured. The personalities of your animals.
And your storytelling, dear, is beyond excellent. I felt as if I was right there, helping you with everything except scooping that manure.
Well done and a super, excellent all-around fantastic post!
Thank you Audrey it was another day on the farm, and maybe next time you can help me with the scooping!!! c
“I feed the cats, the dogs and the chickens. Then the dogs and cats and the chickens….” This made me smile dear Cecilia, I can imagine how the view is. You are amazing. How much I love your expressions… your narrator part… You know, I am sure, which one is my best 🙂 …. nobody think that it was cats!!!! NO, this is unbelievable BUT I love your daisy! Yes. In all my life this is the first time! You are so adorable woman dear Cecilia… Day is really so long with all these things… And I loved your farm days from dawn to dusk… Blessing and Happiness this great family in the farm, Thank you, with my love, nia (dear cat Mary, I love you too, don’t be sad but Daisy,she is extraorinary one)
Daisy was definitely showing her best side yesterday wasn’t she?!.. and it is like that .. the cats and the dogs and the chickens follow me around all day long.. ! i am never really alone.. c
Oh, once again I smile now, but this time to my understanding… You feed them all but then you feed them all again because they eat too much… It was a lovely image in my mind and made me smile… and now, I can see what you mean… and yes, I smile myself now. Thank you dearest, I want to fly there… be sure, I can feed them, 🙂
You are so funny darling, i feed the cats and dogs and chickens then they follow me over to feed the cows and sheep, so we are like a parade, all walking over to the barn in a long line.. now you really will be laughing!! I shall go back and check that sentence to see how i confused you!! love c
sorry I correct myself, it should be “Mary’s cat !”… so sorry.
Marys Cat forgives you, because she knows you love her too!.. c
I’ll bet your mum would have loved to see what you get up to on your days C. Lovely post.
Love the image of Big Dog all tucked up for the night, even with his head in. Smart dog, who knows what sort of monsters may be lurking if he puts a paw out.
Mum would have thoroughly approved of my new lifestyle Hippy just as surely as she would have thoroughly disapproved of my old gadabout llfestyle that ended five years ago when i moved here. that is such a sweet thought of Big Dog not putting his paw out. I swear that dog thanks me when i tuck him in. c
I felt my blood pressure lower just reading this, thank you!
Welcome Sugar. It sure is the simple life! c
Love reading about your day. I think it ends and starts with the true essentials, something that really brings you back to the important things in life.
and oh, I love White Cat!
White Cat is the only cat who is allowed inside. He was here before me so he has different rules! c
I used to have a White Cat and she always bent the rules 😉
poor puppy! how far are the shops from you? blessings for your mum Celi 🙂
Thank you tandy. Although Mum died before computers were in homes I think she would have enjoyed the blog too, though I cannot imagine her fingers on a keyboard! c
Oh and the shops are a good 45 minute drive .. not astronomical but it takes a good part of your day to to do the shopping, no quick pop around the corner!!
don’t ever forget the loo paper then 😉
Tandy you are priceless!!
Nice autumn shots around the farm. So peaceful.
Thank you harold.. c
Love it. LOVE the dog photo – oh my goodness, the look on the face of the one on the right! Your photography is stunning. Your writing is nourishing. Thank you for sharing your everyday life with us, your readers!
that is Big Dog giving me The Baleful Look.. ! c
So idyllic, C. The perfect antidote to my crazy busy, city life. Thank you for sharing these bits of it with us, sweet lady 🙂
You are so welcome Desi.. c
Hi Cecilia. Thank you for the tour around your day. Really enjoyed reading your post. Beautiful photos.
Regards Florence x
Thank you Florence, it was great to have you along! c
A wonderful day in the life of Celi. I loved it…thanks for sharing your day with us and the beautiful photos to go along with it. I don’t think you will hear any of us complaining about not having enough time in a day after what you accomplish each and every day.
Thank you karen, really I just wander along, nothing takes as long as you think it will.. c
I enjoyed this. ‘Idyllic’ is the word that comes to mind. Many parallels with my farm childhood and adolescence but beautiful of its own accord.