Actually it is me who is going out West. On Wednesday. The Matriarch and I (in my favourite role as the Handmaiden) are flying out to California to attend her eldest son’s wedding and then I am sloping off to visit my son and his family. Would you like to come along? Oh? Really?! Cool. There are some lovely images I want to collect for you on the travels. Plus visiting my Third Son and his lovely wife will be all about the food and the garden. I am FedExing lamb overnight to their place, with honey and lavender jelly. So we will be cooking Mama food every day. And I will have a team there so we can blog much more efficiently.
As you know I prefer not to eat processed foods and travel is always a whole day – we have a two hour bus ride to the airport in Chicago, then a 4 hour wait for the plane, then we fly to Denver then on to Sacramento. After all that bananas get kind of boring. So you and I can research the airport food and Celi Diet options. (I tried on The Dress – a Vintage crochet silk, hope I don’t pull a thread!!- and it is still just a teensy bit snug).
I actually love airports and planes and travel. I love the anonymity of the crowds. The bustle fades off into white noise and I do some of my best work in the cafes, restaurants (and OK – bars!) in those dark corners of airports. The Matriarch is a great reader and can sit for hours with a book so we are perfect travel companions. So Wednesday if all goes well I will be writing to you from the airport.
Secondly I am still writing The Big Work and I think it is important that I do keep adding to it every day, so I am working on ways to write on the move. Taking the lap top is only one part of it. I have to take my scene by scene worksheets and my notes. So much for travelling light. But taking the laptop means I can take you on my travels. We will see about the packing tomorrow.
The third thing, and probably the first thing you thought of, is leaving the animals. This takes some organisation. I am not irreplaceable and John will take over. So I am busy making sure that everything is at hand for him, and especially that Daisy is very secure. I have separated the calves from Hairy M’Clairy so he cannot bully them and steal their food. I have organised it so that they all drink from one big central tank placed in a shared corner of the fields and the barn, which will be easier for John to fill with the new hose. All their entrances and exits are logical and secure. I have been feeding them on John’s time scale for a while now, so they are used to a very early feed and a very late one. The birds are all free range with an emphasis on free, so they are easy. TonTon and Big Dog get a dog-walker. She will come every lunch time to take them for a big walk. As long as she carries his frisbee TonTon will follow her anywhere. Who knows what Big Dog will do. John will do the morning and evening walks after feeding out. Hope he can keep up.
So there you are. You are in the loop! TonTon knows something is afoot..
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
113 responses to “Go West Young Man”
Sounds like an adventure! Enjoy your trip – and your visit with your son!
I will Phyllis and thank you.. c
Safe travels; sounds wonderful. I usually pack mixed nuts with cranberries, and some granola with a yogurt smoothy drink or 2…the longest travel day I had was from Albany to Jackson Hole, 17hrs…
Enjoy! Enjoy!
Jess
That sounds like a super idea. i shall make myself a wee baggie of goodies for the first leg. Of course once I am through security all bets are off! 17 hours is a long day. Hopefully you were not driving!
Happy travels C! Don’t you just love laptops that you can take with you 🙂
Enjoy your time with your son too.
This old laptop has done so many miles it should buy its own ticket, it is heavy enough, when it finally gives up the ghost i am going to buy one of those super light ones. but oh the joy of parking yourself on the floor next to an unused power outlet and just being able to connect and write while you wait. WIFI is the airports is a god send! c
Have a safe trip, relax, and have lots and lots of fun! 🙂
Morning Gluten, I don’t know about the relaxing, family visits are all about the food so we will be prepping, cooking, planning or eating and having a great time.. c
Have a great trip, Celi! Look forward to reading your postcard posts! 🙂
Celia, what a great idea.. postcard posts! thank you.. c
Have a wonderful trip! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures along the way. 🙂
You never know what will turn up for the camera Mimo, and you have taught me a lot about seeing the small things and the beautiful people.. c
Have a wonderful trip! Also looking forward to reading about your adventures.
Thank you harold.. I will be in touch again soon.. c
Bon voyage, Cecilia, take lots of photos. Kisses on Ton Ton’s nose from South Africa xxx
Thank you Cindy, Your spring is looking so beautiful! c
Love the rooster and TonTon photos and am looking forward to pics from the west. Have a great trip and a wonderful time with your family.
Thank you breadcrumbs, I also am looking forward to taking the camera for a walk in a new environment! c
What a cute photo of TonTon! It gives me fond memories of our family dog who recently passed away this weekend…
Oh I am sorry to hear about your dog, was he the old one? It sad that they do not have as long a life span as people because we do get attached don’t we. c
Ah, travel is in the air. When I am leaving activities for a relief teacher it is so time- and energy-consuming that I usually feel it would be easier not to go. Not so getting ready to travel afar – especially if there is a son at the end of it. Everything is worth the effort.
I am riveted by the photo of the rooster. His colours and gloss show up so well.
My roosters are so pretty until they start to fight then they get a bit raggedy. I know what you mean about getting things ready for a relief teacher, every single thing has to be supplied for them. And even then they get a hard time. I think that is why I am a good traveller, I had to be very organised in the old days..c
TonTon’s gorgeous – that’s the epitome of the phrase “puppy dog eyes”! The cockerel’s gorgeous too and I love the picture of the cow with the pumpkin in your last post.
Hope you have a great time – that lamb sounds great!
I will do a post when we cook the lamb, it is a good sized leg and will cook up nicely! c
travel safely my friend! It is so amazing you can FedEX food 🙂 I love flying (have to as I do it so often) as long as I get the seat I like on the plane.
It is a good idea i think to try and love something you do so often. Otherwise it is grim. Like you i travel often, not so much now though, but some of my journeys are very long. This one will not be so bad though! three short hops! c
FedExing lamb! That is dedication. 🙂 Sounds lovely Cecilia! I hope you have a marvellous time… and I look forward to reading about your meals, adventures, anything you want to share! Spring kisses from NZ.
Spring Kisses! Oh I am spoilt! c
Wishing you a wonderful, wonderful trip! I know how complicated it us for us when we go away and we only have dogs and chickens…and like you I take my laptop and continue to write so it´s a big logistical plan before you leave. I think you, like me, enjoy making lists and plans though! Safe travels and am looking forward to sharing your journey. Hope the lamb travels safely too 🙂
It is lovely to bve able to keep writing wherever we are. and you are so right about making lists, My best list is called the panic check list! In fact I have it off by heart now! c