Snow. Light Powdery snow. We had another snowy day yesterday. But it is still too dark outside for me to see what happened in the night. We have no street lights in the country so there is no way of knowing without going out. Some farms have enormous lights that light the whole yard all night but I see no earthly use for one. It feels like you are in Stalig 13. (Did i spell that right?) (No it is Stalag c.. thank you viv) I have no curtains on my windows because I like to see the stars and I love the moonlight in the house. Outside lights cut all that beauty off.
Anyway last night there was just enough snow to deceptively cover the ice that is building up under there. I have begun the plonky winter trudge, stepping firmly onto the ground to avoid landing with a surprised squeak on my poor wee bottom. 
The root cellar is down the back. In the olden days this is where they stored the produce for winter. Or kept it cool in the summer. I should be brave enough to start using it again, or at least put a basket of potatoes in there and see if they freeze or indeed are just stored. Maybe next year. A door might be a good start! Because the naughty sheep use it as a summer hang out. It is in the Rat-house Paddock (yes every field has a name) so very close by would have been the old house that was on this property. We have unearthed garden paths that go nowhere. It was evidently burnt down, then pushed with a bulldozer into its own basement. The garden and trees ripped out and burned. An ignominious end. In fact there are so many levels to such a dreadful burial it makes me shudder. The house we live in, which replaced it, is about seventy years old. So it would have been a while ago. The perpetrators long gone.
Mama and Hairy MacLairy have been slowly loafing about. They love the cold. Mama is not giving me any more signs that would help me guess when she is due to lamb. So the waiting game continues.
Daisy is having one of her days.
The chickens are waiting out the snow in their chookhouse.
Yesterday I sowed Sage and Holy Thistle. Both herbs for The Bees and I. I sow into trays, they will take three to four weeks to germinate, then I will prick the seedlings out into pots so they can grow for about 6 – 8 weeks, then I should be close to planting. I also sowed a big pot of winter lettuce that will be grown indoors for the kitchen. The days are getting longer.
Dawn is just breaking and gently lighting quite a bit of snow. Hmm. Playtime! 19F. Not too bad. Good morning.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
81 responses to “Sweet cold farmy day.. we love the farmy days.”
One of the many pleasures of reading your blog, Celie, – apart from the displacement value of stopping me doing what I should be doing – is reading down the comments and your answers. You have a very interesting readership.
I agree Completely, there are some truly fun people visiting, and it is like we all visit each other, though that may not make sense! c
Your root cellar looks a cross between a storm shelter and the kind of concrete bunkers that scatter the countryside from WWII. I’d want curtains, I like the privacy of hiding myself away (even if there’s noone for miles) and the warmth! 🙂
The curtain thing is strange to some people i suppose. i have never liked them, never been able to sleep in a dark room, and in the day they block too much light even when they are opened. Lucky we are all different!! c
That picture of Daisy needs to be a postcard. You should have photo caption contests!
What a great idea, what is Daisy saying there do you think? c
Celi, when you say:
“Yesterday I sowed Sage and Holy Thistle. Both herbs for The Bees and I. I sow into trays, they will take three to four weeks to germinate, then I will prick the seedlings out into pots so they can grow for about 6 – 8 weeks, then I should be close to planting.”
Do you mean you sow them into the little paper pots first? Or into some kind of tray and from there into the paper pots, and then right into the ground after 6-8 week? D
yes you are right, the shallow tray, then prick out the seedlings to the pots, then into even bigger pots (still inside or popping in and out as the weather changes) then into the ground. It gives them a good start. Prick your seedlings out to the little pots when they have four leaves, use a tiny stick to ease them out of the earth, make a hole in your pot of media, then guide the roots gently in and embed firmly, water well to settle the earth around the roots.. and off you go.. c
Beautiful photos!
Thank you .. hope all is well in your kitchen! c
A root cellar – wow! If it´s dry you could always try to make jamon or prosciutto and hang it there to cure.
It is dry and that is an astounding idea, I guess we leave it in there all winter? in the old days they used to dry the hams from the ceilings in the barns so the old codger told me, the root cellar may be just the place! can’t waste it.. c
I am so jealous of your root cellar!
We will be working with the root cellar this summer so any ideas are welcome! c
My husband would love a cellar, he says we can then start storing wine but the wine never lasts long enough with unto store anyway 🙂 and yo know me, cellars, in addition to the creaky old house will just hasten my descent into straight jacket land LOL. I have loads of sage in my garn – the purple variety as well as the variegated – love em! Hope yours grow quickly as they sprout such pretty flowers as well
Beautiful, so beautiful as always… How lovely looks Daisy,… The photograph with green truck and with them, fascinated me so much… Thank you dear Cecilia, Blessing and happiness for you all, with my love, nia
I would encourage you to use that cellar – if Mainers near the Canadian border use theirs, I am certain it would hold your foodstuffs without freezing them.
My mom used to have a root cellar – it should be a great place to store veggies.
Root cellar? The historian in my first thought bomb shelter. 😦
or tornado shelter! c