Good morning. I took you around the farmy yesterday. Yesterday was a day of bird song. It was still, overcast and bright. Which is actually a perfect day for the camera if you want some serious light for the densest colour in your images. Sadly we are still waiting in line for our spring colours, my sepia world persists. I would like to have shown you the birds but they were way, way up in the tops of the trees. But I know I heard a red-winged blackbird, and the mourning doves are back. Their spring song was sunny all in itself. The exciting news is that my Cardinal has appeared, he comes every spring with his wife to nest high up in the mulberry tree. Cardinals are very cheeky birds, bright orange and they flit about like little nightclub lights.
My lambing pen sits quietly. Waiting like me. With the really big barn doors open, you can see inside. Look at that fantastic old hand made gate. It is almost one hundred years old and is one of my favourite barn gates. 
No lambs yet, just a cat. Thing One I think, but he was so fast asleep in the cleanest pen in the place that he did not even raise his head the lazy sod. What if I had been a big fat mouse!?. 
Because it has been steadily getting a wee bit warmer in the last few weeks, the bees have been up and about. You will see that we have moved the blog hive away from the big trees. It was just too cold in the North shadow of that shelter belt. When we lifted it, we found that it was quite light, too light, (they have eaten up their stores of honey) so I have begin to feed all the bees sugar water.- see the little jars? – once I start this I must continue, probably until Late March, Early April – whenever the first flowers are in full bloom. But for now the bees are buzzing all over looking for food, with day after day in the upper 40’s. So I am forced to feed them sugar water. Especially this weaker hive. The problem with feeding this early is that the bees will become active and the queen might start laying so that is why I have to make sure not to miss a day until the first decent run of flowers. 
No grass in Pat’s Field. Of course not – it is way to early! I am going to drive you batty for weeks now, staring at the fields willing that grass to grow! And we all know how exciting it is watching grass grow. Actually for me it kind of is!! 
Look at that rain cloud. Though we had no rain yesterday. It is so exposed out here. The spring winds will start soon. Maybe I should create some kind of sound track so you can hear the howl of the winds hurling across the plains.. not yet though, not yet. For the moment we are still.
We are entering the time of year that I call the slog. It feels like spring should be coming. We feel like surely we can wear one less layer of clothing. It is not cold enough to light the fire but not warm enough to open all the windows. The nights are almost above freezing but not warm enough to leave the seedlings out at night. So hundreds of little plants in their paper pots lined up in their trays, are carried out every morning that is over 40F and carried back in that evening. The floors are covered in plants at night. I stare and stare across the tundra desperately seeking green.
Today I start to clear the flower gardens. I never cut down old plants in the autumn, I like to leave the seeds heads up until the birds have got every little mouthful out of there. So today I start to clear and compost. 
Ok enough chatting. The dawn is here, (this is the view out my loft study window about three minutes ago as promised) I had better hurry up and publish!! Looks like there may be a bit of rain heading our way. I am off outside to play.
Good morning.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
92 responses to “Walkabout the Farmy on a Still Sepia Day”
I actually love that color the fields have before the grass comes in…reminds me of fur…the fur of a great big silent animal…and that dawn sky…well, it’s almost too beautiful too comment on. What a life you lead.
You are right, it is a lot like a furry sleeping animal, still in hibernation.. c
That particular view from your window was well worth the wait. As will your wait for some green to appear in those sepia scenes!
Christine
You are right Christine and this long wait for colour makes it all the brighter when it appears.. c
Good morning, C! Beautiful sunrise. Such a sight makes ones heart leap at the thought that spring will soon be here. Hope you and the farmy animals have lovely day.
Good morning Miskey, hope you have a great day too.. c
Wonderful walkabout photos. Don’t you wish you could slugabout in the barn with the cat? He looks so comfortable.
He always picks the warmest spots that cat!! c
Good morning Celi! What magnificent photos – your dawn is out of this world beautiful!
I am looking forward to watching spring happen on the farmy.
🙂 Mandy
Celi, geese honking flying in formation this morning. Heading your way. Enjoy them as I have this mild winter. HF
Oh there they are, they just passed over.. and oh look they are dropping little ploppy messages HF, are they from you??!! (laughs at her own simpleton wit!!).. c
I would never send you such a message! However, I’m sure you could come up with a great recipe from them! You’re that talented! HF
(Laughter!).. c
It is a time of waiting and preparing and an anticipation as old as time.. the seasons are very acute in their influence on our lives out here.. c
I really like that picture of the farm buildings – truly delightful.
Thank you Roger and good morning to you! c
Beautiful sunrise…a lovely way to start the day.
Morning Karen! Are you travelling again?.. c
Love seeing that wider view Celi, the many browns of winter, the sturdy wind-worn buildings, the bare trees against all that sky! And I can nearly hear the sound track of all your morning birds…especially the red-winged black birds and the mourning doves. Such a deep gulp of fresh air for me. I sure do miss a farm!
Do have a lovely day of play!
Thank you spree, we will toddle along quietly today i think.. c
What is on the hay bale in the first photo? The thing that looks like a lyre? Is John repairing musical instruments in his spare time now?
Lovely walkabout…it’s warm here this morning, and, at least for the moment, there’s no wind. Perhaps there’ll be a spare minute for clearing work later. 😀
That is the end piece of an old magazine rack that I found. I like the shape too! So it hangs about looking pretty. It is due to go on the end of one of the beams, then it will slowly become part of the fabric of the barn.. c
YOU are an inspiration to me Miss Cecilia! You have inspired me to be more organised and mindful. Thank you! 🙂
Well that is a lovely good morning, I shall pop over later and check out your blog – Welcome! c
I love these broader views of the Farmy, of the buildings and the hives. There’s your spot of color, that yellow, of the hives. And the sunset…wow.
Yup, that sunrise sure makes up for the lack of colour, but where is the rain? c
What a lovely, lovely sunrise. I too am on “grass-watch” now. Where is that first true sliver of green??
Still looking!! c
That dawn is like a forest fire. It was red here this morning, too, but yours is even more glorious. I wish I could send you some of our grass: the lawn is nigh on 6 inches high. We could do with some of your nibbling animals. Here’s a link from my daughter about a programme to plant wild flower meadows in cities to encourage bees, and to try and stop park-keepers from mowing, so that the wild flowers can flourish for bees and insects. http://www.sarahraven.com/beesbutterfliesblooms.
Thank you viv, i shall look at that right now, we have a similar battle trying to stop the farmers mowing every square inch of wilderness around their crops and along the side of the road, there are heaps of wild flowers when they get behind! c
Beautiful and you can almost feel the last fews sighs of winter sleep before the land starts to stretch and wake up for Spring. And yes, I like to watch the grass grow too…we have a flat piece of land high above us in the dip of one of the mountains and it looks liek a prehistoric lake….you can really see that change of the seasons, depending on what the grass is doing up there!
how wonderful to have hills and mountains around you, you would see quite range of colours.. c