I am back. And so relieved. Not having you to talk to at the beginning of each day was just plain lonely. I would see a picture and have no-one to share it with. The animals would do something silly but no-one to tell. I am so sorry that took so long. But quite delightfully, the wee geek fellow said there was nothing whatsoever wrong with my laptop except that it IS a laptop and one should not load so much, um stuff on it. Oops. Miss C Got a Geek Growling! So I am to get an external hard drive thingy and download all the extraneous material onto it. And hopefully that will do the trick. 
Mad Dog you were absolutely right. Oh me of little faith!!
While we were apart, Mama has been doing a lot of this. Lying down. Flat out. On Wednesday I decided to leave her outside full time as she was literally too wide to fit easily through her barn door anymore. There was a collection of wool being left in the doorways. They are happier outside anyway. Plus it is cleaner for lambing. I taught TonTon to find Mama. 
So on command he will run out to the Salad Bar Paddock and stare at Mama and bark if there are any wild dogs about. Maybe I should put a camera on his collar! Ton has been spending an unusual amount of time voluntarily in the little field with them too. He is a better guard dog than he is a herding dog but to be fair, these sheep are not afraid of him, as he grew up with them from a wee pup. As you can see Mia is back on form being the clown in any photo.
St Joseph’s Day was celebrated early over atThe Bartolini pages this week with my favourite Italian Dish. John’s story explains St Joseph beautifully. So I thought I would show you my little statuette of St Joseph. He has stood on the window sill of every kitchen I have worked in in the many many years since my Mother died. Mum always stood him above her kitchen sink. Now so do I. He has travelled the world and listened to food being cooked in many different countries and languages. 
Speaking of food, while I was offline John had a day off so we zoomed down the country roads to the local seed place and bought grass seed. Then John and the chickens planted the new three acres that we have rented from his Uncle. Two acres are an alfalfa blend for Hay and one acre is to be fenced for grazing. This is a lovely high protein blend for milking cows and finishing grass fed beef. 
Senior Son this shot is for you. The Mia Look!
The little John Deere had the task of dragging this borrowed seeder up and down the field for the day. Poor wee tractor was at the limit of its strength. But this shot once again gives you a visual of the mammoth task of reclaiming this inert and discouraged land. Now all we need is rain.
Good morning. Since Monday I have had all the windows and doors open. The screens have gone back up, the swing chairs are hung, the verandah has been washed down, we are eating outside again, the fly swats have been located, the vegetables are being planted, the flower gardens opened up and my days are full of birdsong. My big work this week is clearing all the flower gardens of debris and covering them with a thick bed of mulch. With a dry summer ahead all the soil must be covered. No bare soil allowed.
But I have lost my summer fitness and so my body is aching from the extra heavy work. And I got sunburnt yesterday! Bad I know, I promise to cover up my Irish skin today but Oh it felt So Good! And a good shot of real Sunlight Vitamin D is so enlivening!
Today it is Friday so it is Old Codger visiting day for TonTon. It is quite a drive there and back so the lady down the road is going to check in on Mama while I am gone. If she does have four lambs and I cannot imagine we will get less now, we will have to be on hand to help out. I cannot bear to lose anymore lambs.
The good news is that the Printer Man has promised me that the Postcards will finally be here by the 16th which is today. I will not bore you with that saga as it was just annoying really, not life threatening, just boring having to drag this company through the process, but it will be great to get our farmy cards at last.
And so to work for me. The grass is growing very fast now, so in a month I hope that I will have the animals back on grass and after a few weeks of additional hay they will be left to graze for the summer. Then My Work will consist of opening and shutting gates! What a joy that will be!
Good morning. Welcome back! I missed you.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
97 responses to “Winter left without saying goodbye.. no manners”
You sound efficiently flat out as always. I see the rooster thinks you have laid out a paddock of seed for him.
Aren’t they naughty birds Annie, they just walked the line following the tractor!! c
Welcome back. Since spring is here and we are doing a little clean springing, maybe this applies to our computers as well. I think it is the pure number of photos and data we have to keep our websites going that take up so many bites of space. Take care, BAM
Hmm, i had wondered about that Bam, ah well.. c
Well, I guess you get the message — YOU WERE MISSED! I look forward every morning to reading your blog and seeing your pictures. It’s the next best thing to actually being there with you. Thanks for opening the doors to your life and sharing with us . . . you are very special.
Morning Lois, and isn’t it wonderful to be missed! Though i felt the same. The blog family has become part of the farm in a very interesting way. not telling the farm stories was actually a hardship.. back now though, fingers crossed that the computer stays well behaved.. c
Hi again, Celi. Welcome back. I missed going along on your beautiful wanderings and tales of the animals. Ny latest post mentions you and your blog, and I hope you get lots more readers. Although I don’t now how you have time to answer everyone every day.
Ronnie
I love my comments, it is the dialogue that i crave and I also love going to other people blogs and seeing what you are all up to as well.. I just give myself time limits! and work Fast, which reminds me i need a big glass of water before i go out and start in the gardens again.. c
Im not convincined the chickens are doing much planting! Welcome back.
Morning Alli, you should have seen john futilely trying to shoo them off! I had to laugh! c
I am giggling imagining TonTon cam! Glad all was ok with the laptop!
morning tanya, i am dying to pop over and see how you guys are doing. Florence told us you need rain too.. c
Good morning C! How scary to have pc issues…I know I’m clueless in that area!! I love your St. Joseph and even more so that it’s something you’re carrying through life from your mom.
Morning honey, he is small enough to travel and heavy enough to stay UnLost.. no kitchen feels right without him.. c
So glad to see you back and tonton, mama and mia too. We missed you!
Morning betsy it is great to be back in the loop! c
Nice to have you back and to hear that all is well on the farm. Yippee for springtime! It was so nice in our corner of the world yesterday that I took the laptop outside for some fresh air while I worked. 😀 So glad the wireless reaches that far.
That is a splendid idea, i may just do that later today! Work first though.. c
Glad you and the crew are back and fooey to winter! It doesn’t have to say goodbye it just needs to leave! I will gladly show it the door and slam it behind. t
Exactly.. morning Miss T.. c
The missing went both ways, Celi. It is great to see the photos and experience the shift towards spring. Love your Friday posts with the references to other blogs, great!! And reminder that of the Old Codger visit! Cheers to a lovely day! Debra
Spring is here i think, i am feeling confident! great to see you again.. c
I definitely missed you Celi!!! And your writing, pictures and humor!!! I love the St. Joseph statuette that your mom always had in her kitchen, and now you in yours. Very, very special. xo
He is rather lovely and shiny in the places where he has been held and wrapped so often.. Hope you are having this great weather too diane.. have you planted your veg garden yet? c
Yes! We are in the process! Radishes, lettuces and other leafy crops planted from seed into our raised beds. And we are taking the many veggies out of the cold frame (as it’s no longer cold!!!) and planting them in the ground. We’re broadcasting wildflowers for the bees and planting flowers inside our garden for them too. We get them next month!!!! Their 2 hives are ready and waiting for them!!! xo
You guys are way busier than me! Amazing.. I love it! c
Yay! You’re back! I look forward to your posts every morning. I scroll through them all (about 80) and read yours first. 🙂 Then Ringfingertanline…because she is just so naughty and brazen I have to. Ha!
I can’t wait for the baby lambs! I hope you’re able to take tons of shots of the births. And I truly cannot believe you’re eating outside and planting vegetables already. Crazy. We are stuck in chilly, rainy, weather and won’t be able to plant until at least the end of April. The common saying is that if there’s still snow on Tower Mountain (about 15-20 miles from here to the top), you shouldn’t plant anything, not even flowers. Plus, we’re still in danger of freezing at night. In case you can’t tell, I’m desperately ready for spring.
I would gladly send our rain to your fields! Happy to have you back. Have a wonderful day!
~April
Morning April, you are still chilly, I am thinking of getting out my summer skirts but that may be pushing it. Tower mountain what a great name, does it look like a tower?.. c
No it has towers on it though that are lit up at night with red lights. It’s a pretty good hiking and mountain biking mountain.
Welcome back C! You can certainly tell the sun light has changed in your pics and winter is leaving. The same has happened here in SLC. Time for some sun glasses!
I would cry all day without sunglasses and that is an interesting observation of yours about the light, it is definitely getting brighter and the evenings are just gorgeous.. thanks jed.. c
Are you sure winter left lol? Because the weather is definitely up and down here that I’m fearing getting sick. And I think mama is trying to get suntanned :). And TonTon always looks adorable to me :).
TonTon is such a good boy, and poor old Mama she is just too big.. c