We rose at 3.15 am California time and began the pressure cooker air travel race to reach The Prairies by 6.30 pm. Travelling is all about waiting, interminable waiting, interspersed with wild spurts of frantic power walking navigating literally MILES of corridors to find yet another elusive gate. Why is it that my connecting gate is ALWAYS at the far end of the airport and WHY can’t they load a plane from the rear first. This would have to be faster. People take so much luggage on board nowadays and it takes them ages to shove and stuff and push it into the bins, swinging bags dangerously above the people below, while a hundred people wait behind them in the aisles to get past. And what happens to all those books that people lose as they travel? There are some very well read airport cleaners in this world. That is what I think.
But I finally made it back. Back to my safe little world. And my sheep. Oh my goodness. It was like leaving a bunch of cuddly fuzzy bears to go away for the weekend. And coming back to a bunch of clean and shiny, completely foreign, pale aliens with surprised looks still on their faces, grazing my paddocks. 
We can all recognise Hairy MacLairy, but Mia! Is that really Mia? The Moaning is what gave her away. Today all the sheep will be put together as a flock for a few months. We need Hairy the summer guard sheep on board, so the lambs can go out the back in the day time and Mama can munch on the good grass. Breast feeding Mama’s need the best of food.
I will take you on a farmy walk this morning for tomorrow’s page so you can see for yourself. But, I got around everyone last night in the misty fading light and much to John’s relief all the animals are in good shape.
Also today, I shall call the swine herd and see about picking up Sheila the Babe. He will be surprised to hear from me after our last conversation (see link above). I am not sure that he took me seriously!
Good Morning. Seeing family is lovely. Coming home is lovely. Back to work.
celi
Hi Celi. Pleased to hear you got back home safe and well. What a difference the shearing makes 🙂 Have a lovely day.
Regards Florence x
Morning Florence, lovely to be home again!! c
Welcome back and aren’t airports just grand – not! t
Morning Miss T.. c
Seems like you just left…
I did!!! ha ha h.. morning greg! c
welcome back celi!
Morning honey and thank you! It is good to be back! c
Holy fleeceless sheep! I wonder what it feels like. I shaved my head once and was amazed by the sensation of air on my scalp. They must feel like that all over!
And lighter, they must feel really light! c
I’m looking forward to hearing about the pigs, but glad to hear that all the animals are in good health 😉
Morning Mad!! c
I hope it’s warm there – poor ‘naked’ sheep! lol
Glad you made it back sanely after the airport ‘run’.
Those sheep look beautiful with their haircuts.
Welcome home. It’s going to take me awhile to adjust to those haircuts…
I know. We have new sheep! Morning Audrey! c
I feel like I should take up knitting so I could make a wee bed jacket for Mama and Mia to wear while they acclimatise to their new coats or lack of!! Morning Celi
I will send you some wool!! We have plenty! c
I am in awe of your energy!
And they say flying isn’t a green way to travel, well it’s definitely healthy! I reckon some people walk more in an airport than they do in a lifetime. Hehe. Glad you’re back safe and sound. Maybe think twice about going away if your sheep are going to pine all their coats away in your absence! 😉
Poor sheepies and they are looking at me with such big sorrowful eyes! c
I love coming home! And as far as Mia’s concerned, she’s got plenty to moan about, being left naked ‘an all !!!
Christine
NoMore Hairy McLairy get your people to call my people – I will represent you. Sheesh not even one curl? Glad you back Celi and that the quake didn’t delay you. Laura
There was an earthquake? i did not know that .. travelling in my airport bubble.. c
Glad to have you back, Celi. The Prairies never seemed so lonely. 🙂
Welcome home, Celi. Glad you had safe travels.
Welcome home! 🙂
Welcome back to civilisation! 🙂
it is civilisation to us isn’t it!! morning misky.. c
“Well read airport cleaners” … brilliant! And as for that shearing, bet they feel so much fresher (and lighter)!
Morning tanya, nothing like a good hair cut! c
I’ve always wondered why they don’t load the back of the plane first too. I’m sure they have some reason or other, but ugh. Glad you made it home safely and it looks like you even brought some of the warm weather with you! I can’t believe how different the sheep look! 🙂
Nice to visit, but great to come home. Glad you survived with your sanity intact!
Everyone looks quite handsome with their summer hairdos!
HeeeHeee, Hairy looks a bit embarrassed doesn’t he??
J
he is not yet comfortable in his new skin!! c
You were missed! Glad you’re back and glad you had a good visit with family. I know how Hairy feels – at first glance, it’s embarrassing; but oooh so cool in the hot weather.
I enjoy your blog and have nominated you for The Versatile Blogger. 🙂
http://afternoonpopcornsnack.com/2012/05/01/1256/
Welcome home, C!! The sheep all look quite adorable and no doubt happy to see you (as was everyone else).
Good Morning, Celi. Welcome home. Oh, that swine herd is in for a treat — again.
There’s no place like home 🙂 And you might be interested to know that as you left sunny California, the sun left, too. It’s raining today. I am sure those little lambs missed your tender care. And I missed the pictures. Have a good day getting caught up on all your appointed rounds, Celi! Debra
We are having a good day and it is raining here too, which is great.. have a lovely day.. c
Lovely to have you back. Yes, travel means “hurry up and wait”. I couldn’t get over the way the seems tshorn sheep to have changed their faces as well. I re-read the Swine Herd post, and roared with laughter again!
I must be the worst traveller in the world, which is why I now stay put:)
Glad you made it home safe and sound and that everything was fine on the farmy.
Welcome back. Feel like you’ve been in a time warp? 😀
The traveling is the hard part! You do know that haags get to be 230 pounds reeeeeeeeeeeal fast, don’t you. Like in about 5 months. With that good food you just might get to 250 pounds. I hope you take photos because this will be a hoot. Now once that sweet girl (because they are smart and you can train them and you can start training them really fast …. like in two or three weeks to start understanding what you want….) goes to the Nursing Home—why I’ll bet she will be a big/HUGE success!
Here is routing for you and your farmy animals!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
It’s always such a relief to get back home, huh? Vacations are great, but sometimes I’m just ready to get back to my daily routine/reality. Glad you’re back safe and sound! x
Welcome back – happy you are safe sound and had a wonderful time my friend 😀
It must have felt so awesome to hug your adorable friends again!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Yes it is chip, have fun honey! c
Travelling…it’s just exhausting, isn’t it? It must feel so nice to be home to your naked sheep.. 🙂
Welcome home, c!
Travel is never fun. Actually it is quite a painful experience and I am always just glad when it is over. It is a 16 hour non-stop painful flight from Hong Kong to Detroit aboard Northworst/Delta Airlines with cramped seats, sassy inattentive stewardesses and food I would not even serve to your farm animals. The lambs have grown almost a foot in just one week. Amazing. Take care, BAM
Welcome home 😉
What a shock to see those bald sheep! I hope the wool was good. Will you spin it? – or is that for winter evenings.
Welcome back. I’m pretty sure the gate planners get paid by the separation between gates. For every gate passengers have to pass, they get an extra 10 cents per hour.
ah, now it all makes sense! c
Welcome back home, and I’m glad your travels were safe, if not a easy as one would like! I totally did not recognize Hairy McLairy! I saw that picture and thought you had a foreign visiting sheep for breeding or something, having completely forgotten about shearing. Once I saw that it was him and shearing had taken place, I did recognize Mia’s little black face. They sure look smaller, but prepped for a hot summer.
Wow, they were all naked nude; nothing like coming home – I adore it
Celi, Do they feel the chill without their wool? Can’t wait to see the new piggy! ~ Lynda
Boarding from the rear would only be faster if they would still deplane from the front. The problem is that everyone wants to sit near the door through which they will exit. If they board from the rear and exit from the front, then everyone moves to the front as they board, and the whole process goes a lot smoother. But I think that’s what you were getting at.
Welcome back.
exactly, everyone has a seat assignment except for southwest, so it would be easy to load to the back and exit from the front.. anyway.. we are mere travellers.. morning J.. c
Welcome back to the cool wet. But it is supposed to warm up this week!
2nd son comes home from college this Saturday so we will be full strength of 8 for the next 3 – 4 months! Not sure if having everyone around is normal or having someone missing is normal? Wait a couple months and it changes again!
How fantastic to have a full complement, is it summer break already? Best plant another row of potatoes! Speaking of which i might work in the potato patch today! c
Welcome back!
Nice to have you back home. I head back on Sunday afternoon too.
🙂 Mandy
safe travels mandy!..c
No place like home!
I’m back visiting everyone!! So welcome back!! Don’t they load your planes from the rear?? Westjet here does.. *sigh* remember when flying was “glamorous” and we dressed up for it!! xo Smidge