As you know I get up very early so that I can post today’s page around dawn every morning. The night before I will have embedded the best of that days shots into a post, jotted down a few rough ideas and after visiting as many of you as I can, I do the late night rounds and then I sleep. In the morning, early, I sit at my desk in my summer office, with my lamp on and write the words. The house is empty but for you and I. You, the reader, collectively and individually have become my focus as the dawn light slowly lifts around us.
After I have posted, my mind full of you all, I begin my day. Taking you outside with me. You see the people in my life are mostly physically absent. I live here in the United States. Yet my oldest and bestest friends and family do not. This is a completely different way for my life for me. In the first half of my life I lived in houses teeming with people. Family life meant my guest rooms were never empty. Each bed had a mattress underneath it to be pulled out for extras. My table sat twelve and usually did. I would sit down for coffee in the morning with people I had been drinking coffee with for years. The phone rang all the time. There was always a dialogue of some kind going on. The calender was full of invites and reminders. My classrooms and weekends were heaving with busy-ness.
Then, like many of us (many bloggers), I arrived in a new country later in life, in my forties actually, with my two suitcases and a box of notebooks and books. I came to live with a new husband. And so a great quiet descended. I am no longer there with my family and friends for all those special occassions. I don’t even know where my calender is. This house is not full and rowdy. And I have to keep the terrible sadness that is the loss of my people firmly in its box. Because for all that, I have found my home.
But I am at an age where solitariness is no longer terrifying. Working by myself all day without talking to any person at all is not a failure. Friday night at home is preferable. There are very few actual people in my life here and that seems fine. I know people here of course. But only two of them know how I take my coffee.
Anyway, I guess I am trying to explain why being alone on the farm all day means that the camera and the pen become infused with people. They become my bridges to a community of my own. My circle of friends are right here. And how strange is that. But it is a good strange. I take you all with me. My pictures and my writing is where my grown children in their many different countries and my oldest friends and my own father and all of you, come to visit. This is our gathering place. Our virtual verandah at sunrise. It is as though you and I have coffee together every morning before going out to work on the farm.
After I have posted, I put on my farm clothes, which are delightfully tattered, skirt and top, never shorts I hate shorts, load the camera with its recalcitrant battery, slide the battered card into place, tuck my small leather bound notebook into my pocket, the pencil twisted into my hair to hold it up off my shoulders, step into my gumboots and off into the morning farmy we go. And you come with me.
I take you along for the day. My dialogue is with you and the animals all day. And that is not as crazy as it sounds. We all have an inner dialogue. Some of us even have an inner soundtrack to accompany that dialogue. And this is why i often write We when I am describing the day. Because though I am the only one here all week – working alone does not feel lonely.
The beginnings of our day out on the farm are possibly the noisiest. The cats are always fed first. Simply because they make the most noise. From top left, going clock wise, we have Thing Two, Mary’s Cat, Thing One and White Cat. They all live outside except when they sneak inside! Then they live inside. But not for long. Cat hair makes me sneeze. 
Then Minty will arrive. Though she sleeps in the corridor paddock (safe from wild dogs) with her mother and flock, when she hears my voice she is off at a gallop and will get through any hole in the fence, across the drive and around the corner to my work bench on the covered East side of the garage. I have all my feed and containers, tools, and essential bits and pieces here on this bench. It is my central work station. It is my dry spot. 
Standing at this bench in the morning sun I look to my right and there is Minty. Minty expects a bottle but because she is being weaned down to two bottles she has to eat her dry food first. So she is led back to her siblings so that they can all eat together. Keeping her engaged with her flock is a constant job. Then with my small containers of treats and bribes, the cats, TonTon, Big Dog and I walk across the quad and we begin our rounds. 
Daisy waits. She is due June 6th. Though that means very little to a heifer. So she is now under a frequent watch and has access to a nice dry pen in the barn. 
We have to be careful walking into the barn first thing in the morning if Kupa is not out of bed yet. He flies down from his roost, up in the rafters, in some kind of death defying free fall straight out though the big doors and into the quad. If you happen to be walking in the doors at exactly that moment, you are liable to get a face full of screeching peacock. He is literally screeching Watch OUT! Be ready to duck.
Once we have greeted and inspected the sheep and cows out into the back fields they all go. 
And we move onto the chickens, chooks and pigs. Somewhere along the line I always lose my camera. 
But after walking the fences with the dogs and checking the fields, the camera always turns back up. Usually on top of a fence post. Then out comes the hose and we start the watering and gardening. Breakfast is about 11 lately. Time just puddles on by.
Good morning. We have a cloudy dawn this morning. There is a possibility of rain. But don’t hold your breath. It is Saturday and Our John is not working today so there will be more fencing done on the Dairy Mistress Paddock, I hope. And we still need to create a small barn door into the milking parlour from the central corridor in the barn, where the milking paraphenalia will be.
I can hear Kupa calling, I think it is safe for us to begin!! Have a lovely lovely day.
celi
PS The Old Codger says hullo and is walking on his own two feet with a walker. They are discussing when he can come home! What a relief for him.
The Kitchen's Garden 
91 responses to “Working alone on the Farmy is Never Lonely”
I love the way you take us right inside your life on the farmy. I grew up in a family of 5 children, and there were always lots of people around too, so I know how keenly the contrast can be felt. Your animals have become a family all of its own, it seems. And isn’t it marvellous that we can create virtual community through the web, and that you can feel us, your appreciative readers, going with you through the day. I feel the same about my blog followers. We live in amazing times.
We do indeed live in amazing times! morning Juliet! c
What a warm and fuzzy feeling you leave me with Celi, each and every day,thank you! I love that we all go along for the day’s routine.
Have a beautiful week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
It will be interesting to see what this week brings..morning Mandy!
Minty is adorable!
And tall, she is growing like a weed! c
The skirt–yes! I used to have a skirt I would wear for hiking. Can’t wear one much during the summer here because the mosquitoes find my legs.
Being an only child and having no children, I’ve kind of always lead somewhat of a solitary life, but your words resonate about being older and being even more okay with that. As you get older it’s easier to hear your own “Voice” I think. And what a lovely place you have to be solitary, and with such great company of animals. The shot of MInty is fabulous!
Celi, amen to needing awareness our our own totally awake selves! I have been blessed by reading your blog and living vicariously. Our paths crossed very briefly a few weeks ago and I was immediately struck by your positive presence. Then serendipity provided me with a postcard that led me to your blog which I have been enjoying ever since!
Celi, this is attempt #3@leaving a post! Allowing myself to be embarrassed should they all make it, I am going at this again! I am thoroughly enjoying living vicariously through this blog. A few weeks ago I was lead here through serendipity when I stumbled upon one of your beautiful postcards. Your statement about finding “our totally awake selves” resonates clearly in me. Our paths crossed very briefly once and I trust they will again! Here’s to plodding along!
You have no idea (or maybe you’re starting to realize) how much your sharing means to some of us in major life transition. It helps somehow to hear your perspectives and realize that sadness comes in many forms. I so hope your Old Codger continues to do well and to come home. My dad is out of the hospital now, but our “new normal” with his major decline has hit me hard. It’s been a very long time since I’ve cried this much, and yet it’s all a part of life and I know it. Tears aren’t the end of the world either *sigh*. I just wish you all well on the farmy, and really want you to know how much I look forward to all you have to say. You speak volumes in your resilience. oxo Debra
Dealing with your dad and readjusting to his New Normal is going to be hard.. thank goodness you can cry.. And I am touched and humbled that my writing is a constant for you.. I love that.. all we can do is soldier on and look for those little touches of light in the day and then on the verge of broken hearted crying we break into hysterical laughter.. then you know you will be OK.. give yourself time hon.. c
What a lovely post. I have thought about it all day. I thought I had left a message yesterday, but I guess I just thought I did.
I, too, love coming here and visiting you…I enjoy starting my day very early (5:30) having your new post always makes me feel like I’ve had a cup of tea with a great friend. Now off to work I go.
Thank you so much for writing.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
I just love that little Minty. So cute. I enjoy following along on your daily adventures Celi. It takes me out of my world for a few moments and it’s a breath of fresh air. 🙂
This is such a beautiful post, and is characteristically generous. I love knowing about your day, and I share many of your feelings about being far away from my nearest and dearest. It is lovely, then, to be a part of this online community. Otherwise, it’s just talking to ourselves, isn’t it?
We get answers out here.. who knew! c
It’s all been said my those before me, but I just wanted to be counted among the lucky ducks that share your daily insights. You are a treasure and a blessing. The love and the goodness shines through in your posts – and that can never be a bad thing…or a waste of time. Thank you, Celi
You are most definitely counted. there is space on the farmy, wear a hat though as it is hot outside today!! c
Celi…your life is still teeming with people…you just can’t see them all!! I know it’s not the same as old friends and of course, your family but it seems you have developed quite a following of folks here on your blog, that have come to depend on you everyday for some goodness and friendship in their lives…so in a way, they are your new family and you have more friends here on your blog than most people have in real life!! You are a ray of sunshine that has spread out over a whole lot of folks and are very treasured!! And of course, all of your lovely animal friends are truly devoted to you!!
One thing though….let’s see that lovely face of yours, so we can truly put a name to a friend’s face!! 🙂
Beautiful post. 🙂
It’s funny where blogging takes you. I look at my wider world differently & better since beginning blogging last year even though due to aspects of my work I have a global perspective (plus I much prefer the world market of on-line shopping). A few years ago my sister lived in the UK for a year and because of email, Facebook & the odd 3am phone call, it didn’t feel any different to prior or now even though we both work in the city & live only a few kilometres apart, as we are both busy we usually only see each other at family events. It is lovely that you think of us all during your day. Sitting at my pc at my office desk 25 floors up in a highrise looking through dirty glass at the Sydney CBD, I’m grateful & happy that you are so talented & share your life with your many followers, and gift me a daily fix of a different life, many aspects of which I aspire to… I did drag the G.O to the laptop so I could share with & prepare him…
wonderful isn’t it, ella dee.. and I agree about the global shrinkage, we can be so close even though we re so far away and vice versa..c