Hairy MacLairy the ram makes some unusual friendships. 
But this must be the strangest of them so far.
Sheila were you over there kissing that ram? No Miss C is was not me. It was Charlotte. She’s smelly can I bite her?
I only want to kiss you Miss C. Why don’t you come closer so I can nibble, I mean, kiss you. I don’t kiss sheep. I am a nice piggie. 
Charlotte is the one.
Queenie arrives at the fence on her tip toes. This heifer is getting so wide she sways as she walks. You want me to sort it out? I can you know, says Queenie. I can head butt her for you.
No, thank you Queenie honey. That is such a sweet offer but I think I can manage.
April asked how big The plonkers were getting. 
That big. They have a tunnel to the outside field where there is more shade in the afternoon. Half the time there is a Plonker asleep in the tunnel!
The temperatures rose to 100F (38C) again yesterday with dreadful humidity. So once again I hosed down animals and refreshed water throughout the day. Mama’s lambs were so stonkered by the heat that they just lay about sleeping in the shade, with the occasional sortie out for food and water. Forgetting completely that they had been separated from their mother. Mama is more upset by her restricted diet than anything now. She ate her small serving of dry grass hay with very bad grace. Last night all was quiet.
Tomorrow I will have been blogging for a year. So I shall be constructing a special post for July 4th. If all goes well.. sometimes the farmy happenings do get in the way. There is a change coming you see. I have a job for you.
One of my reasons for blogging was to train myself to write every day. I had intended to do this for a year then swap the blog writing time into book writing time, using the blog as a resource for a book of stories in chronological order describing a year on the farmy. Taking it down and taking it apart. Operating on it as though it were a dry thing. In the beginning I saw the blog as a collection of words and pictures. All that changed because of you.
This journal has become a resource in more ways than the obvious. I now have a pool of good friends with international advice and incredible support in this often solitary venture. And I cannot bear to lose you.
To close the blog and scuttle back under my rock with all my loot now seems callous and unusually cruel, because I know you are there now. You are my smiling baby and I cannot take my eyes off you. You have become part of the farmy. My companions. Your own personalities and knowledge have been woven into my work. And I love to form my words and create the images and make notes throughout the days knowing I will share these with you upon the next dawn. As Bill said, it is easier to write when you are writing for a person, for a reader. (If you have a moment check out Bill’s page, he put the sweetest childrens story up yesterday, for you to read to the littlees!)
And I have hundreds of you readers. So I am very lucky to be able to write to you. Some of you cannot comment or advise. And there are a precious number of you who comment almost every day, or once a week, or once a month and sometimes only once and you are the most vocal of the Companions of the Farmy. All of you have become part of the fabric of the Farmy. I could never have seen that coming.
Good Morning. Of course I will keep my Farmy Door Open for a long time yet. I don’t think there was ever a question. However to achieve the next objective AND to blog daily, I need your help to compile the first book of Farm Chapters. We will be needing a working title. There will be 12 chapters.
So from tomorrow, I shall give you the link to ‘What happened on the Farmy on this Date A Year Ago.’ (There must be a more concise way to say that.) This takes both you and I back to look and choose. (Though in the beginning I did not blog every day so it will not be too arduous). I believe there is even a WordPress programme with which we can turn the best of the blog into a book. Though I also want to be able to print it. (I love books) There is a lot for me to learn. Each page we choose will have to have work. Usually I get it all written in an hour in the morning. So the book version will be screeds better. And lately I am not writing so well. I will have to pull my socks up!
What a journey we are about to embark on. But first I need to get out there and milk my cow!
I will be back in a couple of hours to see what you think. By then I will be armed with coffee and breakfast and ready to begin the writing work.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
123 responses to “Hairy MacLairy gets some Piggy Kisses”
That could be your book title – First I need to milk my Cow. Being that Daisy is the Mother Ship to the whole Farmy and your first chore every morning. I would miss this blog terribly, being my favourite and the only one I have commented on – not being a Blogger myself.
Didn’t I read somewhere in my travels that WordPress print a book of the first year of blogs anyway – how would this be affected by you switching over to .com recently? Laura
Hmm, i must do a search on that, it would be good to have the lot in print for a reference..when putting together the good book c
Goodness you set yourself some tasks Cecilia! I would LOVE to see your efforts in print because you can’t beat books. Maybe a children’s book too about the Farmy, with loads of lovely pictures. One that I could buy for our twinnies! However, should you ever give up on the blog, what would I do at lunchtime?
Christine
I will not give up on the blog unless you all do! And I am seriously working on a children’s book for all the grand children.. That one will be a pleasure to put together! But i had better get a wriggle on.. all these babies are growing fast! c
What a feat; you have managed to attract thousands of readers in ONE YEAR???
Your numbers speak for themselves. Obviously the answer is that you should consider running for President of the United States, blogging all the way into the White House. I think you have much more interesting things to say than any politician out there.
Now, what was the question?
Oh no, not thousands, hundreds a day.. not thousands – that would be somewhat overwhelming! I am still nice and cosy small.. just like my wee farmy.. where would i fit thousands of you anyway!! My barn is not that big! c
Ah, how to do it all…and still get your cow milked ;-). Please don’t stop blogging. I look forward to your “good morning” every day.
Good Morning! .. c
Celi, your blog has become a must-read for me every morning. Yours is such a different world, and I enjoy my little peek into it. Congratulations on a year! That’s quite an accomplishment, and I’m sure there have been days when it wasn’t easy to fit the writing in. But you’ve done it. I look forward to the next chapter (or chapters)!
Morning Gerry, I get up VERY early to write and if i have not got enough done the night before I get up even earlier. i have to be done by 6 am to milk and feed out so it is a solid tight schedule.. c
First, thanks for the mention. Second, I have always assumed, from the first time I read your blog, that this is a book. Heck, with a bit of a twist, it’s a movie. As is, you would make a beautiful reality TV show. They would even give you a permanent Tall Teenager, all full of angst and drama. Perhaps a former Mennonite or Amish folk.
I have a mennonite already!! Awesome.. Johns brother, he has the beard and the braces, the black suit and everything, he is a dairy farmer too (but in Missouri) and just as quiet and gentle as John! I could do with a permanent tall teen, doing the waters again is another hours work a day! c
actually, technically,W and I are Mennonite. D used to be – grew up one, I mean.
Oh excellent, then I have three already!! There is a photo of your grandmother,(great grandmother?) on the bookcase, I dusted it yesterday and she looks like a pillar of the church. c
Dame straight she was.
– oops!-
I mean “damn”
Did you ever ask the Matriarch about her apple pies? They were famous.
Your grandmothers apple pies!? Hmm, I wonder if there is an old cookbook anywhere from that time.. that could be some interesting reading.. c
Dad’s been working for years on recovering it. He actually came up with a fairly good pie about 10 years ago, believe it or not. He’d probably remember at least a hint. Except, he’s a bit unclear on using, say, lard that’s not rancid and that sort of thing. I think the trick was sour cream.
Huh. well that IS something we can work on.. I shall ask him tomorrow.. what a great tip.. thank you,, this could keep us busy for days and he will EAT every attempt!
Also, pretty sure E. and O. across street from the Matriarch are/were Mennonites, too.
I’m a newish reader, but am happy to hear that you are going to stick around and continue writing. I enjoy the pictures and descriptions of your days. Did you really write every day for the whole year? That’s great! Good luck with the book compilation.
That’s funny, you don’t look newish. Bad. Sorry. I couldn’t resist.
Ouch. Ok, so I’m an older reader, new to the blog. 🙂
You are just right.. and fit right in. Not SO new though, I think you have been commenting on the blog a wee while now!! Always lovely to see you. Sometimes Bill is a wee bit naughty.. at least we are all relaxed over here.. we will tell Queenie, she will sort him out!! c
I didn’t mean it that way, silly. 🙂
P.S. I adore you; but I think you already know that.
See? Naughty! Bill it is always fun! c
Dearest Celi, I know that I can be a bit demanding, but I DO hope that you’ll be including the stories of your life in the Farmy Book. If this cannot be done (although you’ve done it fabulously in your posts), then I hope a memoir is also in order. Although two books might just seem a bit overwhelming! No matter what you decide, we are all here waiting patiently and also here to help you whenever you may need it. xo Oh, I love your new green grapes header…so cool and lovely!
A BIT demanding! But you are on the right track. Actually there are three books in here. I was always good at juggling. (Actually i wasn’t but i could have been if I had practised) Anyway there is the farmy book, the short stories from home book and the childrens book. certainly overwhelming. c
Goodness, I so look forward to reading your blog every morning! The pictures of your farm, the animals, and all that you do just makes me want to come visit … but, alas, I can only pay a visit through your blog! A title for your book: “Day Trippin’ on the Farmy” comes to mind! LOL Love you and all you show us every day!!
Day trippin! theres a song in that!!! c
We have really grown to love your posts each day! You have such a talent for writing and for your photography! Congrats on 1 year! Jim and Mary
Morning jim and Mary, wish you were down the road, I would get you to build one of your lovely pergolas out the front for my next planting of grapes! c
piggy kisses!
Stick around we have alot to learn….:)
Morning Jess.. c
The first image just won the current “cutest” award in my book. Well, you cannot stop blogging, that’s for sure. Even though I’m not the first to read and comment usually, it’s hard to get through my day without my smile from the farmy, or the stories, or your great recipes. Celi for President, I rather like that, but then for sure you wouldn’t have time for a book or a farm. I look forward to the beginning of this new adventure, am so happy you are out here, and congrats one day early on a year. I think I can safely speak for everyone who reads your blog when I say you fill our days with simpler, gentler and kinder thoughts and show us our hearts each and every day. We thank you for that. 🙂
That is so kind of you, I will keep blogging of course, otherwise i would lose you and that would be terrible for me and the farmy!
PERFECT! A book! I have often thought about a book, but, of course it is just a thought! I too love books, so jut to let you know, I want to purchase your book as soon as we can!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Congrats on the one-year of blogging! I for one am happy to have discovered your slice of the blogosphere. I truly look forward to reading your posts and getting a glimpse of the daily life on the farmy. It always puts a smile on my face…takes me out of my head and into another world. I love it. And while I hope you continue blogging for many, many years to come, if you did write a book, I’d stand in line to buy it. 🙂