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”
Check out Blurb. I have used it to create books from my blog. You can import and then organize, re-write, etc. I’ve been happy with results.
I shall, thank you Annette, they seem to be the one to go to!
Loving your photos – ahhh so sweet:) Happy Tuesday!
That first photo … aw, so cute! And Queenie looks like she’s smiling in that photo. I love the old fashioned chapter titles that start In which so and so happens (but not extremes like in Swiss Family Robinson) and I think you should combine that with the format of Flanders and Swann’s song January brings the … Congratulations on blogging for a year! You have incredible discipline to be able to have posted everyday and have all your photos ready to go. I’ll buy your book as soon as you say when. And although I don’t make any sense myself, I’ll offer up my proofing services too. 😉
well thank you, I will certainly need some help in that depratment. Everyone needs another clear eye cast over their work. c
PS.
Also Catherine Ryan Howard’s blog if you ever think of going self-published.
🙂
This was a good read, we have some work ahead of us. .. c
Love your blog. Where do you come up with all the animals names? We always named our animals too and, of course, they could talk….just like yours to.
I have grown very attached to you and the farmy. I feel like I have a connection with you and have enjoyed getting to know you. I also find that I feel like I am going to a very comfortable gathering
of friends to chat and share every morning so I’d miss all of my new friends, should the blog change shape. The animals …wellllll……I am sure they would thrive without me, as you are an amazing caretaker. Its just that I have a soft spot for each one and would wonder how they are doing. And then there’s the old codger….and the bees..and I might worry about the hay baler.
Ok , I’d be a mess by fall.
Thank you for opening your door and inviting us all in. Please don’t let us stay beyond our
welcome.
Nanster
and that Hairy….just needs a massage and will stoop to pig slobber if need be. I am certified to massage horses…hmmmmmmm …
You could never out stay you welcome nanster. The blog won’t change its shape, there is way too much to do yet. I will put the retrospective link right at the bottom after the days events so you can look if you want to. .. and comment there if you want to.. otherwise.. business as usual.. and i will be writing the book in the afternoons. So DO NOT DESPAIR! l. i should have made that clear! thank you for pointing that out! c
Celi, so glad to hear you will keep blogging as I just got here and enjoy your farmy stories very much. I’m a new arrival just a couple of weeks old. It would be a sad world to not read what you are doing! Love the piggy kisses! adorable..
I’ll cheer you on in any way you most want encouragement, Celi! You do have a book here, there is no doubt in my mind. It will be so interesting to see how you proceed, and I don’t think you’ll completely abandon us…you will see our sad little faces looking at you through the farmy fence if you do that…but maybe you can find a new balance between all efforts. Whatever you do, we’ll be there to wish you well!! Love the photos today. They are quite remarkable! Debra
I am not changing the blog debra honey, the gate is still open every day. format the same, animals, gardens and food all the same. But as well as that we are going to begin to gather in the book! You can help me by telling me what works! c
Ooooo exciting times Celi! I think I can grasp what you plan to do, but only think – we take a looksy back at your post and then what…. comment, choose the best bits? Maybe I need some coffee!
And you do realise I’ve been holding off on the dreadful pig jokes like “bringing home your bacon” for WEEKS. And well today I’ve obviously cracked.
Hope it cools down a wee bit for you, we’re off for a breezy stroll, when is it ever not breezy by the English seaside …..
There now, you are exactly right.. when you have an extra moment you can click on the link at the end of each days post and go to a past post and have a laugh, most are NOT book material. other than that we will continue farming! after all that is what i do! and yes I can see why you almost cracked today.. i have trouble not saying “Catch a gander at those hams!” as they walk past! That would be terribly bad form. c
Tales from the Farmy 😉 I love your idea! And love the piggy kisses. Our hound dog kiss horses, cows and/or whatever else she meets across the fence! The little cattle dog just bounces in excitement and the lab wiggles.
Dogs are such fun, maybe Hairy thinks he is a dog! c
Hairy loves all the girls 😉
thats what they all say! c
I was just thinking, today as I clicked on the link to your blog from the email notification, that I’ve become quite fond of reading the daily post (in the evening for me, time difference!). I didn’t read every day at first, for a while actually, as I didn’t quite have time to go back and catch up. But once Kupa came along I felt as though I’d been around for the start of something, and I wanted to see what happens next! I don’t comment much, because I get shell-shock when all the comments posted after mine show up in my inbox on top of the 80-something I get a day from other blogs, and my own of course. And I’m pretty terrible about remembering to come back and see if you’ve said hi in return! Which you always do, and that just another reason we all keep coming back 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading past posts as new posts, and if I can help at all I’ll do so! My talent lies more in proof-reading than animal husbandry, however.
I am sure half your shell shock is from reading my work if proof reading is the name of your game. i work so fast that my tenses and puntuation and grammar go all over the place. I am glad you feel at home now and come often. Your inbox sounds very busy. I am glad to see you when you comment but do not feel you should. I am just glad that you are out here with us and still reading!! c
I look forward to reading your blog daily and finding out how “our” farmy friends are doing…….
You are a gifted writer. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to more adventures on the farmy.
Love GMom
We will be rocking on GMom, fasten you seat belt! c
That Hairy is such a charmer! Look at him acting so suave and the Girls just eating him up — quite literally, unfortunately!
Congrats on your anniversary and it is so good to hear that you’re moving towards your book(s). I want to place my order for one of each of the books you pen. I thought it best to order now and beat the rush.
You’ve certainly got my support, Celi, and I think I speak for many when I wish you, “Good luck!”
that is funny, maybe that pig is tasting him to see if he is cooked yet!! c