Hot chooks and their companion trying to catch a breeze. Kupa always looks like he is wearing boxers!
Here is an old shot of me -just out of interest. I came across this picture again yesterday. It was taken around the time I ended up sat in a basket of wet washing. I was pregnant with the youngest of the mud splattered sons when Dad took this photo. 
It puts it into perspective doesn’t it. You know I don’t usually show pictures of myself but it did make me gasp. We forget how young we were! How much we were dealing with so young. And how truly bad our hair was!
Yesterday my fresh cheese separated when I added the rennet. I don’t know why it does that sometimes. Once again the pigs eat well! John said I should have just made sour cream with Daisy’s bad tempered milk. She was quite the sour puss yesterday morning. She stomped into the milking parlour, not even wiping her muddy feet (horrors), she stood to milk with a very surly manner, whipping her tail about and then she whirled around and stomped back out. Yesterday evening was much better. 
The wildflowers are bleaching. Summer camouflage seems has become the norm. The only real colour anymore is the endless summer sky.
It has been decided that the big pigs will go on to their noble purpose at the end of the month. They are now very big. We dragged the stock trailer into the pigs paddock so that they could get used to it. I will start feeding them in there soon, so that they will walk in and out without being stressed. And get used to their transport. I do not want to have to battle to get them in on the last day. I am working towards a smooth transition. 
They spent all yesterday afternoon sleeping in the cool shade underneath it!
I sat down with the Tall Teenager and told him that the pigs day would be at the end of the month and asked him if he was going to Ok with the pigs going. He is a vegetarian you see. He bridled and said that of course he was Ok. He knew it was coming. He is not a baby. He paused. Then searching for his words, he said that if everyone raised their meat the way we do, he would not have become a vegetarian. But I am not changing back, he glared. So I said good, well done and left it at that. I think we are all on the same page.
The rest of Daisy’s grumpy milk was sweetened, soothed and gently stirred into the most wonderful ice cream. Virginia from Bel Ochio’s Blog showed me how to make her Sublime Vanilla Ice Cream. She has set it all out in beautifully photographed steps. This ice cream was made in her restaurant for years so it is simple and proven. From now on this will be the number one ice cream for us. And if you want to make icecream without eggs look in the comments section as that recipe is in there too!
A vine within a vine.
A naughty pea hen. Snapped while trying to creep out of the tomato plants that fill the gaps in the flower beds. These are tiny cherry tomatoes, planted by the grill. 
But they have not been producing any red tomatoes like the others, now we know why, they are a perfect peacock snack size!
Good morning. The day is already heating up and it is only 5.14 am. Another scorcher is on the way. Shortly I will scurry all over the house and close the windows to keep the cool in before I go out to begin my days work. Actually there was very little cool last night to even keep in.
In the deep night TonTon went outside to investigate a noise. When he wants to come back inside he sits at the bedroom french doors and thumps his tail on the wooden step. Later I heard this tail knock, got up, but oh dear I could smell him through the screen door, he had been tangling with a skunk. So he spent the rest of the night lying confused but obedient on the step outside. The skunk smell is not the worst smell I have ever encountered. But it is thick. Insidious. It seems to take over every other scent of the night. If it were a visible smell it would be very dark and opaque. Very individual. Your nose cannot help but wrinkle away from it. Bathtime for dogs after the milking.
Daisy was quiet all night so I think that episode is over.
Have a lovely day.
celi
On this day a year ago. Here is the first recipe – Breakfast Potato Cakes. I had forgotton about these. I think I might make them for my own breakfast this morning!
The Kitchen's Garden 
88 responses to “Curdled cheese from grumpy milk”
Your peacock is beautiful! I have to say, I am a vegetarian too. Although pigs are my favorite animal, and it’s sad the idea of them leaving for their purpose… I know reading farm blogs, this was going to happen with some of the animals. I find it really respectful of you to talk to your son about, respecting his views on the subject. That’s a great and rare quality to find in people!
You have grapes and tomatoes? How wonderful! My canteloupes are almost ready to pick, just waiting for a few days of heat to sweeten them up. More baby meons are scattered all over the vines that have taken over the green house.
I would love to grow melons too.. yum! c
Here is a solution for de-skunking TonTon . . . it’s based on things most of us have on hand: in a plastic container, combine 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1-2 teaspoons liquid dish washing soap. The mixture will foam so be prepared to use it immediately and discard any remaining mixture when you’ve finished. Wash TonTon with it thoroughly and rinse with plain water. You may need to repeat once or twice, but seriously, this works much better than tomato juice. Our Stella and Billy always smelled like tomato juice with a bottom note of Pepe le Pew when we tried de-skunking them with tomato products!
Brilliant.. this is going to be the cleanest dog in the skunk world, evidently the skunk haas been sited skulking near by, so there may be opportunities to try all kinds of remedies, we can do trials.. thank you!! c
The de-skunking solution is something we found on the Internet (Google is my friend) when we got such unsatisfactory results with tomato juice. We’ve found skunks to be very opportunistic in our neighborhood – they’ve been getting fat on pet food! Perhaps all the bathing will convince TonTon not to chase the black and white “kitty” that doesn’t run away!
Lovely photo of you, Celi! And what a lovely compliment from the Teenager – the love you’re giving to your animals is clearly evident for all to see!
Lovely photo of you. It’s funny how all our selves co-exist. I was walking early yesterday morning and Cold Chisel’s Cheap Wine (circa 1980) came through my earphone & instantly my 15 year old self was walking along with me. I remembered how much I like her, & she seemed quite happy in my company for that last stretch of the walk. Your 20-something self in that photo looks like an amazing woman 😉
what a fantastic way of putting it elladee, that is exactly how it is.. very insightful ! I love that idea.. c
I can’t believe you dyed your hair brown for so long! Seriously, fun picture to see. Now you should post TonTon as a puppy. He put me up to saying all that!
beautiful portrait!
I love seeing old photos of you, C (and new ones, for that matter)! I missed hearing about your adventures in cheese-making too :).
The beauty on your outside matches the beauty on your inside. 🙂
Penny has never tangled with the skunks, but it seems inevitable. Let us know how Tonton’s bath goes, and what formula works on him. I might have to make sure I keep the ingredients on hand.
So many great pictures. Love the old portrait. 🙂 And I love the picture of the clouds too. I could stare at that one all evening. Hope the skunk smell went away after the bath. I’m with you – I’ve smelled worse, but it is insidious.
c… the expression in your eyes in that photo of you.. well, it says it all, love, longing.. such a beautiful portrait of that moment. You were the willowy one, I think;) I adore your hair.. that would have been the hair I wanted had I known you then:) Good luck ridding the skunk smell!! xx
Love the photo of you. What gorgeous hair and your eyes…!
You’re so thoughtful to put the stock trailer into the pig pen so they get used to it.
How considerate you are, helping the pigs to a peaceful transition. I’m amazed how many little things crop up every day: Daisy’s grumpy milk, stolen tomatoes, and now a skunk-smelling dog! My mother had a saying, ‘If it’s not one thing, it’s another!’ It comes to mind when reading your post. Lovely to see your younger self visiting.
It’s a very beautiful picture, Celi, and if you hadn’t previously shared the story of where you “were” at that time in your life I wouldn’t see the sadness, I’d probably say you had a wistful expression. I look at pictures of myself at that age and sometimes wish I could crawl back in for just a bit and look around for awhile to rediscover my youthful self! I’m going to be brave while the piggies “move on” shall we say? oxo Debra
I almost didn’t see the peacock in the last photo!