Mary’s Cat is being followed and bombed by barn swallows wherever she goes. 
(Audrey close your eyes). Because these guys are about ready to take their first flights.
They are so patient these little birds. Out-growing their nest and watching the milking from above twice a day. Did I tell you that their nest is directly above the light in the milking parlour. There is always a swallow on duty. 
In case of premature toppling.
Daisy has returned to her usual self. Munching. 
These two are waiting for me to pay the grounds some attention. Fat chance.
With it being so dry, they are not getting a lot of use.
I know I had decided not to show you photos of the big pigs anymore, with them getting so close to the end of their stay. But this made me laugh. Out Loud. This photo is for you Mad. Over there at Mad Dog TV Dinners. 
This red pig was too fat to get up this tiny step, but he was just so hungry. I should not laugh but really this is an amusing shot. Since then, I have made him a new step by piling three old barn doors one on top of each other so he can get into the trailer and eat standing up. Like a good pig.
Good morning. TonTon is cleaned up. I think he must have only had a touch of the skunk, as dishwashing liquid did the trick this time. I have filed all your good advice for next time. Yesterday I took my trusty spade out into the field and grubbed thistles. Thistles in the field is the sign of a bad housekeeper. It is like a grubby front step.
But while I was out there, in the middle of the Dairy Mistress Field I watched with rising alarm as a monster of a tractor with a spray boom the size of a plane hanger roared into the fields around me and at top speed commenced to spray the soy beans across a hot wind. I had no time to get my animals in, or the washing off the line. Or myself in for that matter. And worse still absolutely no time to find a way to protect my bees. For that I would have had to lock them in the night before. The farmer promised me that he does not use pesticide. And swore he would warn me if he was going to. But this smelt very bad. All the other surrounding fields are being sprayed a fungicide with a top dresser (plane) and I know that smell. This spray was different. And we have monoculture GM cropping all around us for hundreds and hundreds of miles. There is nowhere to hide. But he could have WARNED me that they were going to spray!
If you stood up on the moon and looked down you would see us. We are that little dot. That little multi coloured dot. Desperately waving our miniscule sling shots. A tiny mote in the eye of manufactured green! This goliath we battle will not go down with one well placed stone. He has an army of genetically modified armoured ants that creep through every crack. It is like boxing shadows that have claws. He will just drench me in spray while roaring past in his air conditioned cab, staring straight ahead, eyes fixed on my beautiful horizon – which to him is shaped like a wallet.
My words were not printable as I put away my spade, hosed down my cows, paying extra attention to Daisy and her udder. I brought all the linen in off the clothesline for rewashing. I emptied all the water troughs, overturning the full heavy tubs with the strength of fury and set them to refill. The bees looked ok last night. But we all know that the bees out in the field yesterday will not have come home. I am not even going to discuss latent damage to an organism. You know it all. I am at a loss.
My accent gets quite British when I am angry so the message on his answering machine is very clipped. For some unknown reason he has not called me back to tell me exactly what we have been sprayed with. Fancy!
But there you are. This is the world I live in. I am doing the best I can and that will have to do. Heads up. Big breath. No whining. Remember to breathe out.
We will have a lovely day. (She says through clenched teeth, pounding at the keys) You too!
celi
On this day last year. Imagine this – it was hot then too! This post has my ten tips on how to survive a heatwave without air conditioning. This one is quite funny actually. I remember it made me laugh to write.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
99 responses to “A Fat Farmy Day Drenched in Spray”
I reckon any cheese Celie makes today will curdle and swear and spit. Those blank blank farmers know not what they do, and no, I will not forgive them. Have the best day you can, and simmer down, as it’s not good for the blood pressure to be angry all day.
xox, ViV
You are right ViV.. simmering down as we speak! And off out to milk, that is always soothing.. c
I don’t understand what farmers are spraying YOUR land; and who or what is GM?
Morning Ronnie. Our fields are rented from Johns uncle and he rents the rest to a big corn and beans farmer. So we sit in the center of enormous corn or beans fields, GM is Genetically Modified plants. You say GE I think. So when he sprays around the outside of my little fields on a windy day, he sprays me and mine. c
I once saw and smelled my neighbor Farmer Jared (who I thought raised organic beef) putting something I thought was horrid on one of his hayfiields. I was so sad at the thought of him cheating. Turned out it was a manuer (that he collects from another neighbor’s turkey farm) and compost tea that he creates himself.
How funny! Poor farmer Jared and that would be a stinky load!! c
I think that you should name that farmer’s name right here on the internet, and put his name in your book for the world to see. I think that you should film him spraying next time and put it on YouTube so that it goes viral. He is just one of many, but he could be the Calendar Boy for the movement! And we should all send that farmer an angry email. I say this with full knowledge that he’s not going to change, and it is near impossible to change people’s mindsets, and that you get more flies with honey than vinegar, but I am angry and I want to hurt somebody when I read this. I also have seen proof that people’s mindsets do change and that it is possible to move things in a different direction. I have to believe that what we are doing is sloooooowly going to change the world. So don’t despair and don’t give up. You are a force to be reckoned with, Miss Celi. I know that farmer’s ears are burning. Maybe he would like a freshly baked cow pie in a lovely crust!
Cow Pie!!! fantastic comment thank you.. awesome.. c
That was me, Maggie. Sorry for the anonymous-ness. Sometimes I have problems when I comment from my Ipad.
Those I pads do some funny stuff sometimes.. it sure sounded like you!!! I love it when you get your dander up!! c
That’s right, head and chin up! You’re fighting the good fight and that will always give you extra strength, I know.
I live in the middle of it all so it is hard to avoid.. thank you ksenia c
Christ, C – I’m seething for you. Call him back. Pound on his front door. Send John and the Teenager over there…you deserve an answer.
Love the pic of the Plonker…and Mary’s Cat’s expression is priceless!
Poor cats, they are followed all over the property at this time of year, pestered by these birds.. good job too!! c
In all my Righteous Indignation this morning, I forgot something…there’s a question for you in today’s post. Have a look, when you get a minute?
I think that you should name that farmer’s name right here on the internet, and put his name in your book for the world to see. I think that you should film him spraying next time and put it on YouTube so that it goes viral. He is just one of many, but he could be the Calendar Boy for the movement! And we should all send that farmer an angry email. I say this with full knowledge that he’s not going to change, and it is near impossible to change people’s mindsets, and that you get more flies with honey than vinegar, but I am angry and I want to hurt somebody when I read this. I also have seen proof that people’s mindsets do change and that it is possible to move things in a different direction. I have to believe that what we are doing is sloooooowly going to change the world. So don’t despair and don’t give up. You are a force to be reckoned with, Miss Celi. I know that farmer’s ears are burning. Maybe he would like a freshly baked cow pie in a lovely crust!
he is spraying his own crop which is one thing. Spraying around me when it is windy is another. But the thing that made me cranky was that he did not tell me he was going to spray, so that i could at least attempt to get my lot out of his way! they all spray. That is what they do! And thank you maggie , your ire is wonderful.. c
They know what they are doing…and don’t care because (they think) it’s not their problem. I am so sorry.
You are exactly right. Sad but true.. c
Hang in there, little multi-colored dot in a sea of green. It may feel like an uphill battle, or that you are very small, but you’re a giant to your faithful readers!
Sometimes i could use a dose of your isolated mountain garden! c
oh no! tht is so awful. i don’t know what i would do or what you can do. it is so unfair. one of the reasons i like living in the city is that no one uses lawn care companies. most people don’t have enough yard and no one cares to have perfect green grass. so, there are no chemicals being sprayed around me. but you go to such lengths to do the right thing and then have this happen. it is just wrong!
Morning honey, we can do do as much as we can do.. c
I veto this no pig picture rule. I mean just look at that big old bacon butt!
I laughed out loud when I pulled that shot up.. what a fattie! morning greg.. c
“beautiful horizon – which to him is shaped like a wallet” …. sums it all up beautifully, which is why we should retaliate by not opening ours for their produce! One little stone may go unnoticed but millions … I wonder if this man has the cheek to go home and insist his wife produce organic meals for his family?? Coward for not returning your call.
Off topic … everytime my vet tries to persuade me to buy a science diet for my dog I ask her to eat a handful in front of me and everytime she refuses ‘because she doesn’t know whats in it’ I smile and leave.
Last years post is a humourous survival tip for the farmy and should be included in the book! Celi maybe you should read it again and follow some of your advice for hot days 🙂 Love that picture of the Plonker, I was hoping we would get a last picture of them. Laura
That is brilliant! What a great way to put it. Yes they will eat Cheetos or something and they have no idea what is in them!! priceless.. c
Sorry both about the spraying and GM crops c. Hang in there!
Hanging!!! c
That’s such a shame they have no consideration for their neighbours. I love Mr Piggy though…..don’t eat him
Morning Allison! Keep warm.. c
Thanks to the warning (much appreciated), I zipped right past photos two and three and focused on that hungry oinker. Great shot.
Well i did not want to give you another fright Audrey! c