And then it poured! Isn’t this grand, I said to the animals as they stood at their doors watching the rain come down. Sometimes on rainy days we tell each other stories. Daisy wanted to know why she had been called Daisy. 
It all started with a rainy day I said to Daisy. With the rain pouring down. I said this to a very old woman once, I was terribly young. She had said to me, What is the weather, celi? Oh, Mrs Murphy, I said, it is raining down. She looked at me over her spectacles. Well, she said, it would look bloody silly if it was raining UP wouldn’t it? Daisy always chortles at this part of the story. Have you ever heard a cow chortle. 
She was such a sharp tongued old woman. I loved her. She was my favourite on that ward. She would say to me: Oh Celi. You have such beautiful eyes. Then she would pause for effect. Just like my old cow, Daisy. And she would turn back to her newspaper trying to keep a straight face. 
If I ever have a cow, I would say to her after I got to know her better, (here I would pause), I am going to name her Daisy – after YOU. At this she would laugh out loud and send me to fetch something that she knew was right at the other end of the ward that she did not really want anyway. 
Daisy loves that story.
During those years I had the very rare privilege of being present at the deaths of four old women. Mrs Murphy had no family who visited. Once she signed over the farm she never saw her son and his miserable wife again. So Matron was happy for me to sit with her at the end. Matron was very good at knowing when it was time to begin the sitting. “I am glad it was you” was the last thing Mrs Murphy said. Using the past tense as though she were already gone. Mrs Murphy was a tiny woman. A tough, mean, old loveable woman. But I bet she ran her small herd of milking cows with an iron hand. 
Good morning. There is a story behind every good name. Don’t you think?
It rained again in the night. Nothing really terrible, just welcome rain. Once again we are at the high temperatures for the day, 43F (6C). This is the end of our warm spell. I will have to light the fire again today. It has gone unlit for three days now.
And now I must rush out the door. I am late. And Daisy does not care who I named her after if I am late!
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
45 responses to “Hiding out from the Rain and the Story of Daisy’s name”
We’ve gotten rain as well. I’ve been a bit lucky because everytime a downpour happens, I make it inside a few minutes before!
When I was first married and for two years after I worked at the local nursing home. It always broke my heart when there were people in there no one came to visit. A person would be surprised at how many that really was. I, too, was present at the bedsides of those who passed. The passing really is peaceful. Then in my matron years I have had the privileged of being with my best friend/sister, my Momma, and my best friend from high school, Terry’s Dad and Terry’s Mother. I sometimes wonder if I want a crowd around me or to just pass silently out of this life with out much fuss. I rather lean to the last thought.
Lovely post, C!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Perfection.
The importance of being there for a patient as they die – you illustrate it so well. You have reminded me of several stories from my past as well. Thank you x
Oh my, a lovely story.
good day Celi well for your story the rain falling up is called fog in california 🙂 thought you might like that
saints
Celi: You are slowly collecting all these posts and the best of the photos and preparing to edit and print them into a book the whole world would love, aren’t you? Methinks all other ‘farmy’ animal stories would be pushed to the back of the shelves 🙂 !
Hope you and Daisy had an outstanding day. it has rained all day in Rarotonga where we had to go renew our Visa
Your stories are so often quite touching. I can see how your farmy family must love to listen to you!
What a lovely sounding woman and a lovely story. And your Daisy really does look like she’s chortling in that picture! I’d love to hear a cow chortle.
What a wonderful story. I feel touched by it, and I laughed too. So glad you had a little warm reprieve. The grass looks green still, which amazes me after all that cold. Our grass is yellow and dry.
Daisy has a beautiful name – and you’ll always remember this outstanding woman. How lovely. V.
I am not original in saying it, but I too think this is a lovely story.
So glad I am not the only one who tells stories to the animals!
That was a lovely story. We got a LOT of rain and wind last night. It sounds like the wind has finally calmed. Yes, our 70 days are gone with the wind, too. Brrrr.