Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Confucius
This is why when I am suiting up to go outside into the bitter cold on yet another day of considerable cloudiness, I don’t mind. Milking Daisy is like visiting a very large cantankerous and beloved friend. Taking the pigs for a walk is a gift because pigs say thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you all the time as they love the attention so. Lambs frolic, children laugh. Mama sniffs and nibbles at my hands making sure I am clean enough. In the middle of the night, last night, Mama and I turned as one at her gate and stared intently into the corner of the barn because we both saw something move in the shadows. A cats head peeped around and we both relaxed as one and turned back to our lambs. I have a peacock who will sit on a fence inches from my face and watch what I am doing with studied disinterest. Soon we will begin planting. This is my work.
I know things go wrong sometimes. They have and they will. I know that this summer you and I will make some hard decisions. These come every summer. I know I am on a steep learning curve because this girl from the beach is so new to farming. But aching, cracked hands and all, I love my job.
So yesterday they said there was a storm coming and there is one thing I know, if you lock the kids up in the house, without a good walk first, they will scrap and fight and misbehave.
So I opened the gates up and sent the Girl Band and the Shush Sisters out for a run.
Mia and Minty walked solemnly about (taking the air) but Meadow and Sheila leapt and sped about with great determination.
See how lucky I am! Surrounded by dancing animals!
Well, not all dancing but I know for sure that Daisy is deeply envious of the cavorting and gallivanting that she is quietly observing. 
Sheila is my treasure. On all our walks she goes everywhere twice doubling back endlessly to check that I am keeping up. Charlotte wanders off in the opposite direction as usual.
Good morning. Our school visit was a frenzied delight. The two lambs and I had mob after mob of children coming in to the classroom to see the babies once word got around the building that there were lambs to be seen. There was absolutely no time to take photos. Even if I had wanted to there were always at least one or two kids hanging at my knees and another couple attached to my arms, tucking themselves in beside me as they all crowded in to tell me stories and pat lambs and shriek with horrified delight when they peed on the floor ( yes Eha!) and ooed and smiled when they drank with such gusto from their bottles, and lay their little children’s hands on little lamby hooves and scratched their heads and nibbled at their woolly backs with their fingertips.
Children adore baby animals. And the lambs sniffed and tasted the children, the teachers, the tables and chairs. We kept the visit short so as not to exhaust the two week old lambs, and left with promises to bring in the chickens when this years crop comes in.
The storm that was causing such a stir amongst the locals has not eventuated. How we all long for a decent drop of snow. Maybe there will be something later in the day. But so far we only have a little ice on the ground.
Milking time.
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
74 responses to “So lucky that my work is what I love to do the most!”
Such gorgeous photos! Happy days 🙂
Good morning! c
Good morning Celi glad to see (or read) that your spirits are back to norm. with the spark in your words woops cliffords gotta pea bye SAINTS
Run!! c
Such fun pictures today! I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a pig “frollick” but that certainly appears to be what was happening! I would be MORE than happy to send all of our snow your way. 😉
i wish you could, I am dying for a snow event! c
Caught the early morning CNN feed (late night USA I suppose) and they mentioned big snow storm heading east to Chicago with temps of -7C. Oh no I groaned – poor Celi and Farmy. Pleased if it has missed you. Love Hairy watching over everybody in the background 🙂 Hope Spring comes knocking on your gate this week. Laura
i would not mind some snow, but it appears to be manifesting itself as heavy gloom, with the doors in the barn shut just in case.. If i could just pop into my time machine and then pop out for a nice cup of tea in your sun, I am sure that would be lovely.. c
Everyone’s life should be as well connected and rich as yours, c. Warmest greetings and love to each and all. M.
Morning misky, so glad you are home safe and sound.. next week will be better.. c
We can but hope. xx
Happiness oozes out of every line and every picture of every post on this miraculous blog. No matter how tired and mopish I feel when I start reading, the joy seeps across the ether and I feel better.at once.
darling girl.. I hope a little anti-moping spring comes your way today! Do you have daffs yet?.. c
only spears of leaves so far, but I found some not-far-off-flowering purple spotted orchids on Sunday.
So glad the lamb trip went well. It is a good thing to teach children of all ages about the farmy and its babies. We are smack dab in the middle of the snowstorm — possibly a foot of snow by the time it stops — wish I could share it with you so the farmy could get the needed moisture. Love the photos of the happy animals.
You are getting our snow!! Ah well, march sure is teaching us not be complacent isn’t it! c
You should re-name your place Galloping Pig Farm…that’s too cute.
Still got my fingers crossed that you’ll get some good moisture from this storm. Have a good day!
the Galloping Pig Farm! .. morning marie! c
Its not just children who love baby animals! Love the way they all dance around.
They are a wild bunch.. morning maria.. c
That pig running is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. Hey, Celi, have you ever read Mary Poppins? There’s a great chapter about a Cow with a star stuck on her horn who can’t stop dancing. It’s great.
I am ashamed to say that i have never read Mary Poppins.. worse.. i have never even thought to.. I am going to find it asap! Morning charlotte (carlotta!).. c
She’s delightful, well, the book is…she, in fact, is a bit meaner than most people think! but full of interesting notions and very independent thinking…I believe the Cow story is in Chapter 6 “Bad Tuesday” of the first book…you might be able to get it here for free and for immediate gratification: http://www.scribd.com/doc/82341784/Mary-Poppins-Odyssey-Classics (Not sure, but you can try!)
I will find it, thank you.. I have no idea why i have not read this before!! c
I love watching sheep gambol, they look so happy. I have never seen a pig do this, not having had much to do with pigs, so I’m glad you got that photo.
I advised my son when he was young to find something he loved to do, become good at it and he would find his place in life. If you love what you do it isn’t work.
Even just a little loving goes a long way.. aren’t we lucky.. c
Everyone at the farmy seems to have chosen to be there, even if that isn’t quite how they became part of “the gang.”
Hello, looks like the weather is picking up there as it is here. By the way – I saw there are some vintage spong mincers on ebay at the moment.
I shall go and look right now, I was trying to explain the gadget to john and he was being all blank about it. I want a beast though,(In fact I want Tims one!) I have a lot of meat I could mince up myself! And freshly minced is so much better.. c
Every creature on the farmy seems to feel as if it has chosen to live there,even if that’ s not quite the way they arrived on the scene.
We’re likely to get that snow today. The kids are thrilled. I can just imagine the fun at the school. You always paint such a great picture. It is a gift to love your work. Most days I do, but I confess I’m still searching for the path that brings out my passion.