Do you remember that saying? Something like ‘jackets are things for kids to wear when their mothers are cold’. Well when The Matriarch came out to the farm yesterday (and it was awfully cold yesterday – snow flurries even), she saw that The Big Dog’s coat had been removed last week when we all thought that spring had finally come.
“I heard on the radio that this cold weather will be lasting another two weeks” she said, patting the dog” and these old bones know for sure that those Old Dogs bones are rattling together they are so cold.”
So when we were out she bought The Old Fella a super dupa brand new Dog blanket. This is not a jacket, oh no, this is a horse blanket made for a dog.What luck it was to see the dog at the feed store wrapped up in one. All I had to do was point! (I love little owner operated businesses.) As I was buckling him into it he literally leaned his head on my shoulder with gratefulness. 
This one is waterproof too which will be perfect in the spring rains. We have instructions NOT to take any clothes off that old dog until the nights are properly warm.
On the other hand, John cannot bear to wait another moment more to plant out a few of his tomato plants. So we have made little water jug covers for them.
When we made the honey mead we bought distilled water and saved the plastic containers. I cut out the bottoms and threw away the lids. If you look carefully you will see that there is a stake next to the tomato plant, the plastic jugs slide straight down onto that stake through the hole at the top so you can close them up at night and on a hot day, slide the cover up the stake, allowing fresh warm air to the plant. It is nice to get a few out early. The bulk of the tomato crop will have to wait for warmer nights.
The pea hens did not eat the garlic.
and left us a tiny patch of lettuce. More is sown of course, but this little mouthful is being watched with impatient anticipation.
Now the peafowl are living in the Peacock Penthouse up in the Gods of the barn and get their milk and weeds and hen food delivered by the dumb waiter who climbs up the ladder balancing all these things in her hands twice a day. I miss having them roaming about. But they are very calm and quiet sat up high, watching all the goings on. And there is plenty of room for the tail. No sign of eggs yet though.
Good morning my darlinks. Today we will begin to build the pig palace. Charlotte and Sheila are desperate to get outside again. Though sometimes I think it is me who is desperate for Charlotte and Sheila to get back outside. But one way or the other it is time.
The bees come in a week! Won’t that be great. The only flowers in the garden so far are daffodils, but I have missed my buzzy mates.
My cardinal is calling. I feed him in the tree house so that the guineas do not eat all the seed, he is in the top of that tree calling in the sunrise. I think we will have a sunrise this morning, time for me to get up and see.
I know you will all find some loveliness today. Don’t forget to look for it. Remember to see it.
love your friend celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
71 responses to “Put on your jacket, Mum is cold.”
Happy Sunday our friend Celi.
Nothing eats garlic – not even the deer. Just one more endearing quality…
Sorry to hear you’re cold again – we have a genuine warm spell on the way, and it’s time to plant the peas and greens!
That’s so true Marie, well except for me of course, I can eat it by the field full 🙂
Which is how we wound up with 120 heads last season, to feed two adults and one very small child 😉
My son’s girlfriend found wild garlic in the woods near here, stirfried it and ate it like a warm salad. Her breath was pretty rank next morning!
Eat fresh raw parsley after a Garlicy meal – it reduces the halitosis almost immediately.
Laura
My most favourite thing is when you guys talk to each other in the Lounge of Comments. Parsley and garlic! YUM! c
Parsley does work, as does ginger 🙂
We have the last stragglers of garlic left – teeny tiny cloves. But the new crop is starting to grow !
What a blessed Sunday morning and your a blessing too Celi may your day be blessed in all ways the morning here is awesome the cocks are crowing everywhere the sun is shining God is GOOD SAINTS
you are having a splendid morning too, excellent! morning Saints!.. c
Good morning to my favorite dumb waiter! HAHAHAHA!
So glad the old dog has his nice, new coat!
Kupa is getting a laugh out of it too, when he sees my curly little head ascending he honks as if to say The Service in this Establishment is Appalling! I have been waiting an hour for my breakfast!
I wonder if the girls are going to surprise you by laying eggs where you aren’t looking for them!
I do hope so.. c
Strange, I always thought of dumb waiters in terms of ‘He’ 🙂 Did you post about making the honey mead – Looks like I might have missed it? Have found a fabulous bee site – do you know of it
http://www.honeybeesuite.com/ lots of information with scientific back up and fun too. Enjoy your Sunday. Laura
Hmm, i shall pop over and have a look .. thank you, I did not do much of a post on the honey mead is we are still learning how, but suffice to say that it is in the snug with the wine quietly breathing.. i am am very much looking forward to the mead! c
It’s a beautiful day here – sun shining, still a bit of wind, and above freezing: we shall go for a walk now! I love Big Dog’s new coat.
It is very chic is’t it.. he cuts quite the figure in it! c
The walk was amazing: we were stripping clothes off right left and centre all the way round, not quite to the point of indecency. I took some lovely pix of late violets and primroses.
Nothing like a warm breath of spring.. glad you got a nice walk in! c
That’s one snazzy outfit for the old fella! Blue’s definitely his colour I think!
Christine
Blue thinks so too and has twice got The Nip for trying to cadge a ride by hanging onto it! morning christine c
What a stylish coat for your pup! 😀
Hope he won’t need it much longer. It has to warm up eventually, right?
There is a rumour of some warm weather in may.. sigh.. still trying so hard not to complain! c
Happy Day to you too Celi. We also use plastic bottle covers to protect the small plants from the cold and wind.. a great idea which costs nothing as we get the empty water bottle from the rubbish bins and acts like baby conservatories (is that how you spell it….it is wonderful to have you back in my life again
How did I fall out of your life!?.. you have come through as anonymous sweetie.. but I loves ya anyway! c
Nice blanket 😉
Oddly the weather here has shot up from 11º C yesterday to 17º C today, but if it snows next week I won’t be surprised!
An excellent day to get on your bike and do a wander through the park.. I used to love my sunday walks, i would walk from miles through old london.. all alone but for my camera.. c
I’ve just come back from the farmers’ market and later this afternoon I’ll be crossing the Heath for a dinner in Golders Green 😉
Oh crossing the Heath! why do i feel so homesick for London today..if you can bear pear cider maybe you could have one for me, whenever the sun shone we drank pear cider! c
Perry is a fantastic drink, but I’m beyond lucky, in that, I have friends who’s son has grown up to be the most amazing professional cocktail maker, and somehow he manages to turn up during all their best dinner parties, to make impromptu drinks out of whatever is at hand. He stunned everyone tonight with the most amazing drinks ever!
His sense of taste is quite amazing and he never drinks much himself, it impairs his juggling!
you are most definitely beyond lucky! c
It sounds like the farmy is waking up, Celi, how exciting. I look forward to the bees’ arrival!
Morning kate, it really has been odd without all my bee friends in the garden, I did not realise I would miss them so much.. c
Big Dog looks good in stripes, so very slimming. 😉
Glad to see John has such faith in the weather. I muttered more than a few cuss words when I saw snow flurries yesterday morning. The pendulum really does swing both ways. Last year Winter couldn’t leave fast enough; this year it just won’t go.
Have a great Sunday, Celi.
that snow was just bonkers, sandy said to me.. DON’T LOOK!!!
c
Good Sunday morning. Big Dog looks so happy in his new coat.
I have garlic chives. They spread all over and have really pretty blossoms late summer(full of lots more black seeds). Very nice for salads and adding to chicken dishes.
oo i have those too, best i go and check to see how they are doing, my regular chives are up! c
Well you certainly won’t lose sight of Big Dog in the fields! 😉 How sweet that he was thankful to be warm again. Dumb Waiter….Ha!
Chilly here today…supposed to reach 54 but I’ll believe THAT when I see it. Tony is hang gliding today and I’m trying to talk myself into yard work in the wind. Might just have to stay inside with a good book. 😉
Good Sunday morning on the Farmy, C. Now Big Dog will always have a coat on when the other is in the wash! 🙂 My garlic never gets very big…teeny tiny heads…does it need more fertilizer? I only use compost but maybe it’s starving for something more??
The important thing to do for garlic is to dig deep and get that lovely compost dug right in, right down then as they grow I add straw and mulch them up. I plant mine in the autumn and harvest on the shortest day. I hope some of that helps..c