Put on your jacket, Mum is cold.

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