I love that word: Storm. It has such weight! Such potential. Such compassion when it storms above your head but does not break it. And such callousness when it does.
The dogs and I walked the perimeter with Camera House between squalls yesterday to see what you might see and the benefit of all this rain is that the forage is heaving up out of the ground. But the ground is so soft that still no big animals are allowed on it! Which (as far as forage) puts us ahead of the game actually. We now have a few good fields full of feed.
But the uncovered fields are badly soaked.
Yet on the paddocks we have luscious long grass that only the middle sized animals are allowed to graze. In fact some of this will need topping soon!
There is flowering clover for the bees who won’t come out of the hive because being hit by a rain drop for a bee is a little like being hit by a flying cow for us. Due to the storms I have been unable to do an inspection. Maybe it will be calm today.
The creek down the back is still rising. The banks make this water about 20 feet deep. No more rain now please.
Ring the bell! We have an anniversary today!
A year ago today I went to the Swine Herds farm and picked up Charlotte and Sheila.
Charlotte and Sheilas first day on the farm!
Sheila on the left, Charlotte on the right. So cute. Unbearably cute actually. They were so small they escaped through the pig fence a day after this shot! Luckily Ton saw them zooming off down the lane and with two brooms I was able to herd them back. And am still herding them that way to this day!
And now they are big pigs. They stand as tall as the top of my leg and are strong enough for me to sit on them. Though lately their skin has been looking so dry and itchy. And we all know that itchy dry skin is just dreadful. Ghastly darlinks! So I have added flaxseed oil to their diet (I use it in my salad dressing too as I also have dry skin). They were rubbing like mad on everything. Scratching entire poles out of the ground. I also have been dusting behind their ears with diatomaceous earth in case of a topical problem. Thankfully they have settled down. I think the worst is over. I hope the worst is over.
I know this is not a super photograph but it made me laugh. They look like they have been out on the town all night! Like aging rock stars stumbling out of a Nightclub. Larking it up in Soho and then back to the Dive for a breakfast of tea and cold toast and a big sleep in their underwear on top of the bed because getting under the covers is just TOO HARD. Look at Sheila sitting there. A terrible shot. Just pretend it is film! Hilarious.
Good morning. Thanks to Marcia, one of The Fellowship, the milking problem has been solved. I used corks from wine bottles to plug up two of the milking cups last night after the two small quarters had been milked. You see these two teats stop giving milk way before the other two. By plugging the two that were finished the pressure increased in the cups still milking (instead of decreasing previously) and Daisy and I had a super milking session. Much faster than finishing by hand. Thank you Marcia. Marcia’s Plugs they are called.
This morning we will give the cows their final shots and at three this afternoon The Lady Vet will come over and breed both cows. So, think fertile thoughts!
Have a lovely day. I think we may be a little drier today. That would be nice. Though too much rain is always better than a drought for grass farmers.
your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
67 responses to “Walkabout the Farmy between Storms and a Piggy Anniversary!”
you are right about Sheila and Charlotte..sort of the ‘morning after’ look… I was going to suggest unperfumed hand cream for their dry skin but I think that you know better than I what to do for your piggies… What a brilliant idea that was from Marcia..there must be many clever farmy people who read your blog…. I read and enjoy but not a farmy person..just love to read about your daily life which inspires me so much
I love your bees’ eye view of rain. I’m not sure I’ll ever look at raindrops the same way! All that grass looks so nice and lush, though, I’d tempted to eat a mouthful myself. Happy anniversary, girls!
Don’t I remember you saying that you might want to get some bees sometime? c
That first picture scared the hell out of me. In fact it looked like Hell upside-down. I love the idea of the Shushes going out clubbing. ~They do look a bit sheepish (!) in your photo!
Have a lovely, rain-free day.
ViVx
PS we have five new members in our little family: http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/bidibulles/
Good morning Celi ; you might try a scythe for topping the grasses in the field that way you can keep the tops for feed. tingling gone yet? fantastic pics of the storm clouds we’re in a dry state right now we need rain and by the time you get done with it; its done pettered out 😦 bye the time it gets to us here in WV. i will quite wanking now . have a blessed day mike
Errrr Mike I think your last sentence needs a re-look. The ‘w’ word you used has a whole different meaning in the UK!!
Same in NZ, though I am absolutely positive that Mike just means chatting. Language is so funny. I always do a double take when I meet someone called Randy. (I could go on but it would just get ruder!!) Ah well, we know what he means.. thats the joy of international commerce!! learning all the time..c
please tell me it doesn’t have anything to do with the male reproductive parts
Oh and Mike I meant to tell you, tingling has gone but left the finger that touched the live prongs a bit bent. The pain in it is quite odd really. Of course it is my typing finger so i hope it gets better soon. I think I was very lucky to have been wearing my insulated rubber boots. Or it would have fried more than a finger!! c
Lovely shots! I hope you get some more balanced weather. And, touch wood, no flying cows! (I was picturing the Wizard of Oz here). I suppose soon I will see the farmers around here cutting their hay. I have some garden work to finish but I got rained back into the house yesterday.
And you have such a great garden too!! I need to get into the borders today. I have decided that sunday i should be allowed to garden in my flower beds as a treat! c
i love that photo of the girls! it is so expressive! more rain for you and all we got was a spritz again with no additional rain in sight for at least a week. this is getting serious. all my fertile energies coming your way today!
Oh dear, i am getting worried that you are going to have a dry year, for us it looks like a cool wet year.. such a vast land full of extremes! c
Sounds to me like you have some experience of coming out of a night club in Soho looking like the piggy girls??!! LOL Hot and Humid here but they are promising storms this afternoon, tonight and tomorrow. Whilst yes please to the rain, I hope we don’t get anything too serious. Everything in the garden is coming along nicely, hate to see it flood now. Should be picking Broccoli for freezing this week. Have been picking loads of strawberries and those I haven’t froze have made Strawberry Sorbet with. Have a great weekend (what’s left of it) and I hope you dry out soon.
Who me? Partying in Soho until the wee hours, drinking champagne in those tiny upstairs clubs, sitting in the open windows, watching the world go past below? Laughing and Dashing for the LAST tube, carrying my high heels or you will have to get a bus (god forbid) or a cab (wallet forbid!) or simply stay out until 6am when the tube opens again! NO. That wasn’t me!
Too funny – brings back memories though dashing for the tube to Baker Street to catch the last train on the Amersham line!
Nostalgia! c
A likely story…nudge nudge wink wink! Lyn you beat me to that comment! Just think, in a few more weeks you’ll be having more of those cute piggies to chase around.
I do hope so, he certainly is looking pregnant today! Just over two weeks to go! c
the first photo is awsome! I love how dramatic and scary the storm looks
You can see them coming, amazing big country.. c
Glad to have helped – always great to share ideas!
Have to echo other readers’ comments – the first photo is a stunner. I’m happier, personally, taking pictures of peaches rather than ominous storm clouds. Great piece about those rock star pigs. Love them:)
It is quite possible that you know that feeling! c
Just lovely to drop by and walk about the farm with you – the girls are gorgeous – but you’re right they look a little like they’ve been out on the tiles. Hope the storms keep at bay for you for a bit – not nice hearing about some of these extreme weather events.
aww happy anniversary to the two little darling oinkers *pets and kisses to them*
The fields are looking good, do you cut and bale.??
as soon as the weather settles down we will begin to make hay, can’t wait, i love to make hay! c
Happy Anniversary to the Shush Sisters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are the prettiest “girls” on the farm. One year has given them a lot of growth, er, girth. Either one of them could turn a “Boar” into a party man with their charm. Thanks C. for the great photos of the Shush Sisters, and the other farmy family members. Yes, let’s hope for no rain for a bit, and lots of Sun, that will make things grow.
yes lots of sun, that would be perfect!! c
Great storm picture. The flooding makes it look like you’ve got paddy fields of rice.
Happy Birthday Charlotte and Sheila – I can’t believe they were once so small!
Good luck with the cow breeding 😉
yes, it will be a busy day.. fingers crossed.. c