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!”
Love love love the photos– the little girls now biggies and big Dog and TonTon– landscapes so varied.
I know someone who paints upside down cows Flying Over Wallingford (neighborhood in Seattle), so I identify with the bees. great post!
That is crazy!! I like it! c
You need to pin that first photo on pintrest…It is outstanding!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Oh, ok honey i shall do that now and then pop over to see what is going on in your neck of the woods! c
Oh, what a storm cloud in that first shot…reminds me of growing up in Oklahoma…every nerve ending tingles still, even though we don’t get (many) big storms up this way.
I’ve seen that look on Sheila’s face before…staring out of the mirror of an early Sunday morning, long ages ago… 🙂
Gonna try the flaxseed oil with DeDe. She sometimes gets a bit of dry skin. We LOVE DE! Use it in the yard to keep out the fleas!
I wonder if it would keep ticks off dogs, we have such a tick problem out here, i will try it on the outside dogs! Why did I not think of that before. c
I’ve heard it works Miss C!
Hmm, then i shall start rubbing some on Big Dogs ears, he has the worst time.. excellent! c
Wow, Celi, I haven’t checked in on you and the farm for a few days and I feel like I’ve missed a lot! Hope you’re all doing ok and are drying out. AMAZING photograph, but also scary. We’re unseasonably warm here, which New Englanders hate, but our own violent storm is coming in tonight. Happy June.
Brilliant photos of the little diddy piggies and then the out on the town slightly IT girl piggies the morning after. That first shot is incredible….very dramatic but will keep my fingers crossed for drier weather for you.
The bleary-eyed Sisters made me laugh. What a fine crop of grass you are growing, and the clover looks abundant. The storm photo has a sinister look to it. Do you ever feel really exposed at the farm? (Being a Kiwi I am of course used to hills on the horizon, always).
Hope you are recovering well now.
Happy Anniversary to your gorgeous girls! Has it really been a year already? It looks like they were celebrating their anniversary a little too hard. Hope you’re much better, darling. x
It seems there is rain everywhere these days! We’ve got barrelfulls of it but it looks like yours is far worse, I will do a sundance for you and maybe a fertility dance too:)xx ps I think I looked like one of those pigs this morning myself, I sure felt like one that’s for certain:D
No check up yet? Wonderful post as always animals have it made at your place too! Poor itchy pigs I too have real bad dry skin either from awful winters or frying in the sun for 40 years 🙂
Such ferocious-looking clouds in that first photo, and yet, they’re so beautiful! As for Charlotte and Sheila–I think I started stopping by just about the time they came to the farmy. I can’t wait to see the little piggies! You seem chipper today, and I’m glad; all recovered from the nasty shock, I hope. Take care.
Some sky!
My husband and I took a weekend trip. While away, we went by this place known for it’s party fun. Boy did we feel old. No longer does that “sleeping on top of the sheets” seem appealing for us anymore. Instead we sat at a much quieter bar and talked. And wondered why we were suddenly so old and when it happened. Love the first photo! Be safe in the storms.
PS Here is my post with my backyard view. http://annashortcakes.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/strawberry-pie/
The shock you received was really nasty and I am really glad you
Had your boots on… Phew… I remember the day you went to get A
pig and you came home with 2 !!!!! So glad !! Weather has become
a bit of a mystery and dangerous in many places …..Mother Nature
Be mindful and take time to breathe !!!
Nanster
Thank fully we are all still breathing!!