Yesterday Camera house caught Daisy showing you how she backs slowly through the burlap bags dislodging flies. Very slowly.
Gently swaying through the lightest of brushes. Flies gone. Not perfect. But she is after all. A Cow.
We have a visitor come to stay. The Matriarch has gone to Georgia with Our John, so I have her dog.
He has been around long enough not to be afraid. But the piggies zeroed in on him as a possible dinner companion?
Poor Kupa. All his heavy brown tail feathers have gone now too. He is denuded.
Later no-one cares about visitors or dinner. Sleep is the order of the day.
Don’t my days just go on and on. Delicious.
After a very simple dinner of farm food we settled in for the evening.
Later in the night the storms came rolling in so the four dogs and I went out into the fields, walking the perimeter, trying to get shots of the lightening. It was dark, pitch black. All the images that follow are lit by lightening. The lightening here is more likely to light up the whole sky. No little forks of ice in the corner. It’s cousin the thunder goes on for hours. It goes without saying that all these shots are handheld.( My new tripod legs have arrived, I am waiting on the head).
Good morning. If you were to ask me for a favourite it would be the top one and the fourth one. I am completely in love with these shots. The night sky is an excellent challenge. Especially when there is no light but for the flash of a lightening sheet behind the clouds. Like when Mum used to snap out the white sheet so it floated flat and perfect down onto the bed.
I do hope you all have a lovely day. Ours will be a bit soggy after all the rain that followed the lightening. But rain is good.
I left all the lights on when I went walking in the night, so I could find me way back home.
your friend on the farm, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
72 responses to “visitors, burlap bags, pigs bottoms, lightening in the skies, where do I begin”
Wonderful photos. I do love a good and proper electrical storm. Good morning, c, and greetings to the farmy. My builders have bashed another hole through the ceiling so they can re-pipe at a good angle from the shower. Plaster and dust, plaster and dust. And no water today. We do have power though. Small mercies are well received.
It is the cleaning up i cannot bear. c
I’m hoping that the wind blows all the fallen leaves into a nice tidy pile. 😉
it would a rude wind to leave a mess!
Oh yeah…like that would happen! LOL 🙂
Celi, your lightening shots are beautiful. And I love the last shot of the house lit up in the dark. If ever there was a beacon, it is that dear shining house. Waiting. Warm. Daisy is quite proficient in her get-rid-of-flies maneuver. Even if she is a cow. Dear girl. I have a question…when Charlotte and Bobby waltzed off gracefully to the abattoir and didn’t come back, did the other animals notice their absence? Do the animals miss each other? It came to mind when I saw the three piggies sleeping together…Have a beautiful, if soggy day…this time from Georgia where maybe I will run into the Matriarch even if I don’t know what she looks like, Charlotte
You are back in the States? Oh, I am not keeping up at all! In all honestly I don’t think the cows noticed a thing. But Sheila was very busy the day after Charlotte went, creeping around the corners of buildings making sure it was safe. I don’t think she missed Charlotte as much as knew something had changed and what could it be. After a few hours of sniffing about she was able to lie down and relax, sure that an attack was not going to come running at her through the fence. c
Oh Daisy wouldn’t it be easier to go forwards slowly? 🙂 I am amazed the cows picked up the use for the bags so quickly! Love your lightening lit skies, and that last pic certainly draws you home. Laura
You would think so, but she stands in front of the bags and slowly reverses.. Queenie just positions herself and stands.. c
Dear Celi, it’s been such a loooooong time that I haven’t visited your amazing blog, pardon farm, please forgive me. I have noticed that I wasn’t informed about your post by email. I hope this problem I solve. How I missed to be here… Your lovely and beautiful farm photographs…as always. Thank you, have a nice day and weekend, love, nia (I am going walk in your garden now, but in past days )
Morning Nia, always happy to see you. I hope all is well in your beautiful corner of Turkey.
I think I like the shot of the storm rolling in, still light in the corn field. but darkening and thickening, full of portent
All the light is from lightening. It was pitch black otherwise. We needed our night eyes! c
Celi, your idea to leave the house brightly lit was a very good idea! I never considered such a thing, but on a big place, on a moonless night it would definitely guide you home. We get a bit of sheet lightning here, but most of it is giant bolts that shake the house and scorch things. I do not believe that I will ever have the opportunity to try this here. 😉 Of all your lightning shots my favorite is the last one. It reminds me of a Chinese dragon! What was it before you, the camera and the dark worked their magic on it?
It was from a distance so must be the house, long exposures in the hands of walking women can do anything! c
I have been living under a lot of wrong assumptions about lightning safety. The biggest one is that my wellies would protect me by insulating my feet from the ground. They don’t. I also thought that sheet lightning was “safe” lightning. NOAA neither confirmed nor denied that notion.
I just found this from NOAA (Gov’t weather site) http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/pah/pdf/lightningsafety.pdf
Sharing!
Thank you darling, but I don’t care! Bad Mama. I know many people will be shocked by that but I love to be out in the weather.. isn’t it funny though that you actually feel safer from lightening in the dark.. I laugh at myself! c
I already suspected this about you. 😀
Me? I’m a chicken day OR night. We just didn’t get weather like this in SoCal, and so it is very frightening to me. Give me an earthquake any day and I’ll be fine. 😉
we have a lot of earthquakes in NZ too, they don’t bother me a bit either! c
Dear C, I must say that I find the thought of walking outside during a storm ripe with lightning to be a bit dangerous. That last shot of the house is my fav for the mood and the overall scene.
It never occurred to me that it might be dangerous, moody and a little bit blair witch maybe.. With John gone I get up to all kinds of things he frowns upon. Like playing in the lightening! c
Hee hee! That used to be me!!! Kevin always says he has to keep an eye on me!!! LOL
He has rescued me many a time! One time from the knee deep mud that I was mired in! I couldn’t move!!!! Found out what it would be like to be caught in quick sand….not fun! I screamed and he came running and yelling “What the blankety blank are you doing for blankety blank sakes!!! I knew if I went down…I’d have to swim home! 😉 Almost lost my Wellies! Now that would have really upset me! LOL Excellent rubber boots!!!!
Just giggling over Daisy – looks like one happy cow in that 4th one. They aren’t dumb with what’s important.
The pig might think the little dog is a distant cousin? – they all have the little ears and perky nose/snout.
Storms on the farm – nice – if you can sit and watch and not get out in them! you’re picture capture them well.
You have to leave the light on to find your way back. How we would have loved all those lights – we had on small bulb on the porch, one small bulb in each room and counted us lucky. How we get used to things that once were luxuries.
Grab up all the day and hug it. It looks beautiful there
I found another couple of sacks, and watched very closely by Daisy, I hung up another two so both cows can play in the fabrics .. The trees look like they have monster leaves! I know what you mean about one bulb in the middle of the ceiling when we were kids. We had one standing lamp that i thought was very glamorous. The house looks very lit up but actually most of that was the long exposure, Any artificial light will blow out at those exposures.. c
Wonderful photos! Loved that last one! And everyone of the photos of Daisy getting relief from the flies. Holsteins are very intelligent! Dairy cows are so gentle…cattle on the other hand scare the life out of me! Neigbors have red angus and another neighbor has black angus. They are out to pasture til calving time. So sad to hear them mourn when they take the calves away from the mommies…it’ heart wrenching. So sad. Our closest neighbor has feeders that he sells. then someone else finishes them for market.
Your little guest is very cute! Lovely tail! 🙂 A play date! Pigs are soooo curious!!! LOL
Wind is blowing, gusting to 40 and rain is starting to fall. They say about 2″. It is 45 degrees right now.
If it rains we will bring the girls pumpkins! I can’t wait for them to see how big they are!!!! 😉
Our yard light is on all night long. We need it to see if we have to go out and also helps motorists who may get stranded. The winter storms out here can be treacherous.
Out here we don’t go out if there is lightening. It is so flat here and don’t want to be a beacon for it!!!! Sometimes it goes straight down to the ground! I have seen what it has done to trees here….I stay in the house unless it is just rain falling…then I pick berries and grapes! No yellow jackets and mosquitoes or flies out! They don’t like the rain! LOL
Have a great day Celi! Everyone else too! When it rains I get to clean house and do laundry etc… 😦 LOL
There used to be a big yard light, but I hated it, It was so bright and I love the dark. So when the bulb ran out I left it out. I have a torch in my pocket all the time. We have the sun shining now and already it is warm so the grass will grow some more.. what a wonderful feeling. Daisy is an Ayrshire, a lovely old breed, bad tempered and holds a grudge but will produce plenty of milk on a diet of grass and weeds. Queenie is even quieter though. Herefords are so gentle. I agree I surely do not want angus or holsteins. We are too small for bolshy cattle. How is your goat research going? c
Oh! I thought she was a holstein! She looks really sweet and gentle! I was fooled! LOL
I hate the yard light too. But we have to go out and close the tops of the grain bins and shut off the dryers if it rains at night. A flash light or torch will not help in climbing up to the top of grain bins. Winters are rough and if we have to go out…it sure is nice to have the big tall light lighting up the farmstead… snow here is heavy and it blows and it’s blinding. I can’t imagine how it must have been before electricity on the plains. My father-in-law told me that they tied a rope from the barn to the house and other buildings and had to hang on as they groped their way through very very deep snow drifts. Dairy cows had to be milked and fed and watered and other livestock. Wow! I am only 5’2″, small framed and not heavy! I think I would have perished back then!!!!!! Yikes!
It must be warmer where you are. No 30 to 40 below temps for months on end.
When driving at night it sure is a comfort to be able to count the yard lights and know where you can find help if necessary. Everyone out here has one. Thank God!!! We have helped many people who have had car trouble and gone off the road. Yes! That big light is handy!
Oh I have thoroughly researched goats and have decided on the Nigerian Dwarf. It is convincing my better half that it is a great idea! LOL He usually lets me have my way…but after the years of hard work raising and cleaning up after sheep, cows, chickens, pigs and horses…well…in fact he sold the manure spreader to a hudderite. Hmmmm….I think he was trying to tell me something! LOL But I am not giving up the small battle! 😉 All I need is a few! Right? 🙂
exactly and goat poo is like sheep, very easy to shovel, and only in the spring. I would LOVE to have a small manure spreader.. I see what you mean about your big light, climbing bins is not something you want to do in the dark, thank fully I don’t have to do that. The most i have to do is find a lost sheep who has got through the fence and they find me usually, just like you goats will. Of course you have me thinking about having goats now. Do you think if I popped them in with the sheep john would notice. Trouble is i would have to have a billy goat too. So it would be sheep OR goats, not both.. sigh, I need a bigger farmy.. c
You sound just like me.. when the lightning begins it’s a case of camera, barefoot and off for a walk… to capture that elusive flash and if lucky that fork without being collected as well…
BARE feet, you crazy fella! I am still after that elusive fork.. one day.. c
Daisy is a very clever cow 😉
There you are, my Manfrotto legs have come! A stunning piece of engineering, especially with the horizontal arm, Am waiting on the head, Then I have to work work work to justify the expense.. thank you for the advice.. c
Excellent news – hopefully they will last for years. I’ve got a very big Manfrotto that I bought in the 80s which is still going strong 🙂
It has a lovely weight, contrary to popular opinion I like them a bit heavy. I am glad yours has lasted this long. That bodes welll for me. This will be my fourth tripod. But I never really invested. Those cheap ones are false economy.. c
If they are not heavy they are not fit for purpose and the cheap ones do fall apart 😦
Oh to be a Daisy cow…flies are a pest to humans too but we have to go around trying to swat the pesky things..Daisy has it easy.
Beautiful photos..you are getting very professional and I am so pleased that you found your way home. It would be a disaster having a lost Celi….just imagine no more posts about the Farmy..life would be ended xxxxx
Their bites are so vicious too! I look like I am trying to lift off when I am outside!!! Flapping and running!!! LOL
You guys are so brave!!! I love french fries, but I don’t want to be one! LOL I think Daisy is very clever too! 🙂 I will never forget the huge cottonwoods (planted in the 30s) that were pulled right out of the ground during a storm here. Left giant gaping holes in the ground! And another time our summer shop building (which is a huge building) had the top peeled off right before my very eyes! Just like someone with a huge can opener opened it up and off it flew!! Wang wang wang!!! The lightening storms are terrifying! Huge arcs and driving shafts to the ground! Yikes! Some so close your hair stands on end!!!
Oh merciful heaven. in that case last night was not a storm, just a little wind with an inch of rain and some flutters of light. You have had some terrible storms by the sound of it. Am I right in remembering you are in Virginia? Though now I am not sure i AM right.. sounds extreme anyway.. c
Nope! North Dakota! High Plains! Flat Flat Flat!!! With shelter belts and snow fences!!! Wide open country. 🙂 I keep trying to get off and so much interesting talk holds me!!! LOL
Kevin says we will go to the city this afternoon so here I am back at the computer! 🙂
I so wanted to get a viewing of the Northern Lights but it hasn’t been clear…bummer..I need a tripod too!!! 😉
ah.. north dakota, i shall look that up, my US geography is still being challenged.. c
Well, gotta run…have to deliver pumpkins! Had a great time with everyone! Enjoy your new tripod Celi! Expecting great photos!!! ((hugs)))
Love the image of the sleeping piggy and the sleeping piggy’s rump! Seriously – that is the cutest rump ever! Oh how I miss a good midwestern thunder storm; they rarely happen in northern California, where the weather is quite boring. Love the night sky shots!