When you feel like life is getting the better of you I always find the best antidoteto the overwhelmed feeling is some good hard work. It has been cold so I broke out the clown pants, hauled them on and got stuck in.
In the last two days I have shoveled out and cleaned most of the north side of the barn, over summer the cows creep in on occasion and the sheep find their way in through the broken north door, someone is sick like Queenie with her sore eye and before you know it there is shoveling to do.
I hauled the chicken ark all the way around the exterior of the farm and into the gardens. When Our John got home he helped me place it over a small area of the vegetable garden. Covering a couple of tomatoes and the brassicas. This is going to be a great development.
Yesterday I completely rearranged all the furniture in our big room. I do all my best housework when I am mad
The Middle Kitten did die. Apparently we have been struggling with a massive infestation of worms in their wee organs. Even though they were wormed when they first came, the worms had already gotton into the bloodstream of the first two. Round worms are hideous. And very hard on tiny weak kittens. The dogs have had an extra dose of worming stuff too just to be sure.
But the little Marmalade kitten is getting stronger I think. He is the toughest little cat and hates to have Boo out of his sight, so we have been taking him for walks outside to get his body moving hoping his bowels will follow suit. He just plods noisily along behind Boo, with me walking backwards in front of them to make sure that Boo does not pick him up.
I have to say that Boo is a lot calmer now that there is only one to mind.
I think Daisy must be about four and a half months pregnant now. Time is flying past!
Apple Upside Down Slice.
So, things are back on a more even keel. Today I am going to cover the ark in heavy plastic. Then continue with the cleaning of the barn. After the barn I will start the chook house. I hate cleaning the chook house, so I am hoping that I can run the laying chooks across the fields as well, next year. I will happily drag two arks if it means no chook house to clean out. This winter maybe I will find someone to build me another ark, with laying boxes. Then all the fertiliser goes straight onto the fields, without the need of a shovel in between. From now on the chook house will only be for the winters!
What an excellent decision.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
71 responses to “Getting Stuck In”
The apple slice looks yummy.
Yum! 🙂
Totally in agreement!
Two summer arks sounds what a splendid idea…….
Glad it’s not just me that does good work when I’m mad. Sometimes pain, fury and adrenaline produce awesome results. Sometimes just getting good and mad is just what you need. Love your work. Recipe for the slice, pretty please? Kate
Morning Kate, i make it using the same method as a tart tatine, in a small cast iron pan. But instead of pastry on top i carefully pour my usual cake mixture with some extra milk to make it more batter like and half the size so it is nice and thin. You know the one, just make it up, one cup of flour, one tsp bp, one egg, one tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup sugar. 4tbls butter, pinch of salt..milk. the usual formula but less. It always surprises me when these things come out! c
You make me laugh! I wing my banana bread, as I have made it so many times! (got one in the oven as we speak and this time I put it in a bundt pan!) The outcome depends on how many bananas I have that need to be saved from extinction! 😉
Sometimes to make my hubby really happy…I throw in some chocolate chips! LOL Always good! Your tart looks scrumptious to me! And I know it tastes scrumptious too! 😀
By the way…gluten free! 🙂
Yum! Trying it soon, adapted to gluten free so the Husband doesn’t get to eat it all by himself. Thanks for taking the time to write it out for me. K
Sorry to hear we lost the middle kitten Celi, no wonder you are mad and working harder than usual. Hopefully, the remaining kitten will get stronger by the day and make it. I love the photo of him under Boo’s chin!
Boo is doing a grand job….shame about wee kitten and middle kitten but that, s life..win some …lose some
Don, t overwork !
Well Boo does look calm… I love the idea of two hoekoe houses.. the experiment worked well I think… we always give our dogs there worm tablets as soon as summer arrives and then every six weeks, but i read that tobacco in their food once a month is the best deworming around… I remember my Dad used to give his dogs a cigarette, but I think with all the additives in them now it might not be a good idea, unless it’s tobacco floor sweepings… which we used on our lawns and never had an ant, cricket or the other normal critters, but always a beautiful lawn… so there might be something in that…
Tobacco.. interesting, not something they grow around here, but an interesting solution.. c
Good morning, Celi
So glad to hear Farmy life is returning to some normalcy for you all…..the little Marmalade Puss looks quite bright eyed and alert…….and I do believe Nanny Boo is in love……wonderful! Nice cool fall weather to enjoy this weekend so do take a minute or two to savor some easy time with a glass of wine…A cool Pinot is a must for me on a Friday eve…….Have a wonderful day! Cheers 🙂
good morning nancy, a pinot sounds just perfick, I shall pop a bottle in the fridge for later! c
Oh Celi, I am so very sorry and sad to hear about middle kitten. Ginger on the other hand seems to be doing so well, all thanks to your and Boo’s unconditional love.
Here’s to you having a happy and beautiful love filled day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Did all that physical labor get rid of your anger?
Made me feel better! I am never in a mood for long.. c
Reblogged this on morristownmemos.
Good morning, c. Good morning, Boo. What approach do you take with your vet on worming for the dogs? Good morning, farmy. Goooood morning sunshine!
We give them a heart worm pill once a month which kills just about everything, but this has been a messy process so i gave ton and boo their next pill a week early.. out of fear really..plus they are alll in and out.. c
I crush the heart worm pills in the food dish. It is absorbed better. I only have one dog a time though…so you would have to be very careful.
Yes, Misky, the old dog won’t take his unless it is in his food, Ton will swallow anything I tell him to but Boo has his crushed as well. I have to feed them all separately anyway as boo will steal everyone elses! Bad Boo. .. c
LOL 😀
Worms are nasty business, particularly for the young, and they are so prone to having them, too. I’ve yet to bring a puppy home who doesn’t have them.
Wow! That’s interesting! I never had a pup with them!
I guess that is because they have all been house dogs and not farm dogs. Even if they were farm dogs I would turn them into house dogs!!! 😉 My hubby calls our dogs city dogs! LOL
Is there a way to hook the arks to the lawnmower or little tractor to drag them across the field?
the conversion of ark to hoop house is a wonderful idea. Hope your days get better from now on. Laura
Yes I can hook them to the mower (or trqctor) but with the gates and the noise, I just prefer to lift the rope which lifts the unwheeled end off the ground and just slowly pull it along. Me power is so much calmer and more controlled. Slower for the birds too, tho laying boxes may add some weight, i am going to have to think about a light weight design for that flock.. c
Sherry’s comment reminded me………I use covered cat litter boxes for nesting boxes, they’re light and easy to move around, and I can pull them out onto the grass for a good hosing. My chooks lay better too being tucked away in the dark.
I was going to suggest something similar to that lawnmower idea. How about putting wheels both ends, so you wouldn’t have to lift?
My wife has been “oohing” over the pictures of the kitten and Blue ( maybe I did too, a bit) The apple slice also got huge approval. Nil carborundum or don’t let the bastards grind you down, in cod Latin:)
One of my fathers favourite saying too!! morning roger.
I know what you mean! When I get mad I am capable of amazing things for my size! LOL I move like a fast freight train at full throttle! 😉
I am so sorry about the middle kitty…sigh…so glad that Boo doesn’t feel so overwhelmed now. It is a lot of responsibility to care for others! Ask any mother! This is just the begining Boo! LOL
Your arks are very interesting! You can move them about which is so nice for clean up and safe ranging). Out here it wouldn’t work. The winds would carry them away. My chicks are housed in the hog barn. Kevin built wide, long runs for me so they get plenty of exercise, have lots of room and they are safe from predators. The barn has doors that open and close. (rise up and then down) These are all on the two longest the sides of the barn. Initially for the pigs. Now my chickens! Works great! All windows are screened and have glass windows. I have water in the barn and electricity. I like to play music for them…then they don’t get flustered when I open the barn doors at each end every morning. After we combine the crops surrounding the barn…I turn them loose and they eat all the bugs and grain lying on the ground. They love grasses so I let it grow in the runs.
I only get white feathered chickens…easier to clean. I don’t get layers anymore. Too hard to keep them over the winter. I was keeping about 15-20 with one rooster. I had so many eggs that I was selling them!!!!! My refrigerator was so full of eggs it was making me CRAZY!!! LOL
My laying boxes are antiques! Been on the farm for ages! I should take a photo and send it to you!
I sure wish Kevin didn’t get rid of the manure spreader…sigh…it made clean up so much easier!
Probably thinking it might discourage me from keeping more animals! 😉
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed…happens to hard working people! Lazy people don’t get to experience this! And they aren’t nearly as healthy! Working off anger in a physical way reduces stress far better with great side effects! A thinner, trimmer, sexier body! 😀
So my thin, trim, sexy friend….enjoy looking great! 😀 (((Ceci))) Feel the hugs!
Dear Celi, So glad you are feeling better. Love the photo of Boo with his kitty. Both you and the chickens will be happier with the two arks. Would bamboo make for lighter nest boxes? Have a good weekend.