But not to all of us. Some of us get to lay about in the sun and play.
While the rest of us work.
More walnuts, I will dry them for cakes. Walnuts are very high in protein.
First though, it is important to take the hull off so they don’t go moldy. Then I will hang them in a string bag to dry for a few months. The pigs have been enjoying them as a snack, and have black snouts which is an alarming look for a pig.
The Daily View is changing its colour chart, muting and leaching, we are slowly slipping off the edge into the cold. I am not a creature of the cold. When I start to shiver – I really shiver. I like the boots and the tights and the big coats and layers, but I do prefer the heat. The heat of the sun. When I ran out to the Wendy House for firewood this morning, wearing only my nightie and slippers, the grass was crisp with frost, as I descended the stairs at a brisk clip, the cold rose up around my legs like stepping into frozen leggings. It was a fast trip.
Today I shall begin to pile the firewood up on the verandah, so I have a stash close at hand for the mornings. The cold is coming.
Now, this has to be my favourite picture from yesterday. Alarming cuteness.
When The Marmalade Cat sees me he cries and cries for milk, when he sees Boo he quietens. As long as I write quietly, with my legs pulled up and tucked up under me out of reach so he forgets I am here, all is calm.
It is 27F (-3C). I brought all the herbs in their big pots inside last night (I really must get on with that recycled glasshouse) though I stupidly forgot to pick the rest of the pears but they should be alright. I will get them today.
I hope you all have a lovely day. They are forecasting rain with snow mixed in later this afternoon. What a ridiculous weather forecast!
Your friend, celi
ps.. What was happening a year ago today ?
AND two years ago I was telling stories!
The Kitchen's Garden 
111 responses to “And so the cold comes..”
I know several people mentioned using your photos for greeting cards or calendars. The series of boo and Marmalade would make wonderful fridge magnet jigsaws!
Yes, and a children’s picture book too.
Celia, you have no fat on you to keep you warm! This is the problem!
🙂
Reblogged this on photographyofnia.
When I see a cat I can almost forget everything 🙂 Dear Cecilia, this is great peace in your lovely world, cat and dog… Boo is great… Blessing them all, and million kisses for me, please… 🙂 I loved and love them so much… Thank you, love, nia
Our worlds are somewhat the same 🙂 Cute photos of dog and kitten wait till the cat realizes it is a DOG 🙂
Also, I recall a picture of Sheila after having invaded the tomato patch.Looked like blood about her mouth and she was definitely smiling! Hilarious. So maybe a black walnut face wouldn’t be so bad.
Very true, Sheila does love her tomatoes!! c
I know this hasn’t got to do with this post but as you seem to be growing organic & I have a passion for organic indoor gardening (due to lack of garden) I’m encountering insects problems & thought you might know how to solve them the green way.
It’s on my carrots sprouts & potato leaves, it’s tiny, green & just wanders on the stem, leaves & even on the soil.
I tried spraying with a mixture of chili pepper powder, water & (green) dish-washing detergent but it’s not that effective.
Do you have some magical tip?
Is this insect in your greenhouse? Is it an aphid? Are the leaves sticky? Can you see effs under the leaves? You need some ladybirds. And ventilation. I don’t have a magic tip though. Well, hmm, mix apple cider vinegar with water and you could try that. Not if you have sun on the leaves though. And don’t forget to spray underneath. Also make sure your plants are properly fertilised, a healthy plant has a better chance of out growing an infestation. Can you squash them? How big is your indoor garden? I wish i could help more. i sprinkle most things with DE .. can you get that?.. c
Gosh I am not sure…outdoors I plant marigolds in my pototoes and I don’t have a problem with potato bugs and they also ward off rabbits who used to eat my lettuce. I plant catnip to keep the mosquitoes away and also several kinds of mint. Mint is very helpful in keeping mosquitoes, ants and flies away. It is a great insect repellant outside and inside your house! Good for sweet breath too! 😉 Garlic is great for spider mites. My gardens are organic and the only problems I have are the picnic bugs in the corn and berries. I whip up something sweet in a bunch of buckets with water and they all get trapped in the sticky mess! Kazillions of them!!! Nasty destructive critters!!! It works!!! 🙂 I know that basil is good for keeping harmful insects at bay as well! Good luck!
For my fruit trees outside I use dish detergent in lots of water in a sprayer. Wiping the underside of leaves is a good idea too like Ceci says! It is upsetting I know…sigh..
It can be squashed with my fingers but there are too many. there are vegetable plants in my apartment but it used to be in the balcony summer time.
What is DE? I tried to look up the definition but couldn’t find it. Should the apple cider & water be 50% of each?
Thanks a lot for trying to help!
Apple cider vinegar and water is a good fungcide. I also use vinegar and water with a tish of dish soap to kill weeds!
You can try Geranium spray!
The strong smell of geraniums is known to repel insects. (This spray can be made with other strong scented plants such as marigolds or garlic).
In a blender…mix equal amounts of geraniums and water…blend until smooth. Strain with a fine strainer. I use a jelly bag. To make the spray you add 1 teaspoon of the geranium mix with 2 cups of water. Get yourself a plastic spray bottle at Walmart in the kitchen utensil department. I hope this helps! I hate bugs!!!!! 😦
I don’t use any chems on my food plants or flowers! I need pollinators!
Thanks ever so much, this is very helpful! The more information I can get the quicker I can try each one out.
Thanks for this kind & detailed comment, I appreciate 🙂
Diacemateous Earth, it is a powder..c
Thanks! Now I can look it up, that’s very kind of you 🙂
Rain with SNOW?? Already??? Yikes! Here we are still warm but my outdoor cats are eating like um, well… pigs (no offense to yours!) and I’m thinking we may actually have winter this winter. We’re due…
Not fair! Our cold has come back, too.
Can’t get enough of the hound and kit!
The hens are working when they’re laying about, aren’t they?
Yes they work all day long, then feed everyone with their eggs.. c
Oh Cinders…that last photo of Nanny Boo and Marmelade is just over the top cute! It is now my desktop photo! I can’t wait till Marm starts barking! 🙂
To ‘Nanette’ and ‘two engaging goldens’ ~ Be happy, very happy that you are not in the Southern Highlands, next to the Balmoral fire: it is about 4 kms from me and we are counting the hours today with winds already at 70 kms/hr and 35 C+ temps forecast!! Hopefully a change this afternoon, but that could actually bring the fire closer! The evacuation bag is at the door!! Eighth day and not one iota funny! And Celi, that first photo of Boo and Marmalade looking into each others eyes is my computer background of course and one of my alltime faves as far as animal photos go: unreal 🙂 !
I hope there is relief on its way.. terrifying.. c
12:15 pm and the fire lines have broken somewhere along ‘my’ fire ~ don’t know where! Just our warning levels have gone up again! About 3-4 hours > change, about 6 hours to when there might be some relief from real fire aggression . . . tomorrow as windy but slightly cooler . . . yes, scared stiff!
Oh, I love the cuddling photos!
If you manage to get your black walnuts shelled in halves I saw buttons made of the shells at a wool & fiber show. I’m not too sure how they managed to cut those hard shells into 1/4″ slices but the buttons they made were striking. Cold here in east central Wi. too and all the critters are getting wooly. My ears were numb on my walk this morning, had to walk by myself, my buddy Macadoodle Schnoodle ripped open the hide on his chest running into a stick or something Sunday night, (of course, when it’s an emergency trip to the vet). He’s doing well with a compression bandage, stitches and a cone and my wallet is considerably lighter!
The buttons sound intriguing, I bet they put the whole walnut in a vice and sliced it.. hmm.. your poor dog, sounds intense and yes.. Of Course it was a sunday.. c
It just seems like yesterday that the seasons were going the other way – we were going into winter and you were emerging joyous into the warmth… what a lot has happened on the Farmy over those summer months. I hope the winter indoor months are as productive for you as the summer was, but in different ways, inlcuding kicking back a gear, at least 🙂
Oh yes, i can feel the kicking down beginning.. lovely.. c
“Alarming cuteness” indeed!