Yesterday was colder than ever and the wind was blowing fiercely scoring the skin off my face and the water out of my own eyes. So cold that if you are doing the dishes and your hands are a little wet, and you pop outside for a piece of wood for the stove and then on your way back in you grab the metal handle on the kitchen door and.. shiver with horror… that hated feeling as your skin sticks to the metal, dragging it back off, leaving layers behind, epidermis breeched, teeth flinching, skin quivering .. that cold.
But look what greeted me in the barn yesterday afternoon.
Mama was finally up, all day we had been working on getting up, I would push her and pull her and force her to stand and walk about, giving her drinks of her tonic in between and here she was up by herself and whats more, she came over and ate out of a bucket – all by herself. So the force feeding period has ended. Now that she can move about I cannot sit down on the ground beside her to feed her those fluids anyway. She does not have to endure my mad tonic anymore, now that she can feed herself. Magic. Was that you? Because this old girl was staring right at deaths door. Dawn meant nothing to her for a while. Something brought her back. Big old sheep.
Sheila looking into the barn, looking for a scratch. The hoses are frozen so all the animal’s water is carried by hand in buckets. Two cows, four sheep, three pigs, a myriad of chickens and fowl and a ram. Our numbers are becoming more manageable for the winter but that is still a lot of water to be carried. This is water out of the tap, steaming in the frigid air. 
We are still way below freezing, many of the animals and birds have heated bowls but there is no electricity in the fields, so I fill those bowls only as much as the animal will drink, three or four times a day. Mainly Hairy MacLairy and Sheila and the plonkers. Of course they all have barn access, but no heated waters.
This is Queenie’s: ‘I am sure you forgot to feed me’ look. She was galloping about in the yards yesterday, terrifying me. It is all ice in there.
Cold. Cold.
Today I am undertaking a special challenge. I am going to write 10,000 words of my book. Everyone has a book – in fact everyone should be writing a book. They say everyone has one good book in them but not everyone can open the gate. Actually for me the main problem is WHICH bloodybook. So today I am going to give it a good boot and woosh the words right out there.
My bigger problem is that I type slower than I think. Much slower. And like you I think in words and conversations so there is a lot that can be written in a day. This was not my idea. It is the brainchild of Milli who I found through Charlotte Rains Dixon. I have not done this before, preferring the solitary bashing at the keys. I think am to pop into the site during the day and make a report, which will hold my cold pale feet to the fire! But we will see what happens. It might be fun!
Our John said, so can I take you out to dinner for your birthday then? Sure, I said,from the barn loft. Close your eyes!. Throwing a bale of hay down to him. (Dust you see.) It bounced about a bit on the floor. He pulled out his knife to cut the stings, the bale singing apart like a leafy accordion. Daisy unhinged her concertina neck and reached over the gate for an appetiser. But aren’t you writing ten thousand words? He said. Daisy stop that! Well, I said, gently moving Tui and Pania aside so I could reach past the hay to the straw for Mama’s clean bed.
Let’s just do both. I will get up early. The promise of dressing up and dinner OUT, should facilitate 10,000 words. Though I need to allow some time to do something about my Phyllis Diller hair. Silence from below. Wise man.
What about your .. um.. bottom? He ventured, throwing hay into the cow’s manger, the sheep squawking for their share. Wait Minty. Oh, I will be fine, I said. Climbing carefully back down the ladder; I will just perch. Maybe I can ask them for an old wooden chair with a broken seat. It works for me so far.
Have a lovely day.
your friend, celi.
The Kitchen's Garden 
82 responses to “Writing and farming below freezing”
A Very Happy and WARM Birthday wish coming at you! Hover or find a nice diner you can stand up and eat at 🙂 Enjoy your birthday NO MATTER WHAT this has been a rough year. HUGS
First of all, ‘Happy Birthday.’ Hope you have a wonderful dinner out.
I was happy to see the picture of Mama standing. It’s sad to know that some farmers would have just let her go instead of taking the time to nurse her back to health. So good job!!!!
It is so, so cold. I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about how I would one day handle my farming duties in cold like this. I suppose it makes one appreciate a nice warm pair of overalls, coat, boots and gloves.
You have me wondering what book is inside of me and if 10,000 words a day would improve my writing skills enough to make my book worth reading? 🙂
Hope you reach your writing goal for the day.
Have a lovely birthday! And good luck with your 10,000 word goal. Have you thought about spending a day recording your book on a small recording device. Then typing it?
I’m so happy about Mama being up and better. Wish I could help with the bucket brigade, but alas, it’s a little bit of a commute from Texas.
Happy birthday, sweet C. How dear of Our John to suggest dinner out to celebrate. Enjoy! And, as they say in my native southwestern Minnesota, “Many more birthdays!”
Happy Birthday! I’m so glad to hear Mama is up again. What a lovely birthday present! 🙂
So happy to see Mama up and about again. Enjoy your birthday dinner!
So happy for Mama. Yay!!! Get your bottom in gear, bang out your 10K words, and have a great wonderful evening out!
I did exactly that, 10,000 by 2pm. I had no idea it would be that easy. There is a bit of editing ahead of me though! And it is going to be bad cold tonight so we are wondering if we should not stay home by the fire instead.. It is a long drive, and the wind chill is meant to get down to minus 10!!by midnight.. we will see!! c
I wonder if writing is like running. Do you find that you struggle a bit to hit your stride and then it’s smooth sailing or does it just pour out from the beginning? So happy for your accomplishment!
Such wonderful news and your birthday too – a good day indeed! Sending greetings from a slightly warmer Bexhill on Sea. Love the photo of you 🙂
Birthday wishes from me to you! Good to see you out and about yesterday! I will give you a heads up when I drop off the oil..that way John will know. Have a great birthday dinner!
I am so happy that Mama is making a recovery! Poor old lady!
Happy birthday! I had forgotten that ours were so close together. Like you, I am trying to get some words written today. It will be a challenge. This story doesn’t come as easily as the others.
Did I read that right — is today (11 December) your birthday? It’s my birthday too! Have a great day.
so many saggos .. most excellent and happy birthday to you too! c
Happy Birthday and very good Mama news!
With that cold Sheila will want an electric blanket and Big Dog will be under it with her 😉
It’s you birthday! How a joyous day and a delicious supper, my dear Celi. I adored the very last photograph. It says 10,000 words!
… and please my dear, let’s not forget the lipstick. Red? Gloss? No matter. Also, some bubbles. New Zealand makes some mean bubbles. France, of course and perhaps some funky stuff from Italy. Bubbles, lipstick … you should be good to go. Have a good one!
OK darling, I shall dig out the lippie!! Love some bubbles what an excellent idea.. c
Dance of joy for “Gran”, her earned title, and for you too Celi as it is a better
world with you in it !! Cheers !