Deep cold. Last night it went down to- 2F (-18C) or if you want to add windchill which I find a dubious equation at best, it was -10 (-23C), pretty cold then I’d say. Many people have frozen pipes, no water in their houses and are just waiting it out. I know many of you are colder, I have no intention of competing with you, this is cold enough for a New Zealand girl from the beach. We are doing ok, though still hauling buckets of warm water across to the animals. The heated buckets are not keeping up.
The barn is a circus. No-one wants to go outside. Tilly keeps jumping gates from pen to pen. And Mama is still on a slow recovery. Daisy is on the demand for more food. In the early morning when I am used to hearing chickens and pigs and cows and sheep and peafowl and guineas in the barn I am also hearing a whole range of early wake up wild bird calls. All waking up and saying is it warmer yet, do you have food?
The chook house is full of starlings. It is like a scene from a Hitchcock movie, the one he never got around to co writing with Chekhov due to generational and geographical restraints. A hundred terrified starlings wings beating and squawking, flying about my head inside the chicken coop. Throwing themselves at the windows but never OUT the door. Scrabbling at the glass like live crayfish in a pot of hot water.
The chooks raising their eyes heaven ward threatening strikes. That’s it. That’s it! -either you get rid of the starlings or I am walking OFF the set. No more eggs for you (missy) Miss C. 
Below the trees there are many dead starlings, they are just falling off their perches in the cold. Boo keeps bringing them to me saying: Can I have this One. No? Oh well what about this one it is quite dead. I could have this one. You could throw it for me. No? You want that one too? Oh well, thats ok, because I have plenty more.
It was so cold last night Sheila built her bed so high it was practically a throne. a work of art. She is way off the concrete floor of the barn. Snuggled under her blankie.
Yesterday I had my 10.000 words written by 2 pm. A very good lesson for me in not setting my sights too low. It can be done and relatively easily as long as i give myself permission to ignore everything else inside the house. And now I have the pleasure of going back and editing and shoving the text around until it makes sense.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
your friend
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
95 responses to “Still in the deep cold… just a mite chilly!”
I think -18 c is cold enough for anyone. I have mixed feelings about the starlings – a few less wouldn’t hurt but the thought of them freezing to death is a little sad. I’m glad the others found their way inside. If the barn is a circus then you are the ringmaster extraordinaire.
Sydney’s weather is finally sorting itself out and starting to feel festive. Much as I’d like to experience a proper cold northern hemisphere Christmas, I doubt it would feel like Christmas to me.
Wondeful effort on the 10 k. Speed typing to keep warm 😉
It is a little weird not to go to the beach at christmas!.. c
Cold is cold….brrrr…..I feel for you. Poor animals…sigh…won’t be warm for quite a while… 😦
Starlings? I can’t believe it! Don’t they fly south for the winter? Holey Buckets!!! Tough when the pipes freeze…all those buckets to haul.
So funny Boo! All those birds! And mommy wants them all!!! LOL Four and twenty black birds baked in a pie! Maybe you could have Starling Pie!!!!!! 😀
Okay…not funny… 🙂 They sure are a nuisance! We have black birds out here that are a pain in my posterior! Ah hate em!!!! They poop sideways when they fly by my windows! Nasty things!
Sheila you are a very smart piggy!!! I would burrow under all that straw too!!!
Baking all day again. That’s why I am late once again…uffda My sun parlor table is covered with containers of cookies! 😀 And I can’t even eat one…whine whine…. LOL
Congrats on the writing! Sleep well and tomorrow is another day! (((Celi))) Hope the tush is feeling better! Muah!
Methinks everyone from Down Under better stand a few steps back and shut up ~ don’t think I would last a day – as Viv said from France, -2 C is horrendously cold for us too 😦 ! [Hmm today: 26 C, clear, 5-10 km breezes, hmm!!!!] . . . . Daresay the birthday dinner is still on the back burner . . .
we actually went out for our dinner this evening and it was very lovely, just cold, dressing to go out is a bit different from dressing for the cold!!..c
I can see the soft smile from here . . . am smiling myself . . . ni-ni!!
Kupa’s tail is nice and colorful!
Sending you warm thoughts. Very warm. Good for you for sticking to your goal. I got a great deal written yesterday, too, but not 10K. This one isn’t a 10K a day kind of project like my last one was.
I look forward to reading some of your writing one day, is it as humorous as your blog posts?
That is some impressive cold-weather-activated show you have going there, darlin’! Keep yourself and everybody else toasty and safe, and the starlings’ll have to figure out how to manage their life in temporary indoor digs in the meanwhile. What a hullabaloo!
hullabaloo is an excellent word for it!. c
The cold seems to work well for you – 10,000 words so quickly! And have you thought about making a pie with “four and twenty starlings” instead of blackbirds – I am sure Mad Dog could track down a recipe for you?!
Hi from England Celi! Well, now I’m the last to comment on this thread but will have a chance to catch you first again for a while… :). So, I left Vancouver yesterday (?) (honestly, this time difference is so confusing…like you lose a day but actually only 9 hours, so only half of a day…but it feels so much worse) anyway, left Vancouver with – 2 ish and got here into a positively balmy 5-6 above. So am sending some warm breezes your way. (might work, you never know) 🙂
winter seems to have arrived very early this year. I visited, via FaceTime with two blogging friends in California yesterday and they were in long-sleeves, scarves and hats. oy vey
The squirrels are still so busy – looks like they are expecting a long winter.
Your description of the barn scene certainly is accurate – comical as creatures start acting like people crammed in cities. Poor Boo. Got a chuckle at his wanna play efforts with new found “toys”…Molly would be just as bad. Stay warm – all of you!
I laughed at the ‘Starlings in the Chook House’ movie, thinking of Chekhov & Hitchcock collaborating! Your imagination tickles my funny bone, which is just as well because I’ve cracked a rib and need to laugh on the inside at present – and that’s what your blog gave me today (well it was yesterday when you posted, but I’m slow right now). Hope you are recovering.
Tui and Pania are looking good. Kupa’s feathers are coming back, too, I see. It does sound like a busy place, that barn of yours. As if the cold isn’t enough, to have the wind blowing adds insult to injury.
Brrrr. Stay warm! I think you are east of us and warmer weather is coming!