The first day of 2014. I have a good feeling. The sun rose white and cold into the blue sky on the last day of 2013. There was even a little snow. I still love snow. 
I hope I don’t jinx it but things have been quietly, quiet and deeply, blissfully uneventful around here for some days now. Quick – Knock on Wood! And watch out for leprechauns, if they hear a knocking they might come a running. Now pull your right ear quickly so only the good spirits hear. But only if you can’t find any salt to throw over your shoulder (watch out for the guy behind you!) Salt is best! But it is quietly wonderful to have life on the farmy ticking along gently. For the time being. The being of time.
But so cold that everyone is keeping to the barn. No photos of any animals and I did not take the camera on Sheila’s walk. I shall seek them all out and do a walkabout shoot tomorrow for you, if the weather co-operates. We need to start the year right. No collection of favourite shots this year. I know that retrospectives are terribly popular but .. well you know.. not for us this year, I am sure you agree, we would all be bawling!
You and I will keep our heads up and watching forward. Yesterday I drove all over everywhere and picked up pig buckets and visited, and bought feed and went to my little Italian supermarket for the first time this month and the last time this year. Then home again to chores in the dusk.
Walks in the sunset.
Yesterday. We had a high of 15F (-9C). I am not even going to discuss the 1/2F (-17) I worked in yesterday morning. This new weather station might be a little bit too accurate. I am sure i feel colder if i know how cold I am. But we do not have the deep deep cold that some people are having. I also wonder why John’s ancestors settled here. How did they even survive. (Does a rhetorical question have a question mark?) Did the wheel fall off their wagon? (rhetorical again).
I hope you all have a wonderful first (or second) day of 2014.
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
71 responses to “How wonderful ..”
Happy New Year Celi! 🙂
My Mom told us the same thing! Salt over the shoulder and yes! I still do it!!! LOL
Very cold here too….way too cold and tomorrow will be even colder. Brrrrr…..
I too wonder how Kevin’s ancestors survived out here before electricity and indoor plumbing and nice toasty heating systems! Just like your hubby’s family I am sure. I think I would have died!
Some of my ancestors on my mom’s side of the family arrived on the Mayflower and I think of how primitive it was and how frightening to leave your country and travel such distance from home… on ships that were a far cry from ours today. Certainly not luxury ships by any stretch of the imagination. Cold, nor’easters freezing the coastline and those on it’s shores…and very little food! Thank the heavens for the Native Americans who kept them alive and shared with strangers escaping death and religious persecution. Or I might not be here today!
The plains are stark and hard now…never mind all those years ago. It is a lot to imagine and contemplate. Women died frequently in childbirth, a simple injury could be the end of you, and if you had a bad harvest…starvation.
Brave men, women and children looking for a better way of life, or fleeing oppression, or simply shipped out to colonies for indenture. All willing to take the gamble for freedom…willing to endure great hardship and harsh climates.
Yes…a lot to think about Celi! So true!
I’ll bet you were thinking of home last night! New Years is a huge celebration around the world.
Makes me feel not only hopeful for the year ahead, but a little melancholy for the past as well.
Happy Hogmanay! My name is Welsh from my Grandma on my Dad’s side and one of my great-grandma’s is from the Highlands! From her to me to you!
A guid New Year tae ane an’ aw,
An’ mony may ye see!
An’ durin’ aw the years tae come,
O happy may ye be!
An’ may ye ne’er hae cause tae mourn,
Tae sigh or shed a tear!
Tae ane an’ aw, baith great an’ sma’,
A herty, Guid New Year!
Love Always, Mere (((((Celi))))
Melancholy is OK.. have a great New year .. it seems your cold weather is on its way over here and it makes me very afraid for my animals.. c
We too have been way too cold here this week. Highs only in the single digits F and today there was wind too. While we should be back in the 20’s on Saturday it’s supposed to plunge again after that, Monday’s high to be minus 8 F! I am also already worried about my animals. I will do my very best to tuck everyone in with some judicious use of heat lamps and hope for the best. I’m certainly glad the wee Kune Kune won’t be here til spring!
Would you bring him inside in the cold? I might.. we are looking at 18 below in a few days!.. this is very bad.. if i had babies i would bring them in.. but yes llike you i am heat lamps, nailed in place and tons of straw plus lots of feed.. horrible.. c
Do you have a name yet?
I am considering four, Desmond (Desmond is a barrow on the Walter Place obladi, oblada), Nigel, Jeremy or Orville. I may have to wait til I clap eyes on him. How about you? And yes, I most definitely would bring him in the house, I did, after all have a house pig for 11 yrs.
your house pig knowledge will be helpful to me, I have a feeling Johns won’t mind!! So i may test the waters, I vote Nigel! I am leaning towards Albert. But you are right to name them too early means you have to name them twice (Blue/Boo is an example) so i will be good and wait and see.. c
So far Nigel has the most votes. My Mac dog came with his name but he should be called Rocket Dog! He looks just like Harry the Cow Dog in the David Stoecklein photo only he’s all gray. I do like Albert (Bertie baby? haha). Sadly my John is not too keen on another house pig, he and Roosevelt did NOT like each other but Rosie was here first so he stayed. Strange, as my John is very soft for animals though he pretends to be gruff and tough.
That is a lovely sun in the blue sky you captured. Perfect! Sunset was nice, too. Happy New Year, farmy!
Happy New Year, Celi. 🙂
Happy New Year, my darling friend. May it be peaceful and joyous for you! Much love xxx
Oh heck accurate weather readings always make you feel colder MIss C, always! My temperature guage is a) how many layers I have on and b) how many layers I should have on, to keep warm that is! 🙂
I am wearing Five today! a five layer day.. inside that is.. c
So ~ there is ‘Oirish’ blood in you: no wonder you have such a wonderful ‘gift of the gab’ and are able to go with the flow 🙂 ! Thank you for the beautiful winter pictures of the farmy . . . so peaceful to see the clear skies and no wind and everything hush-quiet!! Let the vibes of that reach each and every one of us also . . . may all the good spirits visit you and us this year of 2014!
Happy New Year! All the best for the farmy in the coming year! We are all on this road together :*)
isn’t that a lovely thought, all in it together! have a lovely new years day evening.. c
Good wishes to you all for 2014, Celia.
The farm looks as if it is sleeping. These are beautiful, serene shots. John’s folks must come from hardy stock to choose to settle there.
I have a good feeling about 2014 too. It’s a new year and tonight is a new moon, which last happened about 19 years ago. With the falling snow, I can’t see the moon, but even the fresh blanket of snow on New Years Day, feels like a sign of good things to come this year.
May 2014 brings wonderful things your way!!!
All of the blue in your photographs is pretty… but it makes me shiver! I often wonder about the early settlers. How on earth did they manage? This year has been unusually cold in Oklahoma. Perhaps this year my fruit and nut trees, and berry plants will have enough chill hours. We barely manage enough hours most years! Something positive to think about!
Happy New Year! Beautiful photos. I love your phrase, “For the time being. The being of time.” Wonderful!
Celi? Your page is unavailable?
Yes, the latest post appears to have gone AWOL!
Star Ship Enterprise or Boo and Marmalade Kitty 🙂 ? Laura
I think that feeling may well be a lack of heat known technically as cold! Brrrrrrr!
Beautiful photos as always but these are so silvery they make me shiver!! Happy New Year!