I know that the cold (we are below freezing for a while now: 3F (-17C) this morning) might try and make us feel bleak. Pulling at the loose threads of our cardi’s trying to unravel us. Butting heads with our warm outlooks. But look what we can do in the cold.
Pasture-raised chicken on the wood stove to be made later into chicken chili.
Beer bubbling in a bucket. This is a new venture, making our own beer. We are going to try and grow hops this coming summer.
The bubbling bucket is closely watched by the Watch Dog. Evidently there is a monster burping in that bucket.
The winter means Coleslaw before every meal. Either I need to lose ten pounds or buy new jeans and I LOVE my old jeans! The coleslaw works. I make it with nuts and seeds and even dried apples and pears from the summer. And kale and celery and oh everything! If I feel like a snack I eat coleslaw. Even breakfast. Lunch. At 4 O’clock when I am always at my hungriest – coleslaw. And with dinner. I love the coleslaw celi diet. You have to beat back those winter bulges with a celery stick!
In the winter there are live bees clutched in a hot ball in the hive. The hive wrapped up in insulation and old feed bags. But the bees are alive.
I took a peek when I was putting honey (in a zip lock bag with a couple of holes in the plastic so the bees can stand and sip, and some loose sugar so they can choose) into the attic arrangement they have for extra food. I looked the other day when it was warm and forgot to tell you. I was very swift, but the supers are getting light, they are eating through their honey stores very fast. But they buzzed angrily at me, as I peeked. Such a relief.
Old Chooks fluff their feathers and Boo for some unknown reason digs in the snow. Ton we seldom see on camera as he has taken to sleeping in the barn all day with the animals. I have to call him in at night. He misses Sheila. And is very sadly waiting in her pen for her to come home. Either that or he is thrilled to bits to get the whole bed to himself so he can stretch out. Who knows what is in the mind of a dog. Probably wondering where the houekeeper is, that bed has not been made in days.
I have visited Sheila and she is deeply in love with her piglet friends. I told her if she wants some piglets of her own she has to meet with the boar. Though there is always adoption if the boar does not work out. Our Kunekune gets born in a few weeks! 
Winter has the most glorious sunsets.
I had to go cross country to get to the Old Codgers house yesterday, his drive was blocked with snow and our snow plow truck was under the weather. So unable to drive my little cooking oil car because of the ice and cold John took me on the rounds yesterday in another old but slightly more reliable truck and dropped me at the bottom of Dales long drive. Ton and I scouted around and across the field to get to our friend, carrying the washing basket of clean clothes. Laughing at ourselves. It was blowing and cold, but a little bit of an adventure. I should have packed my snow shoes!
Yesterday it was too cold to be outside much which gave me a little extra time to mooch about the inter-webs checking out your lovely blogs.
If you have children who would like a treat you might like to pop over and see how to make spring rolls for kids.And me! A brand new blog written in New Zealand by a very clever young woman. Tell her celi sent you.
I hope you have a lovely wintry day today too. (or a lovely summery day as the case may be!)
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
74 responses to “The bees are alive, and beating the cold back with a stick.”
Fabulous looking chicken!
Tasty too, morning Rose!. c
The nearest I have got to brewing beer is home-made (and sometimes exploding) ginger beer. Nothing to beat it. Can’t drink beer any more, very sad state of affairs…
I made ginger beer for a while too! Loved it. c
Ah. That’s a familiar scene. A dog trained on something where a monster resides. Molly is still growling at the fridge. Good morning, c!
Oh poor Molly and the fridge.. morning misky!.. c
I have spent the last two days indoors – because its been too hot to be outside! I think my goldens would much prefer the snow if they had a choice between the cold and lying on the concrete path trying to catch a breeze from under the house. We have been eating lots of coleslaw too and I love to add fruit and nuts to mine. Its a regular addition to our summer meals. Joy in dry and hot NSW.
You are so hot and we are so cold! Where is the moderation in our lives! Laugh.. ah well, in a few months we will trade.. kind of.. have a lovely day.. c
Goodness, I can almost smell that chicken from here! After our rotten chicken-breeding season last year, we are down to two! I keep wanting to hang onto them for a special occasion!!! Enjoy, you lucky girl!
Christine
Glad to know about the bees.
Rufus had to be thrown outside to do His Business this morning…put one foot into that deep, new snow and bolted back to the door…Strange dog…
Love your photos this morning! We’re fairly housebound this morning, at least for another hour or two when the sun is supposed to put in an appearance. Have a lovely (if cold!) day, C!
another super duper account of life down on the farmy….xxxxx
Ooh, exciting to see how your beer gets on. I want to try and grow hops too, though people warn me they can go quite crazy.
I must do some research but I would imagine the cold winters here would put paid to just about anything going crazy.. it seems too that you don’t need a huge amount of hops.. though we are still in the learning phase.. c
Morning, also from a hot overcast NSW, like Joy…..Leeanne a NZ lass from Cottage Tails blog, one of your readers, grows hops, she might be a good resource. I hope Ton is just enjoying stretching out in the unmade bed, hard to bear to think he’s sad.
He is never really sad is Our TonTon, he is just waiting like dogs do.. c
Sorry, no she doesn’t…..she grows tobacco!
Tobacco! wow.. never mind i will keep researching.. c
My mouth is salivating at the chicken my friend. In LOVE! Awesome pics as usual – XOXO – Bacon
What a sweetheart you are to tromp across snow to reach the Old Codger with that basket of clean laundry. More so, I’m sure he welcomed your company.
The sun was shining in its hard winter way and my shadow as we plodded, Ton and I through the white white untouched snow, was like a dark cut. Black on white. But alas no camera sitting in the basket of sheets and warmies.
Leandro and I loved your photos today. He especially loved the chicken (the live one) and is very impressed that you are working towards living entirely off the farmy. I forgot to comment this morning, since you sent me dashing off to see the spring roll recipe!!!
I think Leonadro might like them. Crunchy is always a winner I find!! c
Despite the cold and snow, everyone and everything looks good on the farmy!
You are right Deb, it is bloody cold but still we are maintaining our crisis free status. Touch wood, fingers crossed and all. c
The snow blower was in his lane this morning as I passed by on my way to work. It made me wonder if you had tried to get up his lane! My cat does not like the treats so the few I kept will be finding their way out to you…give them to the plonkers! 🙂
Ah, that will have been The Cow Breeders husband, he was away yesterday, thank goodness. Thank you for that connie. c
What kind of “dressing” do you put on your coleslaw?? Sounds like a good diet to me!
I use mandy’s mayo recipe.. her blog is The Complete Cookbook.. and then I add a little extra lemon juice, garlic, and honey. It is all made to taste though so I am sure you could add other things like celery salt if you wanted to. I seldom make it the same every time.. Mandy forgives me c