Thank you for all yesterdays excellent comments re: printing Sheila’s calender. I have some wonderful avenues to explore now, in my search for ways for Sheila to make some pin money to buy extra feed and maybe outfit a new summer area for her in the Rat House. Mama and the girls are living in there now until the grass shows. It is gloriously sunny all morning and very sheltered.
Daisy is due in just over two weeks. And so cold yesterday that her tears were freezing on her cheeks. 
Queenie would like to remind us that she is also due to have her calf at the beginning of April.
Queenie has always been such a round cow that honestly it is hard to tell if she really is pregnant or not. April might be a better month for calving though. 
Marcel was 10 days old yesterday. 
And celebrated by sleeping most of the day with his rather formidable Boo Nanny.
Do you remember that a week or so ago we had a few days above freezing, which melted some of the snow. Then of course it froze again. Now we are surrounded in fields of ice. Hard bitter unrelenting ice. The walks are even more dangerous than ever.
Below is the Creek that is really a Ditch. In fact Our John’s Great-Grandfather dug this ditch to drain the land, it was swampland until then. John has inherited a little of the land across this ditch but we need to find a way across so we can take it out of the rented/ cropping cycle and farm over there. At the moment we have to drive all the way around on the road, then cut across someone else’s bridge and through their yard. Our house is just out of sight; screen left. Anyone got a bridge for sale? A big bridge?
This is where I am going to sow the wild flowers this spring. Along the banks of this Creek that is really a Ditch.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the ever changing farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
84 responses to “Ice, Ice everywhere and not a block for my drink”
For the bridge, how about a row of concrete sewer pipes, the big ones a man can stand up in, then box the top and pour concrete? I think a series of ‘Faces of the Farmy’ T shirts would be great: Daisy, Queenie, Mama, Marcel, Sheila, Chooks, Ton and Boo. Good morning from sunny
Queensland.
Yes how about Marcel on teeshirt too. Family shots too. With Marmalade, Ton, Boo alone or together. You can never have enough tees.
Love that horizon photo!
Great pics again. Looks like Marcel is smiling and why wouldn’t he be? Love your posts.
The willingness to do hard work in order to make a farm better – have to respect the man and his ditch. Honestly, our ancestors routinely did amazing thing because it had to be done.
Saw a big front headed your way. Pipe are such a worry during winters like this – one reason I was glad to leave our old house (despite all the work we did there) and settle further south. (hurricanes are the trade-off. Sigh)
Marcel by the stove is just the cutest picture. those expressions. And the “best friends” one underneath. Great pictures.
I love the way you keep planning for spring and summer. Sounds like a good survival strategy! The wildflower will be beautiful.
That lamb is too cute for words…he actually looks as though he is smiling…and why wouldn’t he be smiling.
It looks so cold there! I have just had 2 weeks at the beach and I am now feeling guilty. I am back in Italy next week to the cold and wet and digging in the dirt planting things at Casa Debbio.
What a cozy duo Marcel & Boo are. That Marcel just can’t stop smiling. I think you might be getting hit with the big (maybe final?) snowstorm that we’re going to be getting here. Sunday for us…in the meantime it’s freeze your butt off cold.
Delighted to see all the suggestions for a ‘farmy store’ ~ the T-shirt idea already amplified by some of the Fellowship is great and your book, possible calendars, cards and even soap [tho’ that is heavy to send?] exciting! Other ideas may come about in time! Also like the idea of finding an old bridge or materials for one! . . . Oh Marcel – happy 10 day birthday: you really have a heartachingly beautiful smile 😀 !!
Yes the T shirt might take off, I need to find out how to do this, I shall ask a printer in town.. wonderful.. have you had rain eha? are things calming down in the bush?
Celi ~ I think the T-shirts would be the easiest to post – and there are so, so many ideas one could use: I can see one Fellowship member ‘decking’ out the whole family and buying some for gifts! Can you imagine how Marcel and Sheila would go over with kids!!! What a ‘giggle’!! You could charge an extra dollar or two if you included a small printed page on the particular animal: would be something different! It is softly raining for the second day here and another to come . . . the temps are down to high 20s C and locally I cannot see any further problems till next spring. Just hope we don’t get some crazy weather patterns now for our winter . . .sleep well when you get there . . .
Even if you’re in a bad mood, the pictures of Marcel & Boo Nanny will make anybody smile!!
Love them!
That sheep has the sweetest face, always smiling!
That would be a lovely place for wildflowers. Marcel has grown a LOT in ten days! I love the smile on his face. Can’t wait to see the calendar girl!
Sorry to be so late. I thought I wrote something earlier. Oh, well…
Back in my tending bar days, I knew a woman that had a t-shirt shop and she would custom make them. Now, I don’t know what she charged or whether she would take larger orders. Heck, Celi, I don’t even know if she’s still in business. I’ll ask around. The big question will be the cost. Sheila is a big girl and it will take more alfalfa than what a few pennies’ profit per t-shirt will supply. 🙂
I didn’t realize it, but lambs look like they are smiling all the time! Kind of sad. I’m going to have to give up looking at live lamb pictures 😀
Two (or however many) concrete drums with packed earth on top seems to be the solution that I see most often, unless it’s a very wee expanse where just a slab of concrete may do. 🙂