Though that is not exactly what I mean. Not like “oh no here we go again”. More like Right, lets begin again using all the stuff we learnt last season. Farming, like many lifestyles that are governed by nature, runs in cycles, lifetimes, seasons, weather. Nature is definitely the Guv’. Spring has its familiar steps. It is time to begin the gathering of the firewood again. We burn the wood to cook the food and keep us warm all winter and now the farmers are trimming their hedges, before they get out there to plant their fields, so out we go and get more wood to burn again next winter.
Meanwhile it looks like Tima is training Ton to carry the bowl. She has learnt another very important command. If you had said to me a month ago that I could train an 8 week old piggie to pee on command I would have laughed. But in fact I take Tima out onto the verandah where there is a dog crate filled with straw, I direct her into it and say “Have a pee Tima, go on have a pee”, and she does. EVERY time. Even if it is just a tiny one. I am still shaking my head in disbelief.
Random shot of the cream coming to room temperature before I churn.
Daisy on her way out to the field for a little walk.
Queenie’s Bobby running rings around his mother. Literally. He is such a sturdy wee chap. There is no real growth out in the fields yet, but yesterday I let them out for an hour just to have a good walk. But the ground is still quite soft and so it was just for an hour. Waiting for the pasture to grow is one of my least favourite parts of the spring cycle. But if I let them graze too early it will not last.
It rained last night and there is talk of snow then in the next few days we are getting cold again. But just for two days. Then we will slowly warm up. Just a little warmth after the rain will help the fields burst into life.
Good morning. Daisy’s milk was clean all yesterday. I shall milk and massage her three times again today then we should be done for this round.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
I am going to light the fire with some of this new wood. Just for another couple of days!
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
64 responses to “Beginning again”
You must have a brain with a built-in timer. How do you remember that it’s time to get Queenie and co in from the grass? I can’t even remember when I put the potatoes on the stove!
Love,
ViV
Morning ViV. What I really must get is a clock for the barn.. my hours seem so short.. c
Good morning! I am loving your new blog design. Really brings the focus onto your wonderful photography and writing. I wondered about the piggy potty training! How wonderful that they are so smart. We’re expecting 74 degrees today and then we’re headed into rain and chilly temperatures just like you. We’re moving back to the west coast at the end of the month where they are already seeing things bloom! That will be a warm, welcome, sight. Have a lovely day! ~ April
Morning April, are you relocating again? or just going back to visit?.. c
Relocating. Another life change in under two years! ha We were never able to see each other because of Tony’s travel requirements for his job. We had to say enough is enough. Headed back toward our son and a simpler life! 🙂
As beautiful as those bears are I am sure your husband is more fun to spend time with. One of the most empowering things you can do is say “OOPS. That was not the right choice.” and head back to the fork in the road. Excellent. At least you can put out bird feeders again. Hope you did not throw out the boxes!.. c
Such a clever piggie! We are enjoying the last couple of days of warm weather here before it all goes south and gets cold again – can’t say I am thrilled at the thought of winter – oh well, can’t do anything about it so best just go with the flow.
Have a beautiful happy farmy day C.
🙂 Mandy xo
Morning Mandy, are your winters a bit like NZ’s, how cold does it get? c
Thankfully our winters don’t get too cold but anything below 25 deg C is cold to me. We will drop to a minimum of about 12 deg C which is freezing as far as I am concerned. Don’t think I could handle anything colder than that. xo
ah, so your garden grows all year round? That is nice. c
Even TonTon has succumbed to the clever little Tima’s charms 🙂 Glad Daisy is clear, hoping the next cold spell will be the final one and that you finally head into summer. Laura
thought she was clear, this morning she was worse than ever.. c
Tima’s talents are beyond me. Amazing. I should like to have some children that obeyed “suggestions” as well as she did. On another front, HELP with the kefir bread, please. I tried over the weekend using the kefir I found at our organic-healthfood store, and it was a disaster. It produced quite a lot of bubbles the first few hours, then went all sad and flat and didn’t puff or poof or grow or anything at all. Can you describe this “active kefir” to me? I thought all kefir was technically active? Is it liquid? Is it dry? Is it the stuff you otherwise we drink (we drink quite a bit)? Or should I be looking for something else? Thanks so much! As you were…
What you want are kefir grains, (they look like little bits of cottage cheese) mine were given to me by a friend. Once you get them going, they multiply, you will feed them and keep those grains going for as long as you want, years really..like a sourdough mother, or a ginger beer bug, I will experiment with drying mine and see if i can send you some from here.. I have seen them on the internet.. though I am not sure where we find them in europe.. Let me think on it. c
I’ll ask specifically at the store. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, but now I do! I’ll let you know.
I have looked up drying them to store or travel and it does not look too hard. I will start some today just in case, they are better from a friend, getting passed down.. and all that kind of thing.. I make my lunchtime smoothies all summer with the kefir, can’t wait! c
Gathering firewood and processing it is pretty much a year round thing here. I selectively cut on our property, which means the wood is scattered over a large area, then it needs to be cut into blocks and brought closer to the house. Throughout the warmer season I split it by hand and store it. I like having about 8 cords of wood on hand. All the branches and scrap are used to fire the bake oven.
Our grassy areas are a lovely, dull, scruffy brown; I love it. Goodmornng.
no snow! hope this last lot does not get up as far as you.. having a forest to keep well managed would be wonderful for the firewood.. c
Is Ton carrying Tima’s dish or his own? Next you will have all the animals sitting at table with napkins tied under their chins! 😉
He is carrying Tima’s dish. Ton always has to be carrying something when he is ‘herding’.. c
That Tima looks so cute. She is adorably. It’s raining and cold here in Germany. The trees are blooming. Last year this time it was snowing and very cold.
Lovely to have the blossom! That will be cheering on the way to visit your Mum.
good to start on the woodpile now. because when you think about it, the seasons fly by! in 5 short months it will almost be fall. so much to do in a short period of time. tima is a real pip! she is just too cute and looks like she has a lot on her mind. hey, nice butter churn! haha!
Aren’t I lucky to have such a friend who will send me a butter churn! We will be getting the big one out as soon as i can get Daisy on the grass, then we will REALLY have some cream.. c
Gathering wood is what we do in Bulgaria all year round. You can often see the old ladies dragging their old push chair behind them laden with tree branches and bits of the hedgerow. For some it is their only means of keepimg warm in the cold winter months. We are lucky in that we can just order it and it arrives but some are not so fortunate.
Potty training for Tima, well I am chuckled pink..whoever would have thought that a pig can be trained to pee on command…even my dogs cannot do that…Can we swop one tiny pig for two tiny pups( it would make my life so much easier if I don’t have to keep mopping up a pee)
You are doing a grand job…lots of love P
That is such an evocative image, the push chair and the gathered fire wood. Such hard work but good old fashioned work, the gathering. We try to get as much into the Wendy House before it gets too hot. Take care out there P.
It makes me happy to see TonTon featured. Such a handsome guy.
Oh Cinders, I almost fell out of my chair seeing that photo of Ton carrying Tima’s food dish. It looks as though Tima has her own servant. 🙂 Yes, the nature of living by the seasons…now that is the good life! Not easy, but good!
Did I tell you about the oregano oil infusions we use to fight mastitis? If I havent send me a note and I’ll get you the recipe.
Yes send me the recipe, though I have used every potion known to man, it always comes back.. very disheartening, however I am always ready to try something else.. c
I expect to see them all carrying their bowls by next spring 😉
I will get on it!.. c
I’m sure Sheila will help 😉
I’m beginning to wish I had the room to keep a house-pig.