Yesterday. The ribbons of green that had begun to wind themselves around the fields were covered in snow.
Yesterday. My old Carhart jacket that has served me well for years and lay across my back for this entire terrible winter, and just as we plummeted back into the 20’s, broke its zipper. Slopped its dripper. Spat the dummy.
Yesterday. I was digging out the North door so I could shut it in a snow storm FROM the North with a flapping jacket, and the fork broke. Digging out the North door with the Handle of a fork in a snow storm, from the North in Spring, resulted in me saying some rude words. Queenie raised her eyebrows and then her tail and made her own rude statement.
Yesterday Daisy’s mastitis returned worse than ever.
Yesterday I discovered the bodies of two dead and gutted elderly chooks. Killed by something nasty. This has never happened in my chook house before. I said nothing at all.
Yesterday, I only took one photograph.
Yesterday my horizon was crooked.
So, I am going to look forward to warmer weather. I am going to retire my ripped and worn out jacket without a zip. I am going to buy a new handle for my favourite fork. I am going to continue Daisy’s massage and milking three times a day, be grateful that she is not kicking and cycle through my stack of mastitis remedies, creating a protocol that will drop this chronic mastitis to an occasional rumble and at the same time I am going to finish the new Fort Knox chicken tractor and move the chickens into their summer premises and out into the fields early.
The crooked horizon is just going to have to wait ’til i have time.
But first: I am going to have a cup of coffee.
I hope you have a good, busy, lovely day
Love your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
77 responses to “Ribbons”
I hope tomorrow’s a better day 🙂
Oh man, those are the bad days. I’m sorry you had to go through it. Let’s hope for better sunnier days ahead.
How totally fucking awful….I thought I say it for you in order to preserve your good manners in front of your friends:)
Thank you roger.. my reputation is preserved.. c
My Mother always told me – there would be really bad days. She just never said how bad! If the saying “what does not defeat you makes you stronger” is true – then you will have become IRON WOMAN. A new super hero. If all these encouraging words from the rest of your Farmy Family could
help than these days of trial would simply not exist.
I hope everyone has seen THE KINGS SPEECH, a great film. In it, the king is encouraged to let loose with every bad word he knows in order to free his stuttering tongue. The scene is absolutely hilarious. Swearing is good for the soul. Releases all sorts of tension. And you had one tense-filled day, Miss C.
I absolutely loved that movie, it was just so Human.. beautiful work.. c
I declare it a “free cuss day” on days like that. Better out than in (I think…).
Oh I hate days like that… after a couple of setbacks you begin to look for more to come down the shoot! Cripes, you just can’t beat it a lot of days. As for the predator, our experience with the scenario you present has been raccoons. Once they find a way in, and an area they can comfortably dine, they come back every night. And they are excellent climbers! A fox is possible too, but not as likely – predominantly they go after smaller critters and can only climb crooks in trees or steps. Raccoons can be trapped easily. They LOVE marshmallows so we bait our live traps and relocate them at LEAST ten miles from here. Do you have a live trap? Make sure it’s a larger model. They’re destructive little devils and if the trap is too small they’ll tear it up trying to get out! Foxes are much more difficult to capture. Likely you’ll have to plan a stakeout and shoot it. It’s not likely at all it’s a coyote. But, never say never I guess. Good luck stopping this killer, whoever it is.
I will see if anyone has a trap i can borrow then I will buy the marshmallows, thank you! c
Raccoons are very territorial and relocating them is a death sentence. They usually starve to death because their new location is hostile with other raccoons. It is kinder to shoot them or call your animal control. Yes, it sounds harsh, but it is the way of life on ranches and farms. Raccoons also love peanut butter and cat food.
Wow, Bad Day at Black Rock Creek; hope it gets better soon; we all have odious days like that; but wouldn’t wish them on anyone!
Yah….it’s the shits! As far as the weather goes, ,my mother used to say that there was a German proverb that translated is: April does what it wants to.
Sometimes you just have to stand there and scream and stomp your feet and then go on. I am sorry, Celi.
I agree on the raccoon. They will definitely climb. I think skunks won’t go that high. Good luck. We don’t relocate anymore, we dispatch.
If any of us thought Winter would just leave without a final word, well, we were wrong. He always leaves a nasty note. Let’s hope that was yesterday and that’s the end of it. Sorry about the chooks, Celi. I hope that by sealing up that hole you’ll keep whatever it is away from your hens. Have a good evening and a better tomorrow!
Hey Celi, we all have days like that! Well I do. And always in 3s. Smile lovely lady.. It always gets better and it will with you there that’s a guarantee! 🙂
On those days, I find that laughter helps. OK, so it’s usually a side-effect of hysteria, but it eventually helps!
ah bugger! a rotten day all round…….actually sounded like a Dr Zuess story the way you told it. It’s heartbreaking to have your animals killed off like that. Hope today has been better and don’t forget to go look at the moon, it’s a beauty tonight.
Well, (!^$@$%#I*, right? I’m right there with you, kiddo.
that one.. yes!.. c