Every time another change happens on the farmy I need to pause, reset, and adjust so that I can sensibly create another workable routine. 
I have a milk cow, a beef cow, dairy calf, beef calves, sheep, pigs, chickens, big ones and little ones and baby chicks, peacocks, peahens, the ducklings, dogs, bees, cats and Tima, (Tima the Naughty is in a category of her own.) And two barns. So the mornings and evenings are all about getting everyone fed and cared for in some semblance of a routine. 
When you enter a period of flux you must be very careful, this is when you can turn too fast and hurt yourself or someone else or worse, when going at speed, miss seeing something important. It is best to pretend to be a bus – driven by a veteran bus driver with nowhere special to go – and take the bend wide, slowly and with care. Plenty of time to put the pedal to the metal when the road opens up before us.
Yesterday was a flux day. A study day. An adaptation day. The routine is in flux. The animals and birds are moving from station to station. I am regrouping. We have a new calf. Daisy has to be milked carefully keeping any infected milk separate. So Aunty Del the baby heifer only gets the clean house milk. One lawn mowed and one garden weeded a day. The cold is slowly lifting. Summer is creeping in. But not fast enough. Hopefully this morning the Post Mistress will call with the news of the new chicks arriving in her Office. The meat chickens. Then I can work them into the routine and we will be good. Then I shall put the pedal to the metal and engage cruise control.
So, do you still want to come for a Farm Stay? By the end of this week I am at full throttle, laughing into the prairie winds and doing a kiwi jig and we will remain at full speed ahead until the end of September. Love it!
My little Tips on How to get More Done in a Day.
1. Get up 15 minutes earlier (or in my case I have lengthened my day by 30 minutes) and use the time immediately. Fill that 15 minutes with work. Don’t take an extra 15 minutes to drink coffee and read blogs! (laugh)
2. Work faster. I mean FAST. If you are doing a job you hate, do it At Speed. Make your footsteps heard as you rush about the house. (You can tell housework is my least favourite!)
3. Time yourself. It takes me 6 minutes to unload the dishwasher. 4 minutes to collect a load of washing and shove it in the washing machine. 20 minutes to set up for the milking, 12 minutes to milk Daisy and 15 minutes to clean up afterwards. Do you see what I mean. If you know how long each job takes you can fit them in when you have a spare 5 minutes.
4. For never ending jobs like The War on Thistles in the pasture or weeding the gardens, or mowing, or keeping the couch clear of clean laundry – work for a specific period then stop.
5. Work out what time of your day you are at your best. Use this time for the most important work of the day. Be it writing, painting, building or cooking. I am at my best right now, just at dawn, after a shower. My mind and body are both wide awake and alive. I have done my writing, so off I go into the dark to open the ducks pen, bring Daisy in from the field to think about the milking, feed the pigs and so on and so forth and then proceed through the list of the morning.
Good morning. I hope you all have a lovely day.
your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
48 responses to “Flux”
Very practical information on having a productive and happy day! I’m fixin to get out there now and weed the garden! The wind is howling out of the south… better add a couple o’ rocks to my pockets lest I blow away!!! Of course I wouldn’t mind blowing up north and landing on your farmie… it sounds like you could use another hand! I’d spend my free time getting to know Naughty Tima!
Wise lady. 🙂
I still want to come work on the farm!!! After all, when there is change in life, we all live in flux for a time. And flux can be good. It helps us learn to adapt, change and grow. Now, what I need to change in my life is rising a bit earlier in the mornings. So hard though when I have two little girls who don’t want to begin their day until they’ve had some cuddle time with mommy in the morning 🙂
Your blog so reminds me of the life back on our farm in Germany when I was a child. My father , who worked so hard for so many hours every day doing what you are doing. Take good care of yourself.
I need to take your advice and take wide turns when I’m in flux. I love the picture of Marmelade , she is reflecting .
I also love the advice on Wide Turns! It always takes awhile and some adjustments to get into a new routine, particularly if you are dealing with animals. I would have like to see Tima with the ducks…
My goodness..when do you get time to breathe?
Remember to take time to smell the roses, Celi. Going full speed ahead is fine if you can stop every so often during the day and really…I mean really, enjoy the little things. Like a bee in a flower. Personally, that first cup of coffee in the morning, reflecting on the day and getting my thoughts together is the best time. Right now I am admiring the apple blossoms kissing the lilac blooms. First time in 20 years they have bloomed at the same time.
I often lie in the tall grass down the back, while Tima is grazing, it is lovely.. c
I just read your tips. What planet are you from? I need a nap.
You have to be the master of balance for your job! I have to imagine you don’t have any trouble sleeping at night.
O how I’d love to stay! I’m more of a feeder and weeder than housekeeper, too 🙂 I doubt I will ever see your fine farmy in person, however! I’ll have to just “suffer” with all the beautiful stories and photos on the blog 🙂
Tima begs, jumps and is clever… just like a dog possibly even more so although your dogs are very smart. And Nanny Boo is just too cute. You coordinate so much into a day… Getting up early makes a difference. When the G.O. leaves at 5.20-30 am he says to me ‘stay in bed’ but I jump up otherwise I’d not have any blogging or walking time.
Fully understand how you function! We ARE a bit alike – I am one to make daily lists – it’s a fully ‘do and be rewarded’ system: x number of items done one is allowed a strict 10-15 minutes of ‘fun things’ – that over, one has to ‘earn’ for the next break ~ well, it has worked for me all my life 🙂 ! And I count the minutes also – actually that is very much part of the fun!!!!!! The ‘ticks’ for things accomplished give huge sat9isfaction!!!!!!!!
It’s not just the volume of work, it’s the complexity. But you have great systems in place, and it must be invigorating have all that life whooshing into the farm.
Barn Kitties always have their pedal to the metal.
#4 is something I need to incorporate into my day. Thanks!