Is that a contradiction in terms? Can we prepare with action? I think we can. Or do we prepare FOR action. hmm. Preparations. Well, yesterday I was preparing for the big storm that may roll in this morning. When I was not stacking hay. And did I mention that I am actually allergic to hay. Even wearing jeans and long sleeves and gloves I get welts on my skin when handling hay, itchy raised rashes. Sigh. But the hay must be stored. 
Who would be a farmer when you are allergic to GRASS! And yes they did the scratch test years ago, when I was seeing doctors ,and I am allergic to grass and horses. Hopeless.
Above is Aunty Del when I open her gate. This girl does not muck around.
The forecast was for a bad bad storm in the early hours (damaging winds, heavy rainfall) so I spent some time making sure all the chickens had shelter within their enclosures (I drug the arks in beside the barn for extra cover.) And the cows were able to get into the barn, then I opened the rat house paddock for the sheep (the sheep love the root cellar).
Poppy and Sheila are ready for anything. At least Poppy is. Her plan is to hide behind Sheila. The Behind being the operative word.
We will see.
Cats love new hay.
I hope you all have a lovely day.. even if a little stormy.
Your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
36 responses to “Prepare Actions”
Oops , I mean stacking unit.
I love that shot of Big Dog too. Talk of worms, not so much.
Ha ha ha,,….Sheila and Poppy. Comic relief.
So your Action Stations were prepared and everyone was on alert (highly trained personnel never display tension) but there was no battle… just lovely rain 🙂 I hope the hay success is just the beginning of a good season. I’m allergic too – cats, dogs, hay, paper, cardboard… sometimes a mild antihistamine can help if the contact is protracted, and lavender oil applied topically to soothe.
oh.. well it just so happens that we are going to be making lavender oil in the very near future!! excellent!… c
Herbal and homepathic remedies are interesting. Homeopathy is based on the principle that you can treat ‘like with like’, the environment of the source plant is often an indicator of its application, eg Arnica is native to the mountainous regions of Europe and southern Russia and is correspondingly effective for as a anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving agent for aches, bruises, and sprains that you would likley experience when climbing such an environment.
So, with you and lavender like found like and it’s natural that you are inclined to grown lavender as topically it’s just what you need to sooth itchy allergic skin!
Oh dear – I really do sympathise as I fond out when I moved to Spain I am hideously allergic to olive pollen and spend most of May and June looking like a Michael Jackson offspring on a day out wearing a mask :
There is an allergy clinic in Auckland that does an instant treatment for allergies. Just one treatment (non invasive; you hold the phials of every aspect of the allergy that shows up) while a gizmo goes up and down either side of your spine. The results are amazing – the principle is to re-educate the body. Allergies are such a pain. I’ve had great results in clearing them though. You are a real trooper, getting all that hay in ahead of the storm.
Aunty Del is so photogenic.
Poppy and Sheila, together again! LOL It’s good to see all your little buddies, hope you didn’t get a bad storm.