The small smiles

When I was about thirteen I began work for my Dad in his workshop at the estuary by the sea. It was the school holidays. Dad built boats. The sea and all its surrounds were our breath and bread and butter.

Dad was teaching me to weld that summer. One day he got me to move a whole pile of iron blocks into a storage space. They were kind of like big ingots but not gold. When we got home that night he told Mum proudly that Celi had moved a quarter of a ton of iron that day. She was suitably impressed.  A quarter of a ton, she said. Goodness. Good girl. Now, go and wash your face – you are filthy. I have always remembered that moment of open pride from my parents at a job well done. As they looked at each other and nodded.  Funny how something so small can follow a person for their whole life.  Like a little unpoppable life raft. Just that small smile of pride that shone between them. For me.

This is how easy it is to change a person’s life.  How easy it is for us to learn that hard work matters. 

I think of this sometimes when I am moving the concrete bricks that hold the tarpaulin onto the chicken ark. There are eight of them and each one is a hefty lift.  I can move these huge weights, by myself, just little by little.

Kim has written a wee review of her time here in the opportunities page.  Anyone who is interested in the farm stay programme may want to pop in for a read. 

And I may be having a woofer come to stay next week. Though her accomodation will not be as grand as the Farm Stay people, I hope she will have a nice time and like to weed. Hopefully. Or my next Farm Stay friend will throw her hands up in horror at the state of the gardens.

I worked at double speed last night trying to get everything in order. All the animals stowed away. The storm warnings were severe.  In the end it was not so bad. We have had rain almost every night for the last three weeks. But after this next storm we have a few days of sun so I hope we can get the hay in while Triple T is here to help.

I love the skies out here. Especially when the skies are fill of storms.

I hope you all have a lovely day.

Your friend on the farmy

celi