What is it with cats and hammocks? And the crossword.Clever cat.
When John pulled the Black Mariah out of the front doors of the crib at the Kelly Creek Barn, we needed the trailer to relocate the calves to their new quarters, with his truck. I bought the tractor around so we could pull THIS out the back doors.
A gorgeous old hay rack – a trailer to stack the hay on in the field. It had been parked in there for years and years. And you know that saying – one man’s bacon is another man’s steak or is it one man’s junk is another man’s gold or one man’s meat is another man’s poison or one man’s wife is another man’s chainsaw or whatever that saying is. As YOU know we have needed a hay rack for such a long time. This may have been obsolete to someone else, but to us it is wonderful. And it still rolls. So, John pulled it out of the crib and I towed it home. He will take it to the workshop and fix it up over the winter.
In the old days a glass of champagne (or four) while perched on the 3rd story windowsill of a Soho nightclub, in the heat of a London summer, dressed in ridulously high heels and silver thread, my friends shrieking with laughter at my dry New Zealand jokes- made me happy, now an old hay rack fills me with excitement. Who Knew.
Later we drove the three calves to their new fields where there are piles of delicious clovers and trees for shade. After they had sniffed about a bit I moved them into the big barn and settled them in their sleeping quarters. Queenie’s Bobby was feeling the stress as this is his first time sleeping without his Mum. So it is best they have a few quiet nights. Plus I do not trust the local dogs across there. I am seriously thinking about a guardian dog for that barn. We will see.
Queenie was bred again yesterday (the semen came from a bull called Beefeater- sigh) and The Lady Vet said she was looking very good and ready. So once again – fingers crossed.
Elise and I walked back from the Kelly Creek barn in the late afternoon and Ton had a swim on the way, in the Ditch that was a Creek that is now a River. I love it when the dogs can get to swim in the creek, it cleans them up and cools them off beautifully.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy,
miss c
The Kitchen's Garden 
30 responses to “To Kelly’s Creek Farm”
What a fabulous find, looks lower than Mr Hayman’s so easier to load and unload too 🙂 Poor Little Bobby, could Queenie hear him mooing or is the new barn out of earshot? Laura
I hope the Bobby doesn’t miss his mum too much, and that everyone enjoys the change of address. I know what you mean about upcycling – very satisfying to save a few bob and rescue a usable object from landfill!
Vx
Like you I used to live the city lifestyle, it was exciting, lots of coffee and cigarettes and getting revved up for meetings, then lots of food, art and dancing in the down time. I loved it but I also loved the next thing I did which was being a waitress at a bar in NYC. And I love what I do now, although the girl that worked in that bar would find me very dull indeed. I have never really aspired to the femminist idea of having it all but I have loved having the freedom to decide what part of “it all” is most important to me, then change my mind about that, it makes for a full life.
I hope you’ve got your ear plugs ready, Queenie and her Bobby will likely voice their displeasure all night long, and maybe not just the one night!
Ha ha – perhaps that farmer likes the Beefeaters at the Tower of London or the gin 😉
It’s always difficult for baby to be separated from mom, but I’m sure Bobby will love his new digs.
Yay for a hayrack!!!! It will certainly make moving those bales easier.
TonTon looks so happy to be taking a swim. My dogs are in desperate need of a good wash, but no creek, ditch or river in our yard so the bathtub will have to do.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. 🙂 I’m so happy you’ve found a treasure.
Is there a place on your blog where I can find the story of you meeting John, marrying and somehow ending up in America?
Oh mercy, I think that story is somewhere, i will try and remember what its title was for you.. c
Such a fabulous story!!! Don’t forget the part about ‘the note’! xo
Oh, so lovely to hear your comparison between a Soho evening and a hay cart! Very often, Kevin and I say something similar, ” Who would have thought when we were doing such and such in our former life, that we’d ever be plucking ducks, making sausages, cooking endless breakfasts for people we’ve never met, building pig/duck houses, motorcycling around the Highlands and Islands…..?” Ain’t life GRAND!!!
Christine
What a fantastic find. A real treasure which will give you many hours of great satisfaction, far morethan a seedy night in Soho
Xxxxc
Ton looks like he found a nice place to cool off. It’s not often we see him off-duty. It’s fun to see you giddy over a new-old hayrack–especially with the glimpse you gave of life before the farmy. Relocating in more than one way, I think.
Oh, Celi I so understand!!! I most certainly do!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
What is really great is notonlyfinding something useful, but having someone willing and able to make it work at its capacity. I get such a kick out of Ton. And am sorry for Queenie’s boy. Very sad. Was Daisy’s boy crying too?
No, Daisy’s boy and auntie were just happily munching, and by this afternoon all was quiet as they laid under the cool tree. It does not take them long to get used to the changes.
I remember those hay racks. My job as a teeny was to receive the hay from the men hoisting it up with a fork ( a dirty job that required a lot of muscles) and stacking them in the right order onto the cart. That was before the machines .
When did you make this drastic change from city to country? I love to read that story.
A guard dog may be a good idea. So tell me about the neighborhood dogs. Do they belong to the neighbors or are they feral? How many are there. In this area loose dogs are not tolerated….city people that move in and let their dogs run loose soon learn the rules or never see their dogs again. The neighbors’ dogs are kept home. Finding a mauled or killed animal that you have spent months or years caring for is unacceptable, at least to me.
These are neighbours dogs – they are the ones that killed the chickensover there so we have run three wires along the outside perimeters of the property so a dog cannot get through, it was more expensive but I hope it keeps them safe, there have been calves in there before so i think it should be alright. c
Hopefully you have talked to your neighbors and let them know that their dogs will be shot if they are caught roaming in your pastures. After our neighbor’s dog, that looked like a wolf to our sheep , ran and scared them half to death, they (the neighbors) were told on no uncertain terms about the rules. One of their dogs never returned and then they got the message to keep their dog home. Around here we subscribe to S.S.S. as do all the stockmen. In California where we lived years ago, there was a county trapper that went after “nice” family dogs that were let out to roam at night where they formed into a pack of wolves. They brought down cows, horses and other livestock. Once they get the taste for blood, they will continue to kill….going after bigger animals. You know that dogs can jump fences, right?
Hey Celi .. Ah I used to love the high heels and making friends laugh with nutty Kiwi humour. Now I so enjoy gumboots, compost and my veg garden! What happened 🙂
Ah, the days of high heels… and now I’m happy with muck boots and work boots. Indeed, who knew? Sipping the bubbly though, has championed over the years. It’s still a favorite indulgence! 🙂
I am with you on the bubbles, everyone needs bubbles.