(I know my featured image never has anything to do with anything but I am sure you are used to it by now – never throw away a burnt pot – they come in handy)
A throat – when stretched up to call out: is sublime, sexy, stream lined. When tucked into a scarf with a bark and a snuffle the throat just hurts. Mine hurts. For the first time in years and years I have a sore throat. Though it does make for a sexy voice! But one tries not to cough. I have a deep loathing of illness so I am absolutely sure that it will be All Gone by tomorrow or there will be trouble. 
But just this once, yesterday, I lay on the couch for 10 minutes(with Camera House my steadfast friend) and watched the kittens and their dog. I lock Marmalade outside often now, she is trying to wean the kittens but they are persistent. And when she is out. Nanny Boo takes over.
Anyway.. pictures from the couch 
Every part of this dog has a kitten cuddled in. Such sleepy babies.
Of course I am much better this morning. More than 24 hours being under the weather is unacceptable.
On a subject far away from kittens-
I miss Queenie, (my big Hereford cow) I know you do too, Kim mentioned this the other day. Queenie rejected two rounds of AI so she is away with a young bull. And it seemed that they were breeding last month. She has another 10 days with the bull. If there is no sign of him trying to breed her again (which means she did not come into heat again – a good result) I will bring her home. And we will call the lady vet to blood test her. So fingers crossed.
If she is not pregnant she will be sold to a farmer who has a large herd of Herefords, in with other cows and bulls she should naturally breed. But I cannot keep her here if she will not breed in my bull-less micro climate. This is a small farm not a petting zoo. Sheila, my big fat pig, is our ONLY large animal pet. I do not have the funds or the land to carry multiple pets. A farm is for growing food.
My objective is to feed the families from this small piece of land – and feed my own household too solely from the farm. Plus the Multiple Fellowship families who want chicken and beef and pork. We cannot carry a large cow who does not breed. It is hard isn’t it? But right in a way. What many people forget when they talk about organic meat is that the failing animals are not treated with antibiotics and medications – they are culled. Queenie will get a pass, she will be sold on, she is still young. But let’s hope she breeds for us.
Hopefully we will see her home in a week. And then we will see what Elsie says about that!
Have a truthful day.
Your friend on the farm.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
46 responses to “throats”
It’s amazing how good a mum Marmalade is, after her own sad experience as a kitten. I hope Queenie is pregnant, but you are right about not running a petting zoo. I hope your throat feels better tomorrow 😉
I think that is a profound statement that people pushing for organics overlook: that failing animals can’t be treated, but instead are culled. I don’t find it profound as an argument against organics, it’s just a truth we prefer to overlook. Thanks for making me think and keeping me grounded in reality.
I hope you cow breeds for you. 🙂
I hope you are truly better today. Also that Queenie is gravid. Your farmy furry friends are so gorgeous that we forget that the prime object of keeping them is food. Look after yourself, as well as the animals!
Love,
ViV x
Lets hope both Queenie and Elsie are carrying little heifers. Look after yourself 🙂 Laura
with kittys or puppys, i used to feed them good before i turned them back in with mama.
made the weaning process much easier on mama and babies.
everytime i look at those kittys i remember how worried we all were about marmalade at that age
Sometimes the realities of the farmy are harsh, (especially in the face of the big, furry, lovable faces) but the truth sometimes is. I’m hoping for the best for Queenie. May she come home preggers and fluffy and healthy. There’s something going round here too. Chloe and mom both down with nasty, little, sniffy colds. Oh well, tis the season. Hopefully you have loads of vitamin C, or vitamin C rich foods around you.
Gosh, not only fingers crossed that Queenie is preggers but legs , toes and eyes….Its a hard life (I will never be able to be a farmer)
I hope you are feeling better. Evie is home on the couch today with a sore throat and barking cough. It is that time of year I guess.
Those snuggling boo kittens are so cute. Boo is special, an old soul.
Fingers and toes crossed that Queenie is pregnant. Marmalade has been such a good mum but it is nice that they have Nanny Boo as well. They really are adorable little ones, aren’t they? I can’t stop looking at them. Hope your throat is less scratchy and sore today!
I am glad you took a little couch-time. Lovely, warm pictures. I hope you have a good recipe for a hot-toddy, too!
I ditto glad that you took couch time. You work way too hard. Here’s to good health, animal and human.
Go Queenie go!!! You can do it! Take care of yourself Miss C. And if you can’t, perhaps Boo can look after you.
I hope so darling, we will know fairly soon I think.. c
Such contented resignation on Boo’s face!
Christine
Those kittens are so cute and Nanny Boo makes me smile on an otherwise dreary morning. Celi, there is a book in Germany about a girl that farms that takes care of animals and an ill stranger, it’s a great story with a lot of twists and turns. I try to find the title and see if it was translated into English. I hope you feel better soon.
Oh yes please~.. c
Goodness, prayers that Queenie and her young bull have gotten the job taken care of!!
Kittens, oh how I will miss their sweet photos when they have gone on to their forever homes!