When walking through a flock of chickens, especially little chickens it is best to shuffle. Chickens make no connection between your foot and danger, focussed as they are on the bucket. So as I walk through, in my boots, I gently push a swathe through the little ones. They have let themselves out of the nursery now and are an official and delightful rabble. The ones I raised in the basement are unusually tame.
Guinea fowl live a long time and can walk with only one and a half toes.
Peacocks and their hens and the Guineas Love their own reflections. They are not afraid of them as they recognise them as one of the flock. So looking at themselves in the window is a pleasant surprise.
When offered an egg Sheila opens her mouth and waits for it to be popped in behind her long yellow teeth. Poppy bats at your hand with the side of her head, hard, with her mouth open, and often through sheer luck and a good deal of danger I can slide the egg in through the side of her mouth. Poppy is not a clever piggie.
Tima has learned to run away from me and towards her bowl when she sees me approaching with her carrots. Tane rus crossing my bows, still trying to trip me up in the hopes of getting a head start on his dinner. Callifornia pigs don’t eat out of bowls, he shrieks. Drop the bowl! And they do shriek.
Kittens often sleep in a tangle with no definite ownership of their own arms and legs. As though they lend each other their limbs in their sleep. A bloodless gentle sleepy exchange. When they awake they gaze with silent wonderment at their little fingers and claws not terribly sure how they came to be attached to the ends of their legs that were not there when they went to sleep either. Then they roll over with a huge yawn and fall willy nilly off the chair. So often I think they are doing it on purpose.
Plumbers here cost 72 dollars an hour.
Some Farm raised Salmon are fed pelletised chicken remains (at least I hope they are pelletised). I never thought about what they were fed before. But very seldom is the whole of a chicken sold in the marketplace, they are pieced up, for a fussy public, leaving a huge amount of waste that is sold on as feed. Which is not a bad thing in itself. Except You are what you eat – eats.
A sore throat is only the beginning.
Kittens are the epitomy of the expression Fall Asleep.
While my brain was full of wool, the battery ran out in Camera House. Ran Out.
Nanny Boo is often observed lying flat on the floor with a kitten under his chin. No-one is saying how the kitten got there, but nor does anyone seem to mind.
It is dreary here again. I think animals feel dreary too when the sun has been hidden for weeks on end. We are going to love the sun when it finally comes back.
The bees are still alive.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
49 responses to “Small things”
Fishermans Friends tablets are very good for sore throat, It is my belief that because they taste so awful (most say) the germs don’t like to stay around, especially as I eat one after the other. It does not take long for sore throat to go away.
jhust better before Christmas xxxx
I photographed their factory in the 80s, I went in with a cold and came out cured – no kidding!
wow, mabe I should come over and hng out at the gates! c
The smell of menthol had my eyes running for the two days I was in there, but I do suck them if I have a bad cold – they clear the nose, stop the cough and soothe the throat. You can go and see the Blackpool Illuminations if you visit the factory – Fleetwood is at the end of the tram line 😉
No need for Camera House with your words – I can see it all in my mind’s eye. The small things can give some much pleasure. Love your descriptions of all the creatures, so will re-read this during the day as a comfort and for fun. We have thunder and lightening today. My Missy dog is alternating between beneath the duvet with her paws over her ears, and wanting onto my lap – she’s really too big for a lap dog. The OAP gentleman-cat now bashes at his cat flap to be let in, instead of coming through it… I think actually he’s grown a bit wide for it. I know some folk don’t give it credence, but I find homeopathy remedies v good for throats, and colds, and all sorts of ailments, for people large and small, and animals (of all sizes). Wishing you a lovely day, and thanks for bringing sunshine into mine!
Of course I am like the old man with a hole in his roof, I never pay attention to it until the rain. And as i have not been sick for years, and only ever get under the weather when I am not drinking raw milk and eating raw milk cheese.. I simply have nothing in the house for a congested chest. However it will wear itself out.. c
uggh, seems even the grey ceiling has affected Camera House too. Sorry to hear you seem to have the full blown Lurgy, but very happy to hear the Bees are doing well. Get better soon. Laura
it will be all gone soon –
What a lovely read, well except for the sore throat.
Have a happy day C, sending you lots of warm sunshine from SA.
🙂 Mandy xo
I do hope your sunshine gets here soon.. everything is better in the sun.. c
Lemon and honey with a splash of whisky and some very hot water. That’ll do it.
I could see clearly in my mind’s eye all the lovely pictures you would have taken had Camera House charged his battery.
Love,
ViV x
Viv I was going to suggest the same – always works for me especially just before bed!
sounds perfect, just as soon as I feel better enough to go to the store to get some lemons.. c
Get some ginger too and grate some into the mix, it’ll kill the germs, easy your throat and warm you up, if you don’t want to deal with fresh, get ground, either is fine.
Just recovering from a Monster Cold myself. Two weeks of misery! Better now, at last. You paint such vivid pictures with your words, you almost don’t need Camera House! But of course, I love your photos too! Fun for a change! Feel better. Rest if you can.
P.S. Journey bangles going out today. Did my best with the engraving. :(.
Part of their charm is your engraving! Thank you so much. Your silver work is just beautiful.. c
Your words paint their own pictures. I hope you feel better soon.
I got my Sheila T-shirt! I love it, and will be wearing it often and with pride. I mentioned it and you and the Farmy and Sheila and the rest of the four footed family in my next post. I hope you get some nice extra visitors… I love your mention of walking through chooks. I had to stop wearing boots with laces, because my GIrls used to mistake them for bacon rind, of which they were rabidly fond.
Mine are the same with laces! Oh and the other day I had some spaghetti left over from dinner, so gave to the girls. What a hilarious sight! I think they thought they were white worms and were running around with long pieces hanging from their beaks whilst the other girls gave chase!
Lovely even without images. As always. Love your writing, Ce. Take care of your sore throat.
So many suggestions – the honey, lemon and whiskey at night definitely helps. Morning – and a few times during the day – we do a warm salt water & lemon gargle. Not sure if that really helps, but it made the throat feel better for a few minutes.
Do you have any thistle tea? Echinacea tea? Add one of those to your honey lemon and whiskey mix too.
Poppy sounds like a teenager….
Your writing as always conjures up pictures and feelings. Hope you feel better soon x
I will forever wonder how you are so able to make something beautiful out of just a list of things. Your observations are so lovely. You put me right there amongst all those things on your list. Plumbers here start at $150 an hour, btw. 🙂
My daughter’s go-to remedy is honey and lemon tea. I avoid sore throats, as they make me cranky.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY!? That is outrageous, we shoulld ALL be plumbers! c
Darned dismal weather… brought you some kind of throat crud. I hope this ailment is minimal. We finally have sunshine today, but it’s to be very short-lived. More drizzle and rain is coming our way and I shant complain… after all we need the moisture. I’m sending positive vibes your way, C. I wish I could send you one of FD’s hot toddies. They knock me out and I forget what’s ailing me! Sleep seems to be the best cure all. 🙂
You could always put it in a wee jar and mail it.. I can do the heating bit!. love love.. c
Feel better soon 🙂
I’ve been thinking of you and your sore throat since yesterday, Celi, and your resolve that it wouldn’t last long. So sorry it’s still hanging around. Don’t forget the good ole fashioned remedy of gargling with salt water. It’s not fun, but doesn’t really hurt, and can really help. Maybe a couple times a day, and at night, before you go to bed, for sure. And no harm in upping the dosage of vitamin C too. We are also longing for the sun! xo
My Dad used to say gargle a dissolved aspirin. It has spread to my lungs which is deeply annoying.. c