Can you do without a weather report?
I have been considering doing without a weather report as my next personal challenge. But maybe not. At least not in the Mid Western Winter. There is some kind of storm in the offing for tonight but we will see. And the sun shone all day yesterday. Every single animal on the farm was basking in it. They know about Vitamin D. The real stuff – the stuff that comes from Sunshine. So maybe I should keep using this particular modern tool. 
Wait lets try that one again. Godot is so shy we need more than one image of him with his delicate train up. Entertaining the girls. 
How he keeps that tail clean I have no idea.
The moment he sees me he does that whole Transformer fold away thing. So, it was a lucky find for Camera House.
Minty.
Great News! I have been asked to be a speaker for Press Publish in Portland, Oregon in March. Here is the link. I am thrilled to be able to speak. Speaking I can do. But once it was announced in the interwebs I went into a tail spin. We all worry about being judged – SEEN. However, I gave myself a good talking to about holding to the truth of who I am and who my farm is. My promise to you is the Truth from the last 24 hours. One cannot fancy that up. Thank goodness. And thank you to those of you who suggested this blog for the honour. I won’t let you down.
This is why I was casting about for the favourite blog post and your suggestions yesterday were marvellously helpful. I love our Lounge of Comments. And I love welcoming new people to the Lounge as well. Don’t forget to pop into Join Us and tell us a little about yourself. 
Today I enticed both Lady Astor and Elsie, our new Dutch Belted cows, one at a time, into the milking parlour to begin their milking training. (Though their previous owner said they should be due to calve in late spring so we have time to get all familiar). They both pooped immediately, which was interesting. However both accepted the bar closing beside them, with the chain behind and as they ate their oats I brushed them both down so they got used to being handled. Lady Astor came in first. Her Ladyship will also take a carrot from my hand, Elsie still throws her head around in fright. Both are cows – they have had calves before – but (though a milking breed) they raised their own calves and have never been milked by a human, so I am starting to train them early so they are comfortable in the milking shed and I can anticipate any troubles. Preparation is key to almost any successful enterprise – do you think? We will do this every day that we can.
Queenie is being such a bully that I fed her separately yesterday.
This way the lighter cows get a better chance at a calm meal. I am very close to finding a new home for Queenie. With the money I get from selling her I hope to buy two well bred yearling Herefords, heifers, probably in the spring. It will be sad to see her go, but she will not breed for me again. She needs to be in a herd. I will start afresh. Giving up is not an option. Not in my nature I suppose. 
LuLu. 
The kittens are ranging further out now. They were playing in the barn when I was working in there yesterday. And Marmalade is hunting again. 
Poppy.
Sheila seems to have forgiven me for going away and came on a walk with me after her breakfast. Actually she will forgive me anything as long as she gets to go for a walk. 
Good morning. The kunes spent all day wandering about, sleeping in the frozen gardens, taking the sun, wreaking havoc in the verandah. Do you see Tima’s bald patches, she has lost even more hair. Tane looks positively lush next to her.
But she is still as naughty-sweet. Kune kune’s are such dear wee piggies. 
I hope you all have a lovely day. Isn’t it nice to be home! Especially on a sunny winter day.
Love your friend on the farmy,
celi
78 Comments on “Can you do without a weather report?”
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congratulations Celi! for being chosen for an honored speaking engagement among some really interesting people! Might have to form a Kempton Toursim Office!! people might be coming to the farm in droves!! I’m sad to see Queenie go to another farm ~ hope she will be well loved as she has with you and Boo & Ton and the rest of the pack! Stay warm this weekend with the snow!
Yes the line up looks fantastic. I dreamed last night that an elephant walked up the lane! At least it wasn’t White!.. c
an elephant will be a lovely addition to the farm
It is great to have you home again – we all missed you! I know you took us with you, and it was a lovely trip, but it is also nice to be back amongst the animals. like a comfy pair of old slippers, so homey to just slip them back on after the heels.
I hope the ‘bad’ weather skips you and you continue to get some vitamin D plenty. We have been lucky to have only gotten the rain side of each storm as it passes. Our creeks and streams are full which is a great start to the growing season.
they are forecasting 5 – 8 inches of snow tonight, and more tomorrow, though i have never seen the top numbers of a weather prediction actually happen.. we will see.. everyone will come out for another walk today just in case we are snowe in!.. c
Here in New England, in our little corner we keep hitting those top numbers. We are in the jackpot area, as they say. After having no snow at all, we got three storms in succession, with more on the way. The big one last week dropped 29 inches on us. Fortunately, it was white and fluffy but it also did a lot of drifting. My husband has a plow truck, so we are lucky.
TWENTY NINE inches.. that is outrageous.. someone should write a letter of complaint!
Stay safe my FrienD
I can’t quite tell if that’s Elsie or Lady Astor peeping into the milking parlour, but with the light behind it looks like a scene from a Western. You can’t trust the weather forecast, they’ve got it wrong here for the best part of January! 😉
That was Elsie, watching to see what tortures Lady Astor was enduring.. she must have figured a good brush was OK because when it was her turn she walked straight in.. morning mad
That sounds like progress 🙂
What a marvellous new direction for you, and what a great way to spread the word about life on the Farmy. Such beautiful photos of Godot, you have an artist’s eye and Camera House is merely an extension of your creative arm. I think you’re quite right to get the Belted Ladies accustomed to the milking environment, to being enclosed and handled.
Morning Kate.. Godot really is like a barn angel, floating about above us.. c
Ethereal is the word…
I saw on WordPress that you are to be a speaker at their event. How exciting! Congratulations, you will be terrific.
So exciting about Publish Press Publish Celi!!!! Will you be traveling to Oregon to speak? xoxoxo
yes it is in oregon.. c
Congratulations on this speaking engagement. I don’t follow any of the back story behind WordPress, although I know they offer courses and such. I am not a serious enough blogger to particularly care about such things as helpmates to my own blog…I just put words out there and hope someone reads them 🙂 Thank you for another morning with the animals. I love starting my day with a variety of pictures and news about the barnyard crew and missed those images while you were home in NZ.
BTW, I hope you enjoy Portland. I am just north in WA and and believe that this is a lovely part of the world. Have you ever been in the Pacific Northwest before?
It was a complete surprise to me too when the organisers emailed me to see if I was interested.. and I almost deleted the email thinking it was spam!.. I have never been to Oregon before.. it will be wonderful to see that part of the country. c
A speaker! I can imagine none better!
Thank-you for a lovely post and for showing us how the animals are. And the farm itself – I guess I needed that to feel settled after our trip. And congrats on your invitation to speak!
That is one forlorn look on Queenie. I wish you could sell her to another blogger so we could follow her from there. Wishing her a happy home! Welcome back!
Now there’s a great idea. Could you make it part of the sale that the buyer has to blog about her?
I am not selling her to another blogger..she will be in a herd of them. c
A herd of bloggers sounds like a bit of a handful 🙂
I will let you know after the conference ha ha ha
The perfect place to find her new home! Funny,, Viv!
Dear Cinders,
Congratulations on your speaking invitation in Portland! I’m doubly happy about this as I will finally get to meet you in real person. As you know I live near Seattle so Portland is only about a 2 1/2 hr. Drive away! I I can’t wait!
Welcome home to the Farmy!
How lovely! I will be so grateful for the support.. c
I enjoy watching the weather and find it pretty important to have a sense of what is coming. We heat exclusively with wood so know how cold it’s going to be helps judge how much to burn. With the bakery it’s doubly important to control the temperature in the bakery, particularly in the summer when it’s very hot. Goodmorning! -30C here this morning.
Yes, we heat with wood too, plus i like to know where the wind is coming from for animal placement.. MINUS THIRTY.. you get SO cold there.. I am glad you keep warm.. c
Congratulations on the Portland invite, would so like to be there to hear it all 🙂 So great to see all three sheepies in the last couple of days. Hope the nasty snow dump misses the farm, keep warm. Laura
I think we will get the snow, though my bloody weather site has changed its format and I cannot find the radar! See? I am addicted, i could not give it up.. c
You are coming to my town! Hooray! I’m not sure yet I can do the conference, but I would sure love to pop in and meet you! I know you are going to be as wonderful as a speaker as you are on your blog. So fun!
What a treat Charlotte, the conference will be full on so I would love to have you there! Fingers crossed.. c
It’s an honor that you richly deserve. I so wish I could hear you speak!
So many lovely photos to peruse this morning! Oh, you mustn’t give up the modern day weather reports. Our forefathers would have been so grateful to have today’s technology in order to know how the day might unfold, and how to plan the weeks work. As a young girl I was always (and still am!) fascinated with weather and especially storms. I guess all aspects of nature have fascinated me all of my life. Oh congratulations on being chosen to speak in Portland. I think you’ll love the beauty and diverse area of the Pacific Northwest – if you have time to take any of it in. Portland is a very friendly and “hip” area. It should be a fun and exciting trip!
HIP! That sounds exciting.. c
http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/centgrtlakes_loop.php
i always look at this weather site first, then go to local tv website for local weather
but they got new, easily paniced weather lady, so most forcasts are exaggerated
Ah.. thank you ron.. i will check this one out.. thank you… c
I have no idea what the Oregon meeting is about, but the minute I saw it my thoughts were, “holy smokes, you’re only one state away from me, instead of … like… 49!!!” 😀
it is a wordpress thing.. lots of info on how to manage the technical aspects of wordpress and general getting together of bloggers to uplift our spirits and work.. however i will be THAT close!
Could you persuade them not to keep changing things just as we get used to them?
PS. I know you don’t watch tv C but if you can utube or download an episode or two on your computer of Portlandia…it is hilarious! The comedy team poke serious fun at the folks of Portland because sometimes they go overboard with their hipdom! I think I just created a new word! 🙂
Celi, if you can get out and around out of Portland, the vineyards and rose nurseries are fantastic. The Willamet river valley is lush farmland and if you should visit a garden center they have this mint compost that smells like heaven. Portlandia is where people in their 20’s go to retire.
Mint compost .. now that sounds impressive.. thanks Linnea!
Love the sun! We had slushy rain today. boo! Be sure to watch a few episodes of Portlandia to get a feel for the culture ;).
Clapping like mad here in Texas for your upcoming speaking engagement. How exciting! Just put on your teacher hat and speak your truth. You will be great. Wish I could go. I’ve never been to Washington State either. Lovely pictures today of all the critters basking in the sun. Perhaps the belted ladies were a bit nervous about the new thing in the milking parlour, hence the pooping. Just a thought. Weren’t there three kittens, by the way?
yes there are still three kittens, they scatter more now though.. very busy. c
Felicitations, Celie. I hope it will be warmer when you go to Portland to do your stuff! Godot is getting gorgeouser and gorgeouser, and it’s lovely to see all the animals again. I reckon Lady Astor is acting as an elder sisterly stabilizing influence on Elsie.
Love,
ViV
Congratulations C! This is so exciting, you will do AWESOME! And I must say the photos today are simply breathtaking, I can feel you absorbing all that is the Farmy that you missed when away!
Congratulations on your speaking engagement! Tima’s hair loss looks like Addison’s disease to me. It can occur in humans and animals and, in fact, a friend of mine and my own dog had it.
It would be terrible if she had Addisons. but All she has is a little hair loss which is not uncommon in pigs, in fact her mother looses her hair after giving birth.. no other symptoms of anything.. most definitely no appetite loss or digestive problems.. it should grow back) .. fingers crossed.. c
Hi Celi. Well done. I saw the WordPress announcement yesterday and your face was shining out from the line up. I was so proud for you. Exciting times. You will be fabulous. Cheers Sarah : o )
And the Farmy Army will be wanting t shirts ….perhaps simply a colored logo bandana. (Take some “business” cards and create a handout…people do so love handouts. Sorry, can’t stop reincarnating training sessions or marketing – it’s incurable)
Back on the stage Miss C. The spotlight has no doubt missed you! (What do your kids think?)
We love hearing about the weather – we all have weather. We can identify! (giggles)
Sometimes you need a herd…..which bring circles back to the first sentence?
Smiles sent!
Congratulations Celi! I couldnt think of anyone better.
Congratulations! How exciting for you. I know you will knock their socks off, and such a fabulous new beginning. It was lovely to open my mail and see farmy pictures again, NZ I can do myself 😉
((Laugh)) Yup back on the farm.. !.. c
Congratulations, Miss C!!! As for not talking or looking at the weather…it’s a huge part of farming and living on the land—just saying!
Linda ❤⊱彡
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
I know, I would like to train myself to watch for signs in the sky and smell the air.. I can hear snow in the clouds today..
Hear snow! A peaceful sound. My mind thought I saw a sprig of green grass today.
Linda
Congradulations on your speaking engagement. Portland is where I live & I hope you get to see some of the sights while in town. The Word Press event is being held in a hotel right across from our Waterfront Park with walking paths that go along the edge of the Willamette River. You can walk anywhere downtown from your hotel. My favorite places to take visitors are the Japanese Gardens next to the zoo (you can catch MAX our lightrail & be there in 10 minutes or the award winning Chinese Gardens located downtown. There is a pretty interesting walking tour you can take of the downtown area & Portland has more wonderful restaurants per capita than any other city in the US, so get some good recommendations from your Word Press hosts. You’ll find many restaurants serve excellent local organic food. There is a wonderful farmer’s market downtown that is fun to visit right behind the performing arts center & you can walk to Saturday Market which has music, food & local crafts & artwork for sale. Hope you have some time to get out & see our unique city. March is when all the cherry trees will be blossoming along the waterfront & hopefully the weather will be as warm as this winter has been (60 degrees rather than the normal 42 today).
Beautiful photos of Gadot & his impressive feathers. Did the issue with his legs turn out to be mud rather than a medical issue? Good news that Shelia was more friendly towards you today. Lady Astor is a lovely cow with more of a tummy than Elsie. I hope Elsie becomes less skitish over time, but a good sign that both cows could be easily led into the milking parlor. Will the toddler cats be getting names? They have grown amazingly fast.
The Saturday of the conference will be a long one but i hope to get out of the hotel before dinner.. I am skint on time as i hate to leave the farm for too long at this time of year, but I would love to fill my suitcase from the farmers market, that would be a treat! Lady A and Elsie did well again today, walking in and out without incident..Yes it seems Godot was just filthy, his legs look fine now.. i think i get over anxious with him.. after losing Kupa. I think I might just call the kittens The Toddlers. Two are identical..they are very healthy wee things.. c
I’m a bit skeptical about weather predictions but follow a combo of a weather website, Elders for an idea of what the day-week might bring, and the Bureau of Meterology satellite radar is very helpful if there is rain around.
I’m so pleased that you were selected as a speaker, I was squeaking ooh, ooh with delight to the G.O. as I was showing him the WordPress email…. look at this, and even he, familiar enough with The Farmy, recognised your pic. I laughed at your “tailspin” reaction, that would be me too. For the many of us who won’t make it to Portland for the big event, there was a comment by WordPress to the post, saying “We will not be livestreaming, but we may post videos later on if all goes according to plan.”
There goes the tailspin again!
I thought I’d give you the heads up [again!] so you could get it out of the road [again!] 🙂
Celi, Congratulations again! Blogging events are usually very relaxed and enjoyable. I was asked to speak at several (in Ireland both North and South) over the past few years. Bloggers are a friendly bunch they are not strangers, only friends you have not met yet. You speak from your heart through your fingers everyday, so in Portland you will be adding sound. Most of these events are video streamed live, perhaps we could follow the programme as it happens. If that is not happening it might be possible to obtain a podcast and post it on you blog when you return home.
Oh that makes me feel so much better, thank you Grannymar..
Good, Just relax, share from your heart and enjoy.
Great news about the speaking spot. You can’t fail; just say what’s happening and it will interest everyone, as it does us.
Oh Celi – absolutely thrilled about your speaking engagement: thin edge of the wedge . . . I know this will be the first of many!! Definitely a new direction in your life and it should suit down to a T!!! Oregon beautiful, have been to see friends in Portland quite a few times!! And you’ll have a visit with your newest grandchild in Ca before that!!! Woinderful series of photos: DO love to see those tummies on the Belteds growing . . .
Oh, weather reports: meteorology being one of my chief interest since childhood, the Bureau is the first place I visit when I put on the computer and the radar is oft watched many a time thru’ the day . . . love to know!!!!
Have I ever told you how much I like your animal pictures? Just in case I haven’t (Gosh I can’t remember sh** anymore)…”I like you animal pictures.” 🙂
I can’t remember shit anymore either!! thank you for your kinD worDs..
No, you really can’t run a farm and not have that weather forecast. Like you said, preparation is everything.
Congratulations on the Press Publish speaking opportunity. You are absolutely deserving.
I am so bummed! I am out of town on the 28th or I would be there and I would take you out or have you over or whatever you wanted! DANG IT!!!!
Brava dahling, you are my most favorite blogger and I was so happy yesterday was the first of the month so I could see the new photo on my calendar.
xoxox