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
The Kitchen's Garden 
78 responses to “Can you do without a weather report?”
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!