The Cadet
Our Cadet came yesterday, everyone remembered her and she worked like a wee trooper. This girl loves to say, Yes!
She collected all the frozen old eggs up in the loft of the barn. (From now on she will keep that clean of eggs so we know what is fresh and what is not.) She spread a bale of straw for the chook house chickens. Then helped me with feeding out.
Being able to just hang out with the animals is important too, at least in the Farmy Book it is. Playing with the animals is good for everyone. Animals and all.
The sun shone.
The snow shone.
Everything shone.
As we walked back from clearing the air vents at the bee hives (I scooped out a small number of headless bees which is a worry – I need to ask my bee people about that) – we spent some time in the pristine snow down the back looking at animal tracks. We saw some tracks from an animal with tiny feet and a hairless tail. We memorised the tracks (they looked like a broken zipper) and she is going to ask Mr Google about them, there were at least three different kinds of animal tracks that we did not recognise. The deer and rabbits are easy, and we recognised a coyote heavy on its feet, walking slowly. We forgot the cold for a while trying to work it all out and recreate the sequence of events.
The snow was pure white and unsullied but for these tracks. We had to work fast though as we were being followed by two of our own dogs making a big mess!
Good morning. I enjoyed our nature walk in the frigid cold. Yesterday we woke up to minus 12F (-24C) but it did warm up a bit. Today it is meant to get all the way up to 32. Freezing point. That will be nice.
This guy came by today! Thanks Gods …
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm,
celi
54 Comments on “The Cadet”
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is this the young lady from the school that you wrote about a few days ago? a GOOD WORKER AND AN ANIMAL LOVER. I love her already xxx have a great day in the snow
Yes dear, that is her.. c
Wow – don’t those kitties grow fast! Glad you can enjoy the cold and snow – must look for the joy! Good morning!
The new Cadet might also learn valuable skills about photography from Celi, if she also had a small camera to take keepsake photos of her therapy animals and tracks in the snow. Maybe she could make her own farmy animal photo book!
That is an excellent suggestion Paula.. It will be interesting to see where her talent lies.. c
I love the picture of The Cadet sitting in the sun surrounded by animals. A little Saint Francis of Assisi. My youngest would live like that every day if she could. In nature. With animals all around. A beautiful, beautiful picture. What a good helper you have!
Yes…It is a perfect St. Francis moment. Great Thought.
Morning Charlotte!.. c
Good morning turned afternoon turned evening oh dear I’m yawning already Good Night Miss C!!!!!
Guess we are going to have to find another adjective for the B…. Mink. Hope they aren’t still hanging around. Ok, Lulu, Egoli and Marmalade have all amalgamated, I have given up trieing to identify them 🙂 It will be more confusing once the Toddlers mature too. Wow, you really are swimming in an ocean of snow. Laura
The Daily Cure has just hit the nail on the head … Can we name our Cadet Frances? Laura
The Bastard Mink will remain the Bastard Mink I think.. I believe that they will always be here, they are down at the creek, in their burrows, in the sides of the ditch, and soon will start coming back in looking for food.. I am ever-vigilant…. I don’t think I ever got over that carnage day.. c
It sounds like you’ve been in need of a cadet all along 😉
Headless bees? That doesn’t sound good.
Notwithstanding, your farm seems like the happiest place. Lucky cadet.
My memory tells me that this is from a wasp or somthing, but how can that be in the middle of winter. .. I am researching further.. c
Boo looks thrilled to have a new friend.
I agree that Boo looks like he is excited to have the Cadet to play with!
I don’t think the Cadet will mind if her first name is used. Lets ask her? I’m so happy about the way that is working for both of you.
I very seldom refer to people on the blog by their real names.(jake being the only one I think) I believe there needs to be a space between, which allows us to tell the stories..We are players in the farms stories. To the animals she is The Cadet, (her purpose being to learn how to look after a variety of animals and birds) as I am miss c. The farm has many local readers. (She reads the blog – already she has read years back) By allowing a pseudonym we can be who we Want to be when on the farm, not dragging around who we were. A tiny new beginning if you like. I love this discussion (though it needs a glass of wine).. c
point well taken! I’ll use the phone tomorrow.
I feel I have missed out on so much not been able to read your posts every day. I hope to be able to stay up to speed from this weekend.
-24C – what! I can’t even imagine what that must be like C. I think the coldest I have ever know is just above +0C.
Have a beautiful weekend and stay warm.
🙂 Mandy xo
I love reading about your Cadet and your growing friendship. She is, already, an integral part of The Farmy.
This reminds me of something I read in a local blog post yesterday about a Faribault business woman who has befriended another Cadet. The Cadet wanted to be in the band, but her family did not have the money for a saxophone. So the businesses woman/mentor/friend pooled monies with other friends to buy the Cadet a saxophone. Isn’t that lovely?
School was not a happy place for our daughter, so the clubs and groups she belonged to were crucial. One was Four H Club, which is farm based. It was wonderful for our Kate in the ways the farmy will be for our cadet. Good morning, all!
Every child has a different way of learning, I think the tactile ones, the mobile ones, the kids who love to move frequently do better with sports and animals and art and drama. Watching a child and seeing HOW she learns is crucial to determining her success. Even being outside under a hedge for reading is better than lined up at desks. I had couches in my classroom.. many children could not write unless lying on their stomachs on the floor, so everyone took their shoes off at the door. .. stuff like that. You obviously studied your child and worked out a plan to help her learn.. this is wonderful. 4H is an awesome set up – we need those in the inner city schools too.. c
I totally agree about 4H, I don’t think I’ve met a 4H kid that didn’t impress me. They’re polite, knowledgeable, confident, capable and look you right in the eye! I grew up in the city, wish they’d had a 4H equivalent!
Happy Waitangi Day!!!! So I have a calendar at home that lists all of the Australia, New Zealand and Canadian holidays in addition to the US one. Surprised England is not listed, but oh well….. I can celebrate your homeland holidays now. (Like I don’t already celebrate each day already!!!)
Love the sunlight from yesterday. We are foggy and grey, but the sun returns tomorrow. (Sun and 76!!! Trees will be confused for sure)
Let us know about the bee answer…. quite worrisome to find beheaded bees.
Yes.. waitangi day.. they tried to call it NZ day but there was an outcry, we have held fast to its name! Terrible day of lies and trickery that it was. c
Brrr! Boo sure looks happy though. Actually, all the animals look happy. Happy photos. Good morning, c, and greetings to the farmy!
I love snow pictures. We are in spring here, for a while anyway. I fear that we’ve had no winter and it will come in late March. Can’t wait to hear what the mystery tracks are from. Tell the Cadet we’ve all welcomed her and now she’s part of the family. She’s stuck with us! 🙂
My first thought was, “Oh, how I’d love to go for a skate down the stream which is really a ditch”, my second thought was “Bastard mink!”. 😀
Bastard Mink.. the creek is certainly skate-able! On one long long long line!
Cadet reminds me a little of myself at a young age when I was introduced to horses and barns. Being with animals grounds you and gives you perspective in life I think, as does working around a barn. It also gives you a better view of yourself and a sense of accomplishment in contributing to the fulfilling hard work that is taking care of these beautiful beasts. She is a lucky cadet and the animals are lucky to have her, too. Sorry about the headless bees…that does sound quite strange.
My son always loved animals, especially as a troubled child. He was as happy as could be playing with the all the animals in my village when we went for our first visit to Germany after we adopted him at the age of six, Celi, your doing a great job with that girl.
Brrrr. But love the sparkles: words, creatures, and pictures
You sound like you were a fab teacher and still are. Hi to your cadet looks like she is having fun with all the animals x
Wonderful Farmy Cadet – and look how those kitties have grown. Eek it’s cold out there 😦
I started my reply and was then startled by a humungous truck with an even more ginormous trailer reversing past my window to turn round, then he disappeared down the narrow wriggly lane. God help any traffic coming the other way.
The Cadet is in absolutely the right place with you and all the animals. How does she get to you through all that snow?
Love,
ViV
Good morning Miss C and lovely Cadet! Great pictures and good detective work on the tracks. Can’t wait to find out what they might be. Wouldn’t it be great if you came across some owl pellets at some point? The Cadet could dissect it to see what the owl had for dinner. Do you ever see owls, Miss C? An inexpensive camera is a great idea. All the Farmy Animals look like they are thoroughly enjoying her presence. Bravo!
If you want to see some great horned owls, take a peak at the live streaming cam of the Decorah Eagles website. The eagles are back, but two owls are stealing their nest. The eagles don’t like that.
Will check it out…thanks!
I love the photos… that one of our Cadet with all of the animals gathered around brought a smile. But the one of the snow plow/road grader really warmed my heart. My Dad loved his job as the “maintainer man” back in Seward County, Nebraska. He wasn’t supposed to, but he cleared driveways for folks who often didn’t have a tractor and blade, were elderly, ill, or simply didn’t have the means to move snow. I remember him working all hours of the day and night sometimes, to clear roads.
The remover of snow…a gift! A huge gift…he opens the roads to other places.
Linda ❤⊱彡
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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A willing worker is like gold dust, well done to our Cadet! We still have snow in the fields and hills around us but not as pristine as yours. Looking at those bright sunny photos warmed my heart.
I rather think your broken zipper might be possum tracks. I love to watch our critters, including the possums. Not everybody likes them but they’re cute in a weird kind of ugly way.
ah, that had occured to me and then i thought aren’t they hibernating in the winter?.. but it does make sense, she much be young as the steps weere light.. maybe she is sleeping in the pines.. c
I’m sure you know you have already changed the course of the Cadet’s life. I’m so excited for both of you. xo
I know it is hard, but the snow is so beautiful and is so good for the land. I love the cadet. Tell her someone in Ireland wishes she could be doing her job!
I will tell her.. blessings..
The Cadet reminds me of myself, as a but younger kid on my grandparents’ farm, the happy simple world of cows, chooks, dogs and cats. With some other not so good stuff happening in other aspects, it was a calm and centred place and time that gave me a good grounding, and lots of wonderful memories.
I loved the days photos & words they were are heartwarming as they appeared chilly 🙂
Happy for you for having the opportunity to teach again and have a tad extra help to boot . . . happier for the Cadet who looks she is already part of the Farmy community . . . . animals know: your animals all have accepted her already. Heartwarming post.
I wouldn’t worry about the headless bees, I’ve found them under my hive too. My theory is either that insects eat the heads because they’re high in protein/fat (all those glands in the head) or that the heads break off naturally.
thank you emily, I was rather hoping that would be the case..
How nice to have a ‘yes’ pair of hands. Headless bees ? Gosh .. I hope you find out Celi
That view of the snow-covered farmy is pretty. Yay for the helpful, loving cadet!