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
The Kitchen's Garden 
54 responses to “The Cadet”
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! 🙂