Yesterday John had the day off so he finished and brought home my Winter present. He does not do Christmas and Birthday presents he makes winter presents. Last year it was a chicken tractor. This year it is a free standing home made hay feeder. I took a photo of a NZ one when I was travelling and he set to and made me one of my own. Isn’t that wonderful. 
The idea is that the cow puts her head through the uprights to get the hay and remains in there to chew it so all the falling and trailing hay goes back in the pile. There is limited sideways jostling so the cows get to eat in peace. It works remarkably well. Now when Aunty Del comes back she will not be bullied out of her dinner. Elsie is king of the castle at meal times!
The car feeder is now for minerals and grain. 
It is getting a wee bit colder so the chicks got their heating mother table back. They say it does not work in low temperatures but it is ambient heat so if a chicks back is against it the warmth will be there. It does not heat a space it heats the chick. I actually don’t think they need it but you know how I am. And as I will be away Friday and Saturday nights when it is getting even colder I am setting everyone back up for cold. It feels like a step backwards. but I need everything to be in order while I am away. Once the cogs are all balanced the farm runs along in a gentle productive state.
This was the thought I had lost the other day. Balance. Thank you to MeadowMice for using this word in her comment yesterday and jogging my memory. When I put on my clown suit otherwise known as bib overalls in some places- (I am still wearing the insulated ones – it snowed yesterday and the temperatures are plummeting but we will not DWELL) – anyway when I put on my clownsuit over my inside clothes I stand and push my feet into the overalls one leg at a time. I place one foot through settle that foot onto the floor, sliding the trouser slightly up my leg, shake out the other trouser and then lift the remaining foot, pause, steady my balance, pause, then slide the second foot into the other trouser leg, stand with two feet on the floor and pull the overalls all the way up my body.
Now you may think that this is such a simple thing. I mean we all put our trousers on one leg at a time: you do this too right? We all stand, step into the one leg, stretch that leg, place the foot down then put the other leg in, all the while balancing on the first foot then through the second foot goes, foot down, two feet down and there we are – safely dressed.
But it is that PAUSE I keep looking at. When one leg is partially clothed and one foot is on the ground and as we lift the second leg, our foot leaving the floor we pause for a tiny second, collecting and stilling our balance so that the next step goes smoothly. It is a moment of pause when we re-balance ourselves in preparation for the next movement. That is what I am looking thinking about.
This pause I call the Pants Pause. This is one of the most important pauses. This is when we make sure we are balanced, in order and ready for the next step. Our mind checking for this balance before proceeding. If we do not do the Pants Pause we fall over. Simple really.
I think we need to instill the Pants Pause in our daily lives. As a conscious thing. Moments of clear thought before we take on the next task. Checking. Nodding. Proceeding.
I have a bad habit of rushing through my day (and my planning) without pausing to think, balanced on one leg. I am hopping here and there. not finishing things, doing three things at the same time, thinking of the next three things as I go. Not watching. Not collating. No Pants Pause. No balance.
That was my thought. Balance. I am going to change the habit of rushing and instill moments of perfect balance.
If we achieve balance in our lives we have to be stronger. The balance between stress and down time. Working and resting. Communicating and Thinking. Building our team and feeding the team. Planning and Planting.
Balance. That was my thought.
The milking machine is ready to go. The pump has been cleaned and oiled and primed or whatever it is you do with pumps (without John on my team I could not do this stuff at all – I am deeply mechanically challenged) – the parts arrived and the entire Works has been assembled. We are ready. No births are imminent thankfully so my weekend away should be ok. 
I am dying to begin milking. I love that time. And I love cream! Oh how I miss cream!
Below is an odd little picture I took for Jake with my cell phone. (Good Lord I have gone from Low tech to Mid tech – I can take a photo and send it.. the mind boggles)
One of the pullets has begun to lay. We both started our Rhode Island Red flocks at the same time and his have been laying for weeks. Mine are only just catching up. He has lights though. But once all my Rhode Islands, and the pretty baby flock I brought in from the barn, start to lay (combined with my old girls who never stopped), we will be racing ahead!
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Is it time to get nervous about Portland?
Your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
64 responses to “Balance”
Balance – that is something I think we are not so good at in our lives. Although I think as we get older (and a little slower) we do, from necessity, have to pause, even if it is to ask “what did I come up here for?” LOL Also having routines help us glide through things. Animals help us with this, at least mine do, With their own internal clocks, they let me know when it is time to stop what I am doing to feed them. Also what time is bed time. Especially Sam, at 9pm on the dot he trundles off to his comfy bed in the bedroom. If I don’t follow within minutes he comes looking for me! So balance and routine are what keeps me sane – without them I would get nothing completed!
Not time to get nervous yet, put that on the back burner for a couple more days my friend. And anyway you have nothing to be nervous about – you just have to be ‘you’ and it will all turn out great!
Right at the beginning of my working days I was feeling a bit intimidated (doesn’t happen often) and a kind elderly colleague advised me to take a deep breath and remember the other person concerned could only put their pants on one leg at a time, like me. I have always remembered this and now I will add the pants pause. 🙂 Why be nervous, you are going to rock Portland. Laura
That is an awesome present! So personal and made exactly how you would like it. Such thoughtfulness is what makes the best presents, showing people listen and care. 🙂
I could use a pants pause.
Don’t get nervous about Portland: you have a genius for communication, and all will go splendidly.
Balance: I recently completed a course called Falls: Ageing Well. It was all about balance and preparation – common sense really, but worth studying. If you think your clown-suit-donning-routine is a little weird, you should see me putting on my compression socks! And yes, the PAUSE is essential.
Your John is a treasure to be cherished: that hay feeder will be worth its weight in gold.
love,
ViV xox
unless the nights are above 50, i always leave heat on my chicks untill they have real feathers on their heads, or they start to sleep on perches away from heat sourse
The milking machine looks like new – it looks like they did an amazing job 😉
You have a good, good man Celi 🙂 Don’t be nervous about your trip – you’ll rock it!!
My #onelittleword for the year is Balance! It’s a favourite and totally neccessary in every aspect of life, I think 🙂
I saw that it had snowed down by Chgo John yesterday and I was floored; it was -18C (-0.4F) with the windchill here yesterday, too cold for snow, brutal enough. I’ve had it with the cold so I can’t imagine how restless you must feel.
I must have missed the bit about Portland, I’m so excited for you, you’ll do great, I’m sure of it.
The new feeder is wonderful!! Though, I must admit, the car boot hay feeder was hilarious. And it had a lid!
Reblogged this on bridgesburning.
Celi, you are stressing altogether too much about Portland. Those people are going to be there because they want to hear what you have to say, you have nothing to prove. You are an extremely talented communicator, photographer and farming visionary. You’ll blow their socks off, woman! If anyone gives you a hard time, visualise Tima chasing them around the paddock with no clothes on – in the cold. I have a Pause every day at 6am, when the Husband puts a freshly brewed cup of coffee and my pain killers on my bedside table… It makes for excellent planning time!
oo.. stressing is a strong word, Kate. When I worked on the stage I welcomed the nerves, they are very quickly channeled into adrenaline. And adrenaline is very useful. I am very focused – not to worry.. c
But I do like the mental picture of Tima chasing them!
Yes, what Kate said! Portland folks will welcome you with open arms and hearts.
Oh dear Celi. You fill my heart up and make me laugh with your phrases and exceptional way of seeing life and things. The Pants Pause. That is a good one. I have noticed that, with a bit of age on me, I use pauses instinctively more than I used to. To change pace. Before shifting up or down. To breath. Take stock. Think carefully about the next course of action how little or small it may be. And it helps me a lot! I feel like I can confront complicated days that before would have just made me feel stressed. I keep a plan running in my head, but don’t rehash it constantly…if I do that, I forget to do well what I’m doing “right now”…but I revisit it occasionally, see where I am and how things are going, and give myself Pants Pauses to think about the next move. It’s working pretty well. Excuse me for blabbering…but I love this post of yours. Inspires me to give it all further thought.
I love it when you blabber! c
Reading this blog and the others in my list is my pause before the pause and I couldn’t begin my day any other way. If somehow I miss this time that entire notion of balance is out of whack. Balance can also simply be routine I believe…finding a pattern that works without too much alteration can bring that ‘okay life is fine’ pause and moment of realization…although sometimes that routine needs a bit of stirring up just to break any monotony that has crept in…
I chuckled at the picture of the milking machine in the house-visions of Elsie and Lady walking slowly through the screened doors for their milking, standing quietly while they glanced around taking in the sights, possibly musing over afternoon tea and scones and sandwiches at the table nearby…a ladies afternoon if you will 🙂
Balance, what a wonderful word of the day. Pause is also a good word today. I am taking a balanced pause to review my surroundings and my inner being. I wish I could have a day of meditation to go with it. Maybe this Saturday I will take a hour for this. Thank you all for your love and support in yesterday’s comments. What a lovely group and fellowship we have.
Im so sorry for your loss of Grace. Sometimes I don’t go back in the late afternoon to read the comments after me. You did your best to care for her, and that is all anyone can do. I’m sure your heart is awfully heavy, all the same. This truly is a vale of tears.