Yesterday was a beautiful day. After all the storms and tornadoes, that were kept well clear of my gardens but wreaked havoc in other towns close by, the day dawned fine and clear if a little drippy. Allison was the 1940’s Kitchen Mama. Kim was the chicken lady and gardener (plus seamstress but we will get into that another day).
The crops are growing as we watch them. Fast. But the walking is marvellous.
The turkeys are growing just as fast as the crops. Yesterday they were moved into the turkey house, built by Fede. For the longest time they stood still in the corner, wondering where their boundaries were, then ever so slowly they have moved out into their new world.
Also yesterday while Kim was sorting wool Allison and The Cadet and I went Across The Way. While searching for wild kittens we all climbed into a grain bin. I love these bins.
This is my favourite shot from that series.
It was a good day.
Later in the afternoon, yesterday, Lady Astor walked straight into the milking shed and John was not around so I decided to be an opportunist and milk her by myself. I reached down to clean her udder and she up and kicked my right in the face. I have a very stupid cut right down the side of my nose. And a bit of bruising. I was deeply hurt – emotionally of course – plus a little bit physically. I milked her anyway with blood from my nose dripping onto the floor with the occasional sleeve wipe. Mumbling to myself about ungrateful cows. After a bit Lady began to kick up a fuss again (Pun Intended – I think the expression Kicking Up a Fuss was coined by a dairywoman who had had quite enough of her bloody kicking cow) so I gave her back to her calf.
Soon we will begin the process towards breeding her – maybe she will settle a bit after that. Fingers crossed of course.
Allison made Shakshuka with kale for dinner – DIVINE!
I hope you have a lovely day.
My head hurts.
Lots of love from your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
63 responses to “A Good Kick in the Face”
Oh Celi, your poor face. And mucky cow hoof and an open wound are not a good mix. Please tell me it’s healing cleanly and that you won’t be walking around with a nasty black eye. The Lady really is no lady, and she’s a man’s cow, that’s for sure.
Some lady! Is there nothing you can put in front of her back legs to block her kicks while you are milking? How very ungrateful of her!
I had let the physical and metaphorical guards down, back to the drawing board for her! But she will only be milked this season – hopefully Aunty Del will take over next year..
Oh, goodness! It’s a wonder your face isn’t cracked. I had a horse place a hoof on my face and cracked my eye socket and my cheekbone. I hope you are okay!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
For cow protection and life saving I had a sudden image of a motorcycle helmet while milking … Wouldn’t it be good? – Sorry for joking, but who knows?
I have seen a cowshed once, where all tails of the cows were bound with a cord and during milking it was possible while sitting beside that cow milking to pull that string which was led over an high fixed crossbar (ridgepole?) – and the tail moved high. . But: Maybe the cow’s kick comes quicker sometimes that one can pull 😦
Don’t know whether it is explained well enough though 😦
…or even a hockey mask 😉
Oh NO! Your poor face! Hope you feel better soon! That Shakshuka looks wonderful (I went searching for a recipe online for shakshuka with kale, but if you’d like to share Alison’s recipe I’d love to see it!!)
I have it on paper – I will write it for you, it is tasty! c
Howdy! If you would like to make shakshuka, visit this link http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/shakshuka-and-kale
I doctored up the recipe a bit by sauteeing (is that a word?) garlic and onions and garbanzo beans in the cast iron skillet before adding the other ingredients. In addition I added chopped parsley to the tomato sauce and on top at the end as a garnish.
Kim and I discovered that Mario Batali calls Shakshuka “Eggs From Hell”
That looks yummy. I would sprinkle the feta on top and bake it with the eggs . Great job Allison.
Allispon, do you think that Swiss Chard would work instead of Kale? We have that is the garden right now!
It did have feta on it–great minds think alike!
Funny you should ask about Swiss chard. There was a combination of kale and Swiss chard in the shakshuka.
Thanks!!!
The inside bin shot with the numbers looks like a stage. But then, everything is a stage to me.
Me too, we are dancers and actors FOREVER! c
Perhaps she doesn’t like her name. Lady Astor was, after all, more than a handful. 🙂 I hope you heal soon and well, c.
A kick in the face is worse than a kick in the stomach, but it sounds as though it was both – metaphorically.. hope you’re not too bruised…love from the freezing antipodes
Ouch, that must have hurt. I hope you are healing well, keep a close watch on that. The baby turkey looks so cute and dinner looks wonderful!
Oh no that’s horrible – hope it’s a clean cut and you are treating yourself gently. She didn’t break your nose did she?
I very seldom actually break, i get bent a little but never break.. c
Isn’t it amazing how quickly those large, seemingly cumbersome, animals can move!!? I am sorry you are hurt. 😦
I let my guard down – so how is your hereford? I must come over and look!
Abigail and the calf are doing well. I am very sad that we will have to sell Abi and Pumpkin Pie … but we don’t want to keep breeding this fault and putting them through the distress. You know how bad it can be when they step on their udder/teats!
not a tough decision that one – miserable but the only one. i am looking for a couple of hereford weanlings – do you know anyone?
Are you looking for feeder calves to fatten? I will keep my ears/eyes open. Also, is there a county fair near you soon? That may help you locate a breeder near you.
Ooooouch! An attack like that on your health and beauty is dastardly from an animal you care for so well. What a lovely supper you had. I’m glad you had a bit of time to play.
Did you see that Kate from http://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/ has won a prestigious award with her Worldwide Friends quilt?
love,
ViV
Yes! Isn’t that brilliant! Thank you for sharing.. c
Our kate did us proud with her wonderful Quilt!
Couldn’t have done it without all the others and their unrelenting support and confidence in me!
Ice that owie! Lady Astor is no lady for sure. Oh she is for John, but no others! Who is the wool from?
So sorry to hear that you have gotten a too-well placed kick in the face from Ms. Astor. Eesh! We used to eat at a very ancient little hole in the wall “restaurant” in Jerusalem where the baker put all the fixings for shakshuka on a thin pizza crust and cooked it quickly in his very ancient wood fired oven built into one of the walls of the old city. It was amazing! I still dream about how good that was, and of course, find it difficult to replicate :*) But the addition of kale sounds marvelous.
Mmmm. Mouth watering.
She had three bags of wool. They are from Minty, Tilly, and Marcel who were sold on sometime last year. We were skirting the wool to prepare it for putting in the mail to go to the processing plant. It will be cleaned and turned into roving. We had a little pile left of the bits that wouldn’t be sent. Allison and I are trying to decide what to do with it. Any ideas?
You can spin the locks, but they should be washed first. Or wash and dye them and use for needle felting. Depending on how much you have, there are places that will felt unspun wool into sheets or you can do it with smaller amounts. Google hand felting wool. Or let the birds have it for their nests.
Oh, a final lovely remnant from the sheep.
Put them in the garden as weed control, plus fertilizer. It’s all organic and will break down.
Not a nice cow at all. It is hard to feel she is deserving of much understanding, ‘Man’s Cow’ or not, when she acts up this way. I hope your face heals well Miss C
Oh, Celi, so sorry about the kick in the face. I was reading down down down the post hoping the title was metaphorical, but no, it was a real kick. Ouch. I’m going to have to look up shashuka. No idea what that is! But yum.