Last night I decided that I would begin the process to wean Naomi completely from her mother.
So instead of letting her back with her mother in the evening I left her in her corner pen with walls that come up to my chest and extra food and extra cuddles. (Look at those flies on the piglets, the flies and mosquitoes this year are at epic proportions due the rains which have returned.)
Naomi had other ideas. and at midnight she and her mother began a frantic mooing and from the bedroom I knew that Naomi’s sounds were not coming from her pen. She was galloping up and down the drive from her mother behind one fence to the other cows behind another and back again. Luckily she is one of the friendliest wee animals we have and upon seeing the dogs and I (me in my little nightie and gumboots) she galloped at full flight straight for us, which is a little disconcerting, seeing a black calf erupt out of the black night aimed straight for you.
I just talked to her and kept walking (there is no point trying to herd a frantic animal) so she dashed to and fro from her mother to me until she had inadvertently followed me straight into the barn and back to her pen. I opened the big doors and gave her back to her mother.
At the end of this week the steers will be separated so Daisy’s bobby can be put into the fattening fields alone. The calf can go with Queenie’s Bobby and Aunty Del across the way. Out of earshot of her mother.
I was looking forward to the extra milk but it looks like Naomi is a jumper so we will wait a few more days. 
It rained for much of the morning so Amanda cleaned out the glasshouse, sorted the seeds and sowed more squash and broccoli it is cool and wet again, we may be able to plant the late summer garden early, much of our spring/summer plantings have been washed away, or are so deep in weeds that they cannot be reclaimed. Today it is not due to rain until the afternoon, Amanda is going to be Kitchen Mama and I will try to dig the new beds for beets and beans in a better drained area and get some weeding done.
Manu came out into his field for a walk in the afternoon and Tane came over for the mandatory clacking of teeth and fierce posturing. His limp miraculously disappeared! But I sent him to the back field, this is not a boar he wants to mess with. I will bring Tima across to Tane today as she is due to cycle back into heat today if in fact she does. If she does not she is pregnant.
The sun came out later yesterday.
Tiny snapshots of the garden always make it look so beautiful. The sunflowers are all coming out now and the ribbon of yellow is a delight. I will cut some today for a vase but i must be good and leave them or we will never get any seeds for the winter feed.
It is time for me to get up and get going. It is cool. And cloudy. I am so glad my little piglets have found their warm snug with its lamp. Yesterday I was cleaning out Poppy’s pen while she ate after a while they awoke and out they poured honking softly and grinning like little runaway trains, through their little tile tunnel they trotted and straight at my boots, Poppy did not even bat an eye when I reached down and stroked their silky little backs playing with them a little. Charlotte would have killed me by then, Poppy is such a different kind of mother. I am delighted by her development. But I gently removed myself just in case. No point in pushing it.
Rain is on the way and lots to do before it gets here. The chickens go early tomorrow morning to their new chicken abbatoir and will return inspected and packaged for the freezer. So Amanda and I will collect some of these young roosters today. We have quite enough roosters.
I hope you have a lovely day. Or, more importantly I hope you see some loveliness today and recognise it and let it calm you. Life is so full of holes we can fall down. But life sends us these moments of joy like little lines of rescue. So I wish for you plentiful moments of loveliness.
Love your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
38 responses to “black calf in the black night”
So Naomi must have been quite a lot in desperation when running after her mother. What a life. Huh! You have to take all into your consideration who with whom, where, when. It’s not an easy job, especially when direct conversation is not possible. You have to be a very sensible and knowing and even wise boss to them all… And you are a loving mother to the piglets (and to Poppy), too.
BTW: I wonder how Poppy’s milk may taste. Did you ever try milk of a pig mother? Just a tiny bit? How is it? Very different from cow’s milk?
Oh, and that eyes of the boar. And what a lovley garden you have.
Best wishes and lots of moments of loveliness, too, Irmi
P.S.: Our temperature went down finally, too. Over night with a thunderstorm and lots of rain from 35 to 20°C. Much better.
“Little nIghtie and gumboots” was the theme of the Paris fashion show this year. …. Though in French it’s “pee-jahmahs”
Ha, ha that’s funny. I was thinking of you when we drove from the Île de Rê to Brittany . I forgot where your farm was.
I feel bad for Naomi. Would she eventually give up the milk on her own?
NOpe. I even have to keep Aunty Del away from Lady Aster remember. Anyway i need the milk for the piglets when they are weaned. c
I wonder if we could bribe John to photograph our Celi in “Little nIghtie and gumboots” mode? May your day be full of little blessings and moments of joy!.
I am so glad that Poppy seems to be a calm mother. I wouldn’t have expected it, but I’m so happy that she is!
I was terrified too.. and overcompensated with locking her down but she is doing very well so far.. who knows what will happen when I let them out!
I think locking her up was a good idea, really. Those baby pigs are darling!
I don’t know what happened to my comment. I came back to read the others and my ear;oer one had gone.
Enjoy the joyful moments – I’m sure there are many on your happy farmy. I love the idea of you in nighty and gumboots! All that lacked is the addition of that awful hat I made you when it was so cold!
I’m glad Poppy is a happy mum, and I’m sure those beautiful piglets will thrive. Bon courage, Naomi: you know you con’t really need your Mum now you’re so grown up. Good luck Tima – I hope you’re already pregnant.
love from showery France,
ViV xox
I love that hat!! c
we have been receiving rain the past few days…literally manna from the heavens! So much that now there is a flash flood warning from 11am to 11pm tonight.
But the sun is out and all is well here. Your piglets are adorable even with those pesky flies. I certainly admire you and your hard work and your ability to see the loveliness that surrounds us. Have a lovely day!
And wishing plentiful moments of loveliness back at you, miss c. Fine looking piglets.
I’m back with a question: What are that greenish-blue glasses in the header photo? Flycatcher? Flytraps? And what is in there? I’ve seen them on another photo of yours, don’t remember when…
They are insulators from the top of old telegraph poles.. so pretty..c
Black calf in the black night but otherwise today is vibrant and rainbow hued. Love the cuteness of the piggies and the summer garden 🙂
What’s going to happen with the piggies, are they to become pork chops and bacon, for selling on whole on hoof, or keeping for breeding more? Your summer looks delightful.
What moments of joy you have captured. I love the way you gently and cleverly dealt with panicking Naomi. Piglets like little runaway trains – I love it.
It is a lovely day, knowing Poppy is a good mama.
Wonderful post and pics celi. Handsome chap that Manu
I’ve been reading you in the mornings on my phone and so I don’t always say something but I had to return to this post to tell you how touching your closing sentiments are for me… ” But life sends us these moments of joy like little lines of rescue.” Yes. So true…thank you, for sharing your farm life and graceful heart with us, (all). ♥