My shadows, the dogs, and I powered through the day yesterday. Everyone was living and breathing. It was a good and tiring day. We are getting the fields ready for the great reshuffle. Poppy is coming out today and Little and maybe Bobbi (if I can find some help) will be getting a wee field of their own so they can start eating grass.
It rained which I was grateful for as I am finding it hard to get into the garden without help, I mainly farm with all the animals and birds in my care. I get time to pick and yank a few weeds out to feed the pigs but not much else. So the down pour saved me having to drag hoses around again.
It was a bit too much for Boo though who had thunder and lightening AND the Vet on the same day. (He is on a new set of medications – we will see how these go).
All the calves are doing well, Little was brought across the quad and into the barn because of the torrential rain but was not pleased – he missed his turkeys. 
It was a nice day though. No-one died. No-one kicked me. Lots of milk. Lots of playing pigs. Including Manu who I saw dancing around in circles in his field, in the rain. I am training him to step back from his bowl when I am pouring in his food. He is slowly getting the hang of it.
I am also getting the house ready for Hugo on Friday and Pat on Monday. During the bad period with the Calves both the barn and the house got out of control so I am gradually establishing some kind of order again. I feel better when everything is clean and put away. Disorder is difficult to live in. Does my head in actually.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
37 responses to “Living and Breathing”
I am right there with you……if things are in disarray, my brain feels just as cluttered…..phew..nice to know I share that trait with someone.
Everything crossed for Boo dog…….great big hugs to you C on the calf project. So much more than you signed on for, as life on the farmy often is.
A mix of ohs…ahhs and o shit !! I read every day and have begun to pull myself up and out of a giant funk…..My dogs sudden death last Nov sent me into a
dark place. Of course it was the proverbial straw. Feeling better and finding my again. !! Nanster
Dear Ci–
I know you will think me crazy–but–
you need to soak a cloth in Vodka and warp it around Boo’s paw a couple times a day–
and it will kill that infection!!
I have Multiple chemical Sensitivity and can not use or take alot of meds–
so for infections I use the Vodka and as crazy as it sounds — it really does work and works fairly quickly–
and it sure won’t make him sick-
hugs, di
Fingers crossed for Boo’s new medicine. I am in total agreement with you about disorder: it’s much quicker to be tidy and to know where stuff is. Dust is another matter: it takes just as long to remove a little dust as a lot.
Keep your head above water until the help comes and then ENJOY.
love,
ViV xox.
I am the same as you- if it isn’t tidy I get edgy….wish I lived closer- I’d come help! Big hugs to you and all your living animals….good work on your part!
Helps comes in many forms… Mother Nature taking care of the watering, Ton taking care of Boo, the Farmy Cast understanding their roles and cues, Farmy Friends… and slowly but surely enough order returns. I’ve come to value the perfectly imperfect, and the flexibility of livable as a benchmark. At the lower scale of that ‘Living and Breathing’ is good.
That was quite the dreadful day for Boo. I hope he got an extra treat. Glad all is going well, and help is on the way!
A little off topic Celi, but about pigs, so nearly on-topic …….a young Maori man, Patu, came and cleaned my carpets yesterday, he was checking out my tiny backyard and was amazed I had so much going on in it…..chickens, vegetable gardens and fruit trees, a dog and cats and said all I needed was a pig…..he read my mind!…..and went on to say he was waiting for the day he had a bit of land and could get some kune kunes….regular size, not miniature. More amazement when I told him I knew about them, and told him about you and the little kune kunes, he couldn’t believe his favourite NZ pig was in the USA and owned by a NZ woman. He loved their names and thought them very appropriate, and I loved hearing him roll those names off his tongue with his lovely broad accent. Nose kisses for our Boo, hope his foot feels better soon….tell him Mirrhi sends love too, as she had a sore foot last week, and knows how that feels when you’re off your game… so sore she didn’t even want to chase her ball or go for walks, she just stayed in her bed and slept. Lots of reiki and rest she’s better now and back to herself….she’ll catch a ball or two for you Boo.
That is just wonderful.. hearing Timatanga and Tane Moana spoken by a New Zealand Maori.. I can just see you speaking of us – your NZ friendin the US.. c
I’m with you on disorder. Does the same thing to me. So sorry for little. The animals get their buddies the same way we do. I still remember a dappled pony and a guernsey cow that were inseparable on my uncle’s farm. Birds, hey, I can see they might be companionable too!
What a gorgeous header, Celi. Is Manu the new peacock? I haven’t stopped by much lately because I am up to my elbows in tomatoes whenever I am not otherwise working. Tomato sauce, tomato powder, dried tomatoes, frozen whole tomatoes and whatever I can make out of fresh ones. This, too, shall pass and I am storing up a goodly amount of food for the winter.
Wow your tomatoes sound wonDerful. Manu is the new boar! He is quite the card!.. c
Read your post and [as often] diverted to the 7-day Illinois forecast – well, you should have some more of that wet stuff coming down 🙂 ! Jealous ’cause have just spent some three hours watering outside [sprinklers not allowed in the community!] and more to do . . . . But am glad we are less windy! And tho’ this is still officially fully winter here it should be 26 C tomorrow . . mixed feelings . . . Do hope whatever drug the vet Is trying will help Boo before his immunity is more affected . . . golden staph has always been a bugger but overuse of antibiotics has led to such major problems for both man and beast . . .
About training Manu. Our pigs are too pushy at fed time, and a bit scary. How do you train a pig not to push??
When they are little I say Stand back – when they are back I pour in the food. But you have to train them from young and Poppy Of course never got it. Sheila is good and Manu too really, but poppy not so much.. c