Sadly, Harlequin died yesterday morning. She just could not keep herself alive anymore. The scours have see-sawed through her body since the beginning, never really letting up and the poor wee thing just got weaker and weaker. So she left. Pneumonia took her away.
Short lives are not wasted lives. We know this you and I. I wonder if dying on the day of the full moon means you get to be an angel without the test. Maybe now I have a wee calf as an angel.
Yesterday I took some watermelon out to Manu and found him cowering down the back of his yard and Poppy lying in his mud puddle. Poppy on the wander again. I had let her out you see. I took her back to her pen where Sheila was scoffing ALL the watermelon and shored up the latest escape route. When she is in heat I can put her in the lock up but I don’t want her to live in that small space. Naughty Poppy. Manu had the fear though. Definitely. 
Today Hugo and I (amongst other things) will begin to split and stack a winters worth of wood.
When our new man comes tomorrow (his name is Josh – he is a musician) then we will begin the fencing for real.
A Letter From Pat
My time on the Farmy went by too fast! It was exciting starting with the birth of a pea chick, enlightening, meeting all the characters, Sheila, Poppie, the piglets, the peahens, Mr. Flowers, Lady Astor, Naomi and the chickens (Pegleg is my personal favorite), Ton Ton & Boo. Putting faces to the names, it’s been very relaxing and very hectic with all the various chores, feeding and endless kitchen chores. I honestly don’t know how Celi keeps it all in her head! A most fulfilling week. I’ll be Back! Thanks to everyone for staying with me.
Pat
Don’t you think Tane looks like a little tank engine today?
Good bye Harley. Rest well little calf.
I hope you all have a lovely day,
Thank you Pat for all your wonderful work and company – now I wonder what will happen today!
Love your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
44 responses to “Dying with the Full Moon”
Ah…sweet Harley. I am so sorry. But I understand, as a farm girl, that this is the way it is sometimes.
I’m so sorry about Harley. All know how hard you worked to save her. Her destiny was to be an angel and watch over the farmy, I think.
So sorry to hear of the wee calf’s passing. I had the CT scan and now have to go back to Little Rock for an infection in my incision scar. Am hoping and praying this is why my stomach hurts all the time and I can’ t eat. Have lost 1/2 my body weight since this started 1 yr ago. Needed to lose the weight, but not this way! Will update you all. If anyone in the Fellowship has any suggestions as to how to eat more than one bite of food before my stomach starts cramping, please let me know. Have a great day everyone.
God! That sounds awful you must be eating tiny bits constantly to keep yourself alive.. I hope the scan helps with some info.. c
Dear Katy, I wish you swift, true, and lasting HEALTH! No one should suffer like this; may you have your own circle of Cecilias and calf-angels to watch over you all the way to wellness, and soon. My recent [unbelievably easy] bout with a kidney stone was a powerful reminder of what a charmed life I lead, having such incredibly good health and always-curable little ailments when they do come, and it makes me all the more keep those of you who have it tougher in my heart and mind. Your ultimate comfort and good spirits will remain on my wish list and I send you all good thoughts and prayers for those gifts.
Peace and healing!
Kathryn
Thank you for the encouragement and the prayers Kathryn. It means the world to me! and , Yes, Celi, I’m eating very little, but today, ate a small whole baked potato for the first time……..took forever, but it’s better than the bite or two and then nothing for hours. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of this adventure!!!
Hello Katy, I’ve been in your position when I was on chemo. I couldn’t keep things down at all and eating was desperately painful because chemo had damaged my mouth and esophagus. For me, the answer was to liquidise everything, and then warm it to the temperature of the inside of my ulcerated mouth and throat, so that when it hit my rebellious stomach, it didn’t seem so foreign or hard to deal with, and would stay down longer. For three months, I lived on blended soups and custard with liquidised fruit (which tasted horrible but gave me some much needed vitamins). I hope you continue to be able to eat a little more each day and begin to regain your health and strength.
I’m sure that after all the energy you put into Harley, you are hurting for the loss. No one could have done as much or more to save that little calf. And so, one foot in front of the other, you just keep moving on. Life on it’s own terms. I love the faces of your farmy family. So much expression. I’m trying to understand a musician wanting to be on the farm. I guess we shall come to understand. Loved reading Pat’s letter. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful day and I hope you get the hay all in today.
Oh yes, today is hay day… may it ever be a heyday of hay days! Hope your weather is cooperating! ~ Mame
I hope little Harlequin calf is romping through sunny green fields now, the way she would have done here if she had been well enough. Poor little Manu! Bullied by the teenage girl next door!
You have so little time to mourn for each of the creatures who have passed through your loving hands. And now Harlequin. Maybe this is the answer to this sad existence we call life.
to keep moving on? yes, maybe that is the answer, a wee prayer a wee thank you and move on..
Ahh, poor Harlequin! And poor you. I am so sorry that, after all you’ve done, it just wasn’t possible to save him. The life he was dealt was just too tough and, yes, perhaps he will be your Guardian Angel; what a lovely thought!
I laughed about poor sad Manu cowering! Imagine that…. lol I thought boars were fearless. I guess there is ‘fearless’ and then there is ‘Poppy’… heh heh
Have you seen the youtube video, Jazz for Cows? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQGyOnYWRTA I am wondering what instrument, if one at all, Josh plays and whether he’ll bring it with him to the farmy and treat your assemblage — and, if so, what their reaction will be.
A tearful posting about the sadness of loss, along with a good guffaw over the boar being bullied…. all in all, a very good start to the day, thank you! Hope yours ends up to be a full and happy one! ~ Mame 🙂
This full moon of August has many names, one of them is Barley Moon of Splendor as it coincides with the Barley harvest in the northern hemisphere. I think we shall re-name this one…the Harley Moon of Splendor.
The little wee calf died in the best possible place, surrounded by love and nurturing and not cast off somewhere with no regard to her short little life.
Love and thoughts to all of you on the Farmy…especially to you dear C.
I am so sorry for your loss!
The calf had love and the best care possible. What more could there be? Thank you for sharing the journey with us. Life goes on at the Farmy.
The wee little calf Harlequin may have had a short and ailing life- but well loved and cared for and certainly is an bovine angel none of us will forget.
So sorry Celi. Having seen that moon over the farmy…it’s a beautiful way to go. xo
I am so sorry to hear of the poor calf, it definitely wasn’t for a lack of trying to save her. I’m sure she is fluttering around up there getting used to her wings!
There has been enough sadness on the farmy . . . . hope the haymaking ended the day on a positive note and hope Josh will bring some welcome music to all of you . . . .
How sad, poor Harly. I hope you have the satisfaction of having your very best and then some for the wee one, a short life well loved.
I was at a craft fair Sunday. There was a 20# porpane tank with legs, a pig nose and ears and tail attached and I thought ‘oh look! a kune kune!.