One of the most unexpected pleasures of having a farm blog is that the blog has become a bridge between the nebulous internet and real life. And people, lovely people, have walked across that bridge from the blogosphere to the farm. And then become friends. Not facebook ‘friends’ but real life ‘call me if you need to chat’ friends. 
Yesterday Miss A and Kristy came for another visit. They (and the two male members of their family team) have an enormously popular food and travel blog yet when we get to sit around the table and eat or wander the pastures of the farm with our cameras we are just two ordinary women, a couple of dogs and a beautiful girl. 
This is magic to me. That blogging really does empower us to make real life friendships, should we choose to of course. And jumping that ford of the Interwebs and landing into real life is an important one to me. I personally do not believe that this high tech age that the Internet allows will be around in this format forever. Our reliance on the internet for our information, communication, and company is a listing building. I think that one way or the other it will topple under its own spiders- web construction. I know they say a spiders web is incredibly strong, but I can put my hand through one and pull it all down in a second. When one depends totally on one code for everything – when that code breaks – our lives will break.
This is why I think it is important to look past the internet and develop old fashioned codes and resources built on trust and care. Like: home made meals using gathered ingredients, shopping in real stores, books, digging in the ground with a spade, cars that drive forward and backward and have a radio, milking a cow in a barn, maps, gardening, washing dishes by hand, friendships, calendars, photos in albums, growing your own food and friendship – the old fashioned weekend visit down to the farm to drink a glass of wine with a friend to talk and cook, and read together and take a break from the city. I bet you have even more to add to that list.
I think the old adage about having all your eggs in one basket applies here.
I will use the internet as fully as anyone. I love that I can keep in touch with my family all over the world for FREE. My phone is an incredible resource. Mr Google enables The Old Codger to ask a question of his tablet using only his voice. But I think we should be careful not to depend on it. Keep some paper maps in your old tin filing cabinet with drawers – just in case. Print your photos. Have coffee with a friend who is not a phone.
Now, how I went from talking about a friend visiting to relying on the internet – I have no idea. My mind wanders in the dark hours of the morning I guess. I worry at things.
The Hereford pigs, Molly and Tahiti have bounced back and are noisy and almost totally recovered from their bout with illness. They are still on warm cooked oats and a little milk and eggs but I am hoping that today they can go back on their normal rations. That was a fright. 
I wish I could stay and talk to you longer but the roosters are crowing and there is work to be done before we make crepes for breakfast. 
Then Miss A is going to show us to how to carve a Halloween pumpkin.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
38 responses to “Real Life Friends”
Such a full and busy life,,and also writing posts? In the Early wee hours bless you for being so Devoted
Ha ha ha just looked more closely at that leading shot. Looks like Poppy is getting a little portly again! oops. Plus the hitchhiking burrs on her tail are back- Hugo and I need to do some weeding in the pig garden. Good morning! c
Oh my. Is that portly? I was just noting how good Poppy looked compared to our 8 month old gilt. I guess it’s the diet for her before her husband arrives for their firstdate!
Good morning, dear Celi! – Have a nice and lovely Sunday!
That lone corn stalk led a charmed life and escaped going to the market 🙂 I for one would be very sad to lose my link to you and the farmy. Laura
Yep, I must echo what Laura says, you and the farmy are a wonderful, daily treat, loved by so many! We would certainly not want to lose that!!! XO
Nor would I, but technological progress is such that if the web disintegrates, I’m sure there will be something else. That said, it is frightening how reliant I am on the daily contact with internet friends and family.
And I agree in spades! I know some folks hop over to your post first thing in the morning. Sometimes I do so as well. But mostly I save your comments for dessert, after I have plowed through my emails. Your posts are not only entertaining and thoughtful, but they have the effect of being grounding, too. I don’t like to think of a time when I can’t access your thoughts online. Sigh. Much love, Gayle p.s. Call if you need to chat. 916.804.0005
I agree, though most of us would never have met you without the web and I do look forward to what you have to say.
I’m glad those pigs have recovered and I’m very jealous of the pumpkin carving. I loved Halloween in America – I lived in a friendly neighborhood and lots of kids and parents came round for trick or treat. We got our pumpkins from a farmer with a trailer in the middle of the countryside, miles from anywhere 🙂
They do have fun – but Sheila and I have so much trouble watching those pumpkins sitting on the porch rotting! c
Ha ha – I bet Sheila can watch for about 2 seconds 😉
If the internet crashed and burned, I would still write, but it would be letters, many of them, and long, and full of information and news, and the kind of conversations we have here. It would become an exercise in patience, waiting for replies, and that would be the hardship; we have become so accustomed to instant information, gratification, response. I like that I can reach out by internet, phone, Skype, FaceTime, SMS, but I will forever be in love with the written word, and that will stay with me when all the electronics in the world die. When that spiderweb edifice topples, Miss C, look out for my letters…
and to prove it, you and I were having a skype conversation while I was replying to Celie!
And we could do a round robin…send the letter to person A who reads it, adds his/her own comments and on to the next recipient. Sorry if I overexplained. You all probably already know this. Much love, Gayle
Just think of the news value by the time it reached Person A again! It would become a long running soap opera of the real-life kind.
I can only add an Amen to that! In that end, I will be dragging out my stock of paper cards to send to those that can no longer use their computers to keep in touch. Thank you for the reminder. Still working at building a community of physical friends here. It’s a bear when you have no roots. Trying to sink them and draw some nourishment from my surroundings. Everyday I read your post is a good day, so thank you for it.
Such beautiful photos as always.
Yes hank you for being you.
Yes yes a resounding yes. I think it’s not just about what would happen if the web crashed…it’s about keeping strong something about being human. Technology will change us, and we have to be careful to keep some of our more “primitive” muscles strong. I think it’s already affecting the way people relate…amazing story in the NYT a couple weeks ago about parents being called out by their kids because they were googling during “quality time” they were supposedly spending with their own children. So sad. It’s the only “tool” we’ve ever invented that is controlling us instead of us controlling it. It needs to be kept in the “tool” shed.
Calendars, don’t forget the Calendars!
Wise observations. A true friendship is such a treasure and although it’s great when you can not see someone for a long time, and still pick up the conversation where you left off , you do need to nurture it. That’s why it’s such a treat when I get a note. via snail mail from “my little flower ” saying hi. Things have changed so much in my time here on earth but friendship, conversation, good food and companionship will always trump technology. Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it and enjoy the changing of the season.
Do they carve pumpkins in France, or is this a new thing for Hugo?
I don’t know, they are not much into Halloween – not by american standards anyway.. I will ask him.. c
Making new real life friends as well as real virtual friends has been the boon of blogging for me 🙂
Photos in albums… I really need to get onto this, I’m sure ours are breeding in their electronic filing folders.
Good to hear that the pigs are doing so much better. You’re right. For me, making friends in the real world was not at all anticipated when I started the blog. It’s a wonderful thing.