Home again, Home again …
Jiggidy Jig. I am home. Back on the farmy. The sun has risen to a cloudy day. It looks like rain and warm. 42F (9C) . 
I can hear the calls of the red winged blackbird outside the window. This is the bird that signs the end of deep winters grip for me. I am very fond of the more common birds and the red-winged blackbird is very common indeed and when they migrate back to Central Illinois then I know that spring is not far behind.
I sat as patient as a hat on all the planes that carried me back to America folding up all my sad feelings and putting them back into their little mind boxes and stowing them away. Once you agree to love someone you also commit to the misery of missing them somewhere along the line of life. And for us expats who live far from our homes and families this sadness lives with us. Mine is kept in little box in my mind. Safe from harming.
Above is the little tent I slept in in the Australian bush. I spent both nights sleeping on the ground with no cover, just the fly screen, in this tiny woman sized tent, sleeping under the stars. Happy as a lark. But now the travel blog is closed for a while and the farm blog is open again.
I am back in farmer mode. The dogs have been dancing with skunks in my absence, the cupboards are bare both in the barn and the house, (though the greens in the glasshouse look fantastic) the hay is looking sparse and both barns need bringing up to date, so I will be busy today and in the weeks to come. But Aaron, my first summer worker, is hard on my heels arriving later this week so help is on the way and soon everything will be ship shape again and we will begin to hum straight into the approaching spring.
Good morning. Thank you to you all for tagging along on my Australasian holiday everything worked out so well, but now – To Work.
Much love
celi
83 Comments on “Home again, Home again …”
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Welcome home, Celi! Better busy than bored, I suppose, and it does sound like you will be busy!
I can honestly tell you that i have never been bored in my life.. c
I’m the first, wow!! Long time listener, first time commenter
Love hearing about life on the farmy, and all your travels
Thanks fromAuckland NZ xx
Hi Someone in Auckland – I had a great time – thank you for commenting ! c
You are very brave. I’ve seen the spiders and snakes up close and I wouldn’t fancy sleeping in the Australian bush without an Aboriginal guide.
I had two experienced campers with me however you forgot to mention the scorpions – lucky for me i saw nothing scary at all.. though i slept like the proverbial log!! c
I’m not so bothered by scorpions, in comparison to funnel-web spiders, Taipans, Black Snakes and King Brown snakes. Having looked up where those snakes commonly occur, it would seem that Victoria is relatively safe. However, I felt more secure, camping on the Appalachian Trail, with bears and rattlers, than I did out hiking in the Australian bush 😉
Welcome home. I feel the same way as you. Love visiting family far away but always sad on the return trip home leaving behind loved ones until who knows when. It is bitter sweet but the memories are there, safely stored away. I leave Cape Town now, am writing this while in the plane boarding and Johannesburg tomorrow to head back to France.
We were away about the same time – travel well! c
I’m glad you’re back home safe and sound, and glad that you have busy days ahead to keep your mind occupied. xx
Yes, you know about this feeling Misky.. much love.. c
Welcome. It seemed a memorable trip.
I am so lucky to have family living in such beautiful places.. c
Australia is missing you already…. A lovely night under the bare sky, with huge and brilliant stars, the sound of the cicadas and other night music, that’s a lovely memory to wrap up and put away to take out sometimes and look at… I bet all the Farmy creatures breathed a sigh of relief: “Did you hear? She’s home, she smells of very far away, but our Miss C is back”
it is good to be back .. c
Sounds adventurous………
always!! c
Welcome back to almost-spring! I am sure the animals and the humans are pleased to have you back.
yes, booboo is glued to my leg – poor boy.. c
For me it’s the common birds that start to come out of the deep woods to fly about in the open that makes it clear the winter witch is getting sleepy. Suddenly this week it will be spring.
I hope your birds are coming out then! You have had a much harder winter than us. c
Welcome home. I love traveling with you, but I love you best on the farmy. Same thing in my life!
Morning Charlotte. Interestingly my reading numbers always drop when i am away – so it looks like many people just wait until i am home to read again – I think that is so cool.. c
I’m glad you’re home safely. Though I didn’t comment, I enjoyed your posts about your trip. I’m sure there will be more reflections (and maybe a few more photos?) to follow, but that get-back-in-the-routine impulse can be strong!
All farm photos from now on I think – though my FB page will have a few more camping shots coming.. c
And it looks like you have returned to the coming Spring!!! The forecast says we’ll have temperatures in the 60s and above all of March!!! So I’m thinking you’ll have fairly warm weather too! Sending hugs! xo
It does look like we are going to get some warm temps and i noticed this mornning that the grass is actually starting to show some growth – this bodes well for the cows!.. c
Yes, welcome home! You are a wonder… I suspect we have photos of the travels today because getting home you were simply too spent to get some of the farmy, but still you managed to write your blog in the most upbeat fashion. A reason I love your blog is it always is the cause of beginning my day with positive thoughts. So thank you, and have a great day being welcomed back by all your critters! ~ Mame 🙂
I got home late last night – in the dark – so no photos.. but lots today i hope. c
Welcome home!
Thank you Deb! c
Well, at least you will busy. I find that is always a good balm for an aching heart.
The second best balm being gardening and here we are – garden season is nearly upon us. Dreaming/Planning season is in full swing.
YES! I am going to get some mini tunnel houses set up this week – warm up that ground then out these little plants will go!
gorgeous tent to sleep in under the stars! And now back to work with your lovable animals on the farmy.
And this mornings work went really well – everyone is calm and well fed.. c
Welcome Home Celi! Loved following your travels and the pictures were gorgeous, thank you for sharing with us. Yesterday it was in the high 40s here and felt wonderful and the birds were singing again. That is spring to me, when the birds start singing again
it really does sound spring like.. c
Welcome home. 🙂
Thank you – it is good to be back at work again.. c
Welcome back! I too suspect Spring will be early this year. Yet I keep hearing, in the back of my mind, “In like a lamb out like a lion”, and it kind of scares me.
Yes, we must not be tricked, but every year we long for the sun to come back out! c
I don’t know anyone who lives each moment of her life with such zest, like Thoreau. A recent article in the paper said how to deal with the anxiety of modern life by remembering 3 things:
“I can do this!”; accept uncertainty; be in the moment.
Cecilia, you do this with such flair, such joy de vivre, you are an inspiration to me and I think your readers.
Welcome home!
I can do this! Yes. That is something I like to say. Though right at the moment I am thinking I might want to do a wee nap!.. c
heh heh… you can do that too! Just say, “I can do this,” and then go lay down and *poof* you will succeed in your nap. lol
Welcome home. This statement today really resonates with me: Once you agree to love someone you also commit to the misery of missing them somewhere along the line of life.
Yes, life has sadness – no avoiding it.. c
Welcome back Cinders! Just think…you are missed on both sides of the world! No quote could be truer. Parting is such sweet sorrow…
Old Shakespeare. c
Leaving North Carolina for NZ, I cried all the way from Charlotte to LA – telling the concerned flight attendant that I had something in my eye. I’m sure she believed me.
She has probably seen more than her share of tears.. c
xo! Welcome home. I too have several of those little boxes going. 😉 Loved watching your trip through your posts and photos. Looks like it was wonderful.
Yes it was and now I am wondering how you are doing with your travels! c
So glad you had a great time. Yes, loving means hurting for those we can’t be near. But thank goodness for travel opportunities. Glad we live now and not 100 years ago when saying goodbye maybe meant forever. Welcome back to the farmy!
That is so right Gretchen.. we are so lucky.. c
Welcome home. I envy you that fly-screen-only camping – that would be an ideal way to camp in midgy Scotland. Don’t work too hard now you’re home – we don’t want you undoing all the good your holiday has done you.
I love your writing style: patient as a hat, and little boxes in your mind. You have a genius for the subtle phrase.
love,
ViV x
Patient as a hat – you put down your hat and it sits patiently and waits to be picked up – I like that one too.. c
yay, so glad to be back with you on the farmy. Loved your Australian walkabout. 🙂 Laura
It was well worth it.. and relatively easy too.. c
Welcome home; glad you had such a good time. Wonder how Sheila greets you!
she has been talking non stop! bless her – c
Glad you’re back safe and sound. It looked like a wonderful trip. I love camping. 🙂
That is the second time in my whole life that i have gone camping – it was great – except for the flies of course!! c
To the other world and back again. Welcome home. I know the animals must be perkier today as they hear your voice. (and no doubt some humans, too). The afterglow of your journey will linger for some time, no doubt, while the sadness is packed away. You met my very best friend of 50 years – Ardys – while you were in Melbourne. I know she has to deal with that same sadness at times.
It was wonderful to meet Ardys, such a gentle soul she is. I did enjoy our lunch.. c
Spring is springing here also! I am always so delighted when we turn the corner from winter.
Linda
Yes – I can see the corner now!! c
Great to have you home again, Celi. I enjoyed my virtual tour, though I have been late to comment. My routine has changed over the past month and I only seem to catch up late in the evenings when my eyes are tired. Another couple of weeks and I should be back to normal. I can just imagine the buzz from the Farmy residents as you drove closer to home. Animals always know long before humans do. I am glad you have a few days to yourself before Aaron arrives to work and discover the magic of the farm. Stay well and enjoy the rise in temperature.
I am looking forward to Aaron coming too – I need the help after neglecting the scooping for a few weeks! c
Such beautiful words Celi: ‘Once you agree to love someone you also commit to the misery of missing them somewhere along the line of life.’ We head off to Ohio tomorrow and I will keep them in mind. Welcome home. xx
Ohio – you are travelling ! c
Home again, home again, jiggety jig – I ALWAYS sing this when returning home. 🙂 Welcome back.
It runs through my head more times a day than i care to admit.. c
You’re a wonder, travelling and blogging… I’m just managing the travel bit, occasional blog comments and Instragram/FB pics. I’m also managing feeling the disconnect from home even though our travels are much anticipated, by creating a mini-home -our nannavan- we tow along with us. I’m pleased you enjoyed your time in Australia 🙂
Your Nanna van sounds glorious! c
‘Once you agree to love someone . . . ‘ methinks is the operative phrase for all this post . . . . Celi, I don’t think one ‘agrees’, one just ‘does’: and all the rest comes with it 🙂 !! Oh, am most impressed with the rock-climbing/camping gear – I think that is the cutest pup-tent I have seen! Would have been gorgeous to wake up in that beauty!!!! And Mad, I live in a gated village just outside a National Park in NSW – oh yes, we have red-bellied blacks and browns – one just takes care. The spider I most fear is the “redback’ ’cause it is small and one may miss and they are rather poisonous: I actually have two of them living next to high windows in my cottage: I leave them alone, they have left me alone: cool! probably take care of my mosquitoes and flies 😀 !!
Red-backs are nocturnal so I hope they are living on the outside of the windows ..
NOPE . . . .but they just ‘look at me’ and I cannot reach them and they honestly seem friendly . . . [famous last words . . I hope not!] Go to sleep, Missy . . . .
Welcome home! I’m glad you had a good trip. It’s always wonderful to see family and friends, but there’s something about home, at least for me.
Yes, home is a god place.. c
Lots of little boxes to put away when one is an expat. I’m leaving for Germany in two weeks, although it is not the same since my mom passed .
What a wonderful trip and what a wonderful thing for us that you are back with us. I am selfish I know but I have missed your animal pictures although I did love all your travel photos. Don’t work too hard!
Missed you being at the Farmy. So glad you have returned. Much love, Gayle
I’m probably a weirdo, but when I get home it isn’t so much about being “home” but kicking myself into gear and getting after all of that wonderful busy work that sits waiting for me! There’s something about being so connected to the land, animals and work that is exciting about returning home. Welcome back farm girl. 🙂