Jig Saw Jog
Well, yesterday was busy as you can imagine. Spring though sunless seems to be on it’s way. My life is consumed by the weather. I remember my life when I lived in the city each day was a surprise I never looked at a weather forecast or even bothered with wind direction. Now it is all about the weather.
I hit a wall last night with my metaphorical head and had a massive teenagers catch up sleep. Finally, my brain has arrived, it must have taken a later flight and got lost in transit! 
While I am writing by the open bedroom window watching for the sunrise I can hear the coyotes again. Howling and squabbling. All winter they have been so loud and so close. So far they have not bothered me or the animals – no cats missing or anything. So they must be a tight pack – no rogues. The dogs spend a lot of time barking at the coyotes in the night keeping our boundaries tight and we walk the border twice a day to keep all the fence posts freshly scented. There will definitely be no night calving in the fields this year, (though I never have) when the girls are close they will be brought into the barn every night. My coyote pack has been well behaved so far but there is no point in making it easy for a wild dog.
Above you can see that I am hardening off the spring crops (the dark greens) IN the chicken tractor so the peacocks and turkeys and chickens have no chance of eating them while they are still in their pots! This has happened before and this is why the peacocks will go into their peacock palace in the top of the barn when little plants are planted out, summer hits and it is too hot for the plants to stay under the cloches. 
Above is my work for today. I will get out the tractor and scoop the yards clean – all the manure and dirty straw goes down the back by the asparagus patch and becomes an enormous compost pile. This years pile will be for next years gardens. I have NEVER had enough compost. Never ever.
The day after today which I guess is tomorrow I will begin to scoop out the cows wintering pens. This will take a long time without help. They will be cleaned and prepared for calving and milking time. Unless the weather gets really bad again (and it might) the cows are officially out of the barn so I can prepare it for summer.
I looked back at the old posts for the 12th of march over the years to see what the weather was like and how far along the plants were. Documenting the farm like this is very useful like that. But I should be noting the weather details more often. Yesterday was in the high 50’s windows open!
In July we will have five years worth of blog posts to look back over, 
I have bought a juicer. When I was in Melbourne I became very excited about the freshly made juices that we could buy in the cafes and restaurants. They would come to the table frothy and freshly squeezed and quite divine. A real natural pick-me-up and often a good deep green. Green drinks are the best for health! I have a lot of kale coming through in the glass house, so after finding a cheap juicer on Amazon, (we will see if it can keep up with me), I have begun making juices for my breakfast. Three interesting tips: keep your fruit and vegetables in the fridge so the juice is pre chilled, wash the parts of the juicer immediately while your juice settles so clean up is easy, make two batches at a time and freeze one in cubes for the afternoon smoothie, make your juice from left overs save all your cauliflower stalks and broccoli stalks etc, from last nights dinner prep and juice those as well. Sheila could not believe her eyes when her dinner was mixed with the pulp of oranges and grapefruit. (Usually oranges and grapefruit and lemons are a pretty hard sell with the pigs.)
I can’t wait for the beetroot now, I will be drinking beetroot juice like crazy! And my restaurant friends tell me it freezes very well for the winter. A juicer will be a great addition to my mealtimes and cocktail hours. And a perfect snack too.
Nothing is ever wasted here.
The cows and kunekune are settling in to their new living arrangements but I am still waiting for my driver to transport Aunty Del over to the home farm and swap Poppy with the twins. I wonder if I should bring that little bull Carlos the Tiny back to the home farm too – there is no reason why he cannot hang out with all the pregnant ladies. What do you think? ( I like to let the West fields grow in high and thick for mid summer grazing so he may as well be here. Then I can leave the electric fences off over there too. Save on energy. There will be a few head butts to begin with though I think he can deal with it. Lady Astor will go about establishing her authority as head cow. Cow politics are pretty straight forward, there are no votes.
Hmm. I am writing thoughts. Wasting time. Time to get moving. I will mull Carlos over today and look at the idea from every angle. The early summer jig saw is still jogging about the board.
I did not quite get the focus on Sheila’s moving eye but you can see how different her eyes are from any of the others. All the other pigs have black eyes. Sheila has golden eyes. Once those twins are gone across the way she can get out and about more which will be good for her. Poppy will take over the barn and Sheila will go to live outside in her pig house with a gate to the bank – it is a favourite grazing place. Although she and the twins hang out together, it is still an uneasy truce – Sheila still chooses to sleep alone – she will be happy to move to her spring house.
Well, time to get going, the sun will be up soon though it looks like once again it will rise behind cloud.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
54 Comments on “Jig Saw Jog”
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That is superb 🙂
Thank you.. my pleasure..c
You are such a busy person, no rest on the farm. I do hope you find a new helper soon then you will have more time to cook and use your knives:)
Yes. This kind of work is everlasting – and it is my day job so when it comes to the maintenance jobs like scraping the barn clean I will allot a certain time every day for that job. (Just like going to the office) Every day is divided into blocks of time. So I only do what I can for any particular day and every day i cook what i have grown into a home cooked dinner. The meals I prepare using my own produce is in fact my objective. My reason for farming. I grow my own food then chop it up with my knives. Speaking of knives my son brought me a new knife from Japan – it is a fruit knife, about 6 inches long? You will have one I am sure but i am IN LOVE with this new knife. My other knives are sulking! c
Lucky you! No, I do not have any Japanese knives, most are German actually.
I will need to drop hints for my daughter for my next birthday.
yes – I will check the brand for you.. it is a stunning knife..
Haha – just looked on the knife and of course it is IN japanese – and I don’t read that language – so as i threw the box away it will remain a mystery!
I wonder what Sheila will make of the returned Poppy? 🙂
They will tussle about for a bit I am sure – though I am setting Sheila up in her own home for the summer soon, she likes to live alone.
Wow! It’s amazing that you will have be blogging for five years in July! I have loved being a part of the Fellowship of the Farmy all this time!!! Sounds like you’ve got the movements choreographed and well planned. And it seems like a good plan to me! Boy, what I would give for your compost pile! With almost no soil here, but rocks instead, we have to carefully grow our soil before we grow any of our veggies. Imagine lusting over a compost pile!!! 🙂
I can TOTALLLY understand lusting over a compost pile – i still think you need a cow – just for the manure – maybe we can breed you a little dexter! c
A little dexter just might be exactly what we need!!! But would we need two, so they can keep each other company?
It is not unusual to have one milking cow.. she will have her calf after a while. c
Such a rich, full smorgasbord this morning. Thank you Celi. And welcome back, Celi’s brain.
My brain took a while! I was getting worried.. c
You never fail to amaze and delight me! How the hell do you know so much about farming? And how the hell do you get so much done every day? And how the hell do you take such wonderful photos and write so beautifully? Etc. etc. etc…… You are pretty G.D. amazing my friend!!! ; o )
I am sure that when you go to work every day you organise yourself to achieve as much as you can – I am lucky – I LOVE my job! (Though the money is rubbish!!).. c
I’ve become very inefficient… It is true that ‘the more you have to do, the more you do’. When I had both the farm in Quebec and my yellow farmhouse I got so much done. (I’m going to get my thyroid checked… I would so much like to get my old energy back!!) I’m glad you love what you do. I was very happy as well when we had our farm with our gardens and our animals – so I know how you feel!!
Problem is… I haven’t had a real j.o.b. since we moved to Malta. And therein lies the problem…. That being said, i did accomplish a lot when we lived in Malta, such as publishing a small book on Maltese history… and running the farm in Quebec during spring, summer and fall. And I know that I don’t have the same ‘get up and go’ I used to have since losing my husband..
On another note, would you like one of my books? I’ll sign it for you, of course. I think you’ll find it very interesting and it’s not a very big book, so you wouldn’t have to ‘wade through it’!! (You could give me your address by writing me a message on Facebook, even if you’re not a member of Facebook. I’m listed as Cecile Hamel-Roy. ; o )
heh heh I love your animal names… Hairy MacLairy, indeed.
Well, looking back just serves to prove my point that March/April, as in October/November, are completely unpredictable weather-wise; we experience anything in these months from blizzards to sun-filled and warm gentle breezes.
I always thought pigs were very social animals, so I read with interest about Sheila’s preference to be alone. Is that the norm or is she just an oddity?
Seems you have so much to do this time of year, but I suspect it’s a very satisfying type of work with feelings of accomplishment. What are the expected due dates for your moms?
Hope you have a lovely day too. ~ Mame 🙂
Sheila is a law unto herself that is for sure. Due dates? I will look them all up and make a list for you for tomorrow (if I have time) they are all in my diary.. c
I had two posts to read today, what a treat 🙂 Is that a clump of asparagus popping up already? Laura
Chives – they are always first – I just love chives.. c
I want that pink sky. Beautiful.
Yes – lovely .
We (on farms and ranches) are so ruled by weather. Right now Terry and I are working up the ground…he on the farm and I in my beds. The idea is to get the ground mellow. Our soil needs to thaw, freeze, thaw…digest compost, thaw, freeze. Rain right now would NOT be a good thing. Once he gets to leveling, it will be okay to have rain. As for me…rain is always good in my yards.
Linda
As you well know…weather is also a huge factor is HELPING us with our work —or hindering us.
Linda
You had a lot to say today. Your mind is working on a bunch of tasks for the spring.
We have coyotes wander through the woods and open spaces behind us at times. Tho, less so than in the past due to housing developments. I like hearing a police or firetruck siren and then the coyotes returning call. They get very excited. I can imagine they are keeping an eye on your fowl and they nice smells downwind.
My little garden is still dormant. I’m watching for the first shoots of rhubarb. Better cook up some pie to use up last year’s frozen tubs.
Oh rhubarb! yes, I love it and asparagus – they are always my first – interesting that the first tastes of the season are so rich and strong – I always think that if you eat what is in season in your garden (or the wild for that matter) it will match the NEEDS of your body at that time.. have a good one jim! c
I believe the eat what’s in season rule, too. Just makes sense. Much love, Gayle
We’ve been making smoothies with the juicer as well – including a green one. Very popular 🙂
I am drinking one right now and it is just fantastic – an energy hit too! c
You have to be organized to run such a busy farm. All your projects sound wise and the juicing can be delicious. Be prepared for taste surprises when you start throwing in the kitchen sink!
I love the idea of taste surprises! Yes. c
Sheila’s golden eye…. such intelligence in that look. I can understand her desire for solitude when faced with rambunctious Poppy and her naughty twins…
Me too! and wild Poppy is coming home!!. c
Enjoy your juice. It sounds scrumptious. I have a good strong liquidiser – is that the same as a juicer?
Don’t work TOO hard – pace yourself and get plenty of restorative sleep.
love,
ViV xox
I guess it is the same though a juicer takes out the juice and leaves the fiber in a bucket.. c
I wouldn
Iwouldn’t want to waste all that good fibre 🙂
our clothes lines are twins
I love seeing those linens rocking gently in the breeze – though I need to get out and tighten the strings!!
We had this ‘talk’ once before: I wish I could ‘send’ you a couple of our Hills’ Hoists [tho’ some at 60 years old many regard them as old-fashioned!] – You would not have to move to peg or unpeg your washing, they would be sturdier and look quite pretty next to your wind farm towers 🙂 ! Celi: my favourite juice is carrot/apple/celery + ‘secret ingredients’ – but please do not depend just on juices . . . you will have lost the fibre the animals now get alongside some vitamins and, the juice being a very concentrated form of nourishment, may contain far too much sugar . . . some – yes, but have some ‘real’ stuff in betwixt and between. Beetroot marvellous – again do NOT overdo especially with those!!! Love Hugo’s chickens – what a happy lot !!!!!!!!!!! Five years . . . . have been there for 3/4 of the time . . .
‘
Yes. Thank you for clarifying that Eha. c
Just being ‘Mama’ again Miss C . . . . was not attempting to clear up anything actually . . . . just: I kind’of learn about this and write about this and lecture about this and you know . . .love . . .
my gosh you are a busy bee! I bet that new juicer will help keep your energy and vibrant health in good order! Cheers!
I just fell madly in love with Sheila. What a beautiful shot Celi! Oh I love juicing too – do it most mornings and either feed the pulp to the chooks or the worm farm. Both love it! I never ever have enough compost .. I reckon someone comes and steals it! 😀
What type of juicer did you invest in? I have an Omega masticating juicer and I love it! The clothes line is another aspect of country life that I love. Today’s photos are “happy” images. it appears everyone is excited about the promise of spring!
Enjoy your juicer. 🙂 Beetroot, carrot and apple is a lovely combination. I find that pure beetroot is too strong, but adding carrot and/or apple takes the edge off it.
Thank you! I will try it like that – also a chef told me to freeze the beetroot juice for sauces and stews in the winter! Isn’t that a great idea.. c
That is such a handy tip! 🙂
I just bought a cold-press juicer too – last week!
I just love it – fresh juice is an energy boost!
It’s fantastic!