156 Bales
And all the hay is in the barn and all of us went to bed early last night. Kevin was kitchen Mama yesterday making an Argentinian meat pie and banana cream pie.What a relief it was NOT to have to cook after loading 156 bales of hay. As you know one of the hardest parts of being a female farmer is having to cook and run a house at the same time. This crew I am weaving together now is incredible at sharing all the work! 
Today has dawned fine and clear – I am drinking coffee number one, laundry in the basket, all the lists are on the board, work will commence shortly so I had better go out and get the cow in. Victoria will be up soon to help she is one of my volunteers is milking with me now so she is getting up earlier- she is on track to be a vet and so she is going to slowly get closer and closer to Lady until she can milk her by herself. The experience alone is enormous for us. I have never let a volunteer help milk before and am really impressed with the results. And Lady is being a star.
Here are the pictures from yesterday. I will talk to you in the comments today. So ask any questions. But for now I had better stroll out and bring the cows in. 
Good morning!
Here is an interesting thing. This is Lady Astor’s second season being milked and she is used to being brought up by Ton and I. I call to her wave my blue stick around as a signal and Ton just trots along behind her as she comes up to the barn, she ignores him and they both go to where they are going without any fuss. But this summer I am bringing up Del as well. And BOO has taken to trotting quietly behind Aunty Del as she walks up to the barn exactly like Ton. So I have two cows being followed by two dogs and me with my blue shepherds stick walking with them all, calling “Up the the barn, cows! Up to the barn.”
Sometimes this farm has a mind of its own!
Have a lovely day.
celi
59 Comments on “156 Bales”
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Gorgeous sky and clouds. Have a great day.
take one down, pass it around, 155 bales of hay in the barn. … thanks for the earworm!
you are CRUEL!
heh. she started it!
Laugh! Dammit now it is my head!
Went mushroom hunting in the forest yesterday and got a big basket of chanterelles and porcini. We call them girolles and cepes. Made a cepe omelette for breakfast and planning in veal and girolles in cream and white wine for dinner. But, making a strawberry clafoutis first. Busy kitchen day here.
Did Ton say ‘watch and learn’?! Boo doesn’t want to be left out. If I’m fortunate, WordPress will let me comment… Pics beautiful as always. Masses of sky, amazing. Glad your team is working well. Have a good day!
The old store house, now pigsty, looks like an air raid shelter, complete with air warden. They used to wear black tin helmets 😉
I was thinking the same thing! Although I didn’t know it was for storage, I assumed it was an unused storm shelter.
It is a root cellar and Yes! mad – we have them all along the shore in Napier New Zealand – why didn’t I see that before.. c
Aaah back at last. My electronics all decided they didn’t want to speak to each other any more and cut me off completely. All sorted out again, thank the gods. Read al the posts back and then forwards again 🙂 busy time on the farmy indeed. Laura
Wondered where you got to! c
First comment disappeared, probably in your spam box 😦 Been away due to technical hitches, all fixed now. Farmy sure is busy now. Laura
Good to see you back here Laura! Glad you are back online.
So – if you get another milk cow – will you need another pup? Could you get a cat or peahen to sub in? Happy Wednesday!
The weather has been perfect the last few days. I’m so glad as my little town has its yearly festival this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, complete with carnival, carnival and church food, big parade Saturday afternoon (yes I have a float) and much entertainment under the Big Tent on Main Street each night. I will be one tired soul by Sunday. (I am on the committee) Your place looks so peaceful….I may have to come out for a visit……and a coffee!
OH! Maybe we will try to come over .. c
That might be fun..text me if you decide to.
Well done all of you. There is something very satisfying about a hard days work
Whoa! That wagon load of hay bales looks so…..how shall I say it…….ready to tumble over at the slightest nudge. Do you rope them altogether before pulling them back to the barn with the tractor? Or are they securely stacked with no chance of falling? Just love the way the dogs help you! Yes, it makes sense that Boo is also involved with the herding now. It is in his genes! xo
No rope – my hay man stacks them well – plus when i drag it up we have to go up a hump to get on the track – it can get a Bit hairy.. c
Look at that mountain of hay! It’s going to be a good winter!
Do kids today still make wishes when passing a hay wagon? That’s a lovely one. How lovely the hay loft will smell! ( and such memories of playing in those retangular bales – the huge round ones have their charms, but stacked hay in a barn – lovely
That’s an impressive load of hay!! I’d bet everyone fell into their beds after a full day of hard work. I love the shot of the pig coming out of the cellar. Is that a storm cellar? It’s time to get my first cup and take it out while I water the very dry garden. The heat has finally abated and normal June temps will resume. This triple digits isn’t even good for the birds. Don’t want to see anymore of it. Hope the milking goes well. You make me smile at the vision of two dogs herding two cows and the shepherdess waving her blue wand over the lot. You are making magic there. 🙂
I relish all of your posts, but, today, this one really sings to me; you, the cows and dogs and walking stick heading up to the barn, your helpers and their contributions, everything coming together under those impressive clouds. All that – and 156 bales of hay. You do good work, Celi, and I thank you.
Well done, All at The Farmy, especially Chief Celi!
Really lovely photos…. so many clouds!
Is Kevin from Argentina? Or was he using Fede’s book to cook from? The name ‘Kevin’ doesn’t sound terribly Argentinian… but you never know.
Sounds as though Ton has trained Boo on bringing home the cows.
The hay does look wonderful all stacked up on that wagon but it does appear it would topple at the slightest hint of a breeze. Glad you got it into the barn before that happened.
Hope you have a lovely day too. ~ Mame 🙂
Kevin is an American but got hold of Fede’s book – he did a good job of dinner too! c
Fabulous hay! Love your cow and Boo stories! and the photos today are absolutely stellar! Cheers!
You are making me homesick with that photo of hay bales stacked on the trailer. I can almost smell that fresh hay.
I do remember the smell of fresh hay and I’m getting homesick also. Great photos !
Excellent pictures. I love the marmalade cat. Nice progress report on your farm and your team. Made my day! Enjoy yours!
Have been following you; a daily ritual, but finally getting Windows 10 and I together to show visible thanks for posting; best to yhou
Glad you have things in order.. c
Esther turned me on to your blog about a year ago. One of the best things she’s done! Much love, Gayle
Today’s photos look particularly fantastic! 😀
It sounds like Lady is being much better this year and doesn’t require having John in the barn to be milked. Practice (on her part) makes perfect. 🙂 Beautiful shots of the hay and clouds.
It seems that she does not mind who is managing her feed as long as someone is. And Victoria is very good with her.. . c
Happiest memories of childhood..feeding my soul even though I wasn’t aware of such a thing…walking Bossie to and fro the barn and helping on hay making day !
I loved that cow…..it felt magical and important. I am right there as you describe it…..
Banana Cream Pie! It sounds like Lady Astor is settling down, I’m sure that’s a relief. I don’t know how all that hay stays on the cart!
And the minds all work as one.
Linda
Oh how I miss those high summer clouds in the country. Thank you for sharing the views. It makes my heart happy.
It sounds as if Victoria has good vet instincts, if she’s calm and gentle and acceptable to Lady A. I love the idea of Aunty Del and Boo doing their Milking Training together. They’ve both heard the call and seen the blue shepherd’s staff before, so nothing is too new or alarming. And as for that gorgeous piggy face peeking out of the root cellar, yes, Mad’s right, just crown it with a black ARP (Air Raid Patrol) tin helmet, possibly with a daisy stuck in at the side….
Seems this group of photos has triggered a bit of homesickness in many of us. Those bales and wagon. And those skies with the perfect clouds! It looks more like Montana.
How is it that the root cellar is unused (except by the piggies)? When I had the stables there was an actual air raid shelter, complete with air filtering, floor drains and electricity. It was two smallish rooms and while I used it to store all sorts of food and supplies its best use was for shelter from tornadoes and a cool spot for the dogs to lounge in the summer.
I don’t use it for anything as it is all the way down the back in a field – i think that is where the first house on this property was.. way too far for me to store food let alone run there in a tornado! c
Stories of co-operation, both humans and animals. This farm breathes the co-operative spirit. What a change from when I first came to this blog and it was just you and a few animals. I admire the way you have expanded, in all ways, over the past few years. I love the picture of two cows, two dogs, and you, all coming in to the milking shed where an apprentice milker awaits. Beautiful. (Maybe you could write a post that charts the expansion?)
Oh, and congratulations on bringing in the hay. That’s a great pic.
Yes, I was thinking this today too – how much I love having the young people here and how it has given me much needed direction.
Yes, I bet it keeps you focussed and organised! I love being around young people; it allows for great intergenerational energy exchanges to take place. I’m so happy for you. This is sustainable living!
One hundred & fifty six bales of hay, Wow! May it be the first of many trips to the hay loft before the end of summer. I am ready to hit the hay here and wander off to dreamland with the the line of cows & dogs playing follow the leader back to the barn.
Two lots of hay in early June: must make you feel more comfortable!! And these clouds I DO like 🙂 ! Saying ‘hello’ thru’ quite some difficulty this morning: our last weekend’s floods, including those surrounding my area, still seem to lead to multiple outages – but, hmm., how come five minutes after threatening to cut my service [alongside thousands of others!] . . . suddenly Illinois was available!! OK – largest Oz firm, fifth outage in a couple of months . . . frustrating with the huge morning mail . . .
M.L..Kappa’s comment and subsequent encouragement and ability to read her fabulous post ‘Letters from Athens’ seems to have disappeared since I first had the ability to read a few hours back! May I suggest to each and every reader here that they should visit: some matters in life are fun, some educational . . . some absolutely vital . . . . her ‘cry’ for help foremost methinks . . .
Do you mean a comment has disappeared from my Lounge? I have not deleted it. And have not seen it here. c
Just disappeared since I first read it at about 10am our time. It was the FIRST one on the list. Not ‘the’ verbiage of her current blog, just her content re today’s post/ Sorry dearHeart if I won’t be on again – my email still seems to be utterly inundated by the floods. They have promised 7pm tonight – I’ll hold my breath!!!
I’m still trying, after a year of receiving this most wonderful blog (whatever ‘blog’ stands for), to be able to make a comment. Thought I’d try this avenue!
Hi sunny, Esther here; this blog lowers blood pressure; and you get virtual warm spots for your hot; not quite like having your favorite dog or kitty licking your toes, but darn close to it. hugs; a blog is simply chatting with something of interest; hopefully reasonably said; you know how it goes; sort of a hows by you column to the universe; mine (sorrygnat@wordpress.com) lapsed after Bill died; but will get back to it soon; you are much in my heart’s thoughts and wishes.
Wonderful summer images Miss C. And 156 bales of hay .. well done!
How many bales do you need per head for a winter?
Loved the underground pig shelter! I’ve never seen that before!