At last we are settling down into a summer farm rhythm. Start the waters, milk the cow, feed the animals, have second breakfast, weed and plant and pick. This is the morning. A simple morning.
I am leaving the grass long down the back so the cows can lie down into it out of the flies. I hate flies.
Tia is a beautiful heifer. All the young ones are bulking up.
The pigs are all putting on weight.
Tomorrow I put both groups of piglets together. Everything will stay the same, I will just open the gate that separates them then see what happens.
Spot the dog. While I sat on a brick watching the piglets Ton hid in the weeds watching us all. He is not very good at hiding.
More weeding today and mowing and weed eating and planting. I started this post today saying I cannot believe you are still reading because it really is just an ordinary little farm. A small soap opera with cows and pigs. Things move slowly. If things are going well nothing much happens at all.
And let’s hope it stays that way, at least until I have all the gardens in.
The day has already begin outside the open windows. The birds are singing into the dawning.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
Weather Forecast: More perfect gardening weather.
Wednesday 06/07 0% / 0 inSunny. High 77F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.
Wednesday Night 06/0710% / 0 inClear skies. Low 52F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph
How lovely to come back and see how much peace and harmony there is on the farmy C.
Have a glorious day.
Love from Nairobi, Kenya.
🙂 Mandy xo
Good morning Mandy in Kenya! c
I think a quiet life is just what everyone longs for sometimes!
Probably the calm before the storm.. c
I suspect the pigs will love the company and swap ideas on escaping. Steve McQueen Piglet will be building a motorbike 😉
Just imagine!! c
I can see a troop of six little pigs on motorbikes!
Can’t believe we are still reading? Good heavens woman, my day can’t start without my morning trek down the lane to the farmy. If the day bodes well I head off all happy. If, when problems arise then I ponder on them throughout the day. A quiet day on the farmy feels like a little reward!
Wonderful – this is a reward day then – for sure.. c
D > Your weeds look very much what we have here that’s called Coltsfoot. It has very deep very tough tap roots that are devilishly difficult to get out entire: if a bit is left in the ground it will regrow from that. The deep root helps it survive when other surface rooted plants die of thirst. And the big leaves smother everything. If left to itself, it will produce small yellow flowers, but can spread without sending out seeds. Pigs will root it out and kill it off eventually. Does that match?
I was thinking it looked like Burdock
Same family – Aseracae – and similar habit. Burdock root would be nice for the pigs! ;~)
This one does have a tap root and those lovely big leaves that the piglets sleep under – but it sends up a huge flower stalk with the nastiest stickiest seeds ever. I send John in there to mow it on occassion to keep it from flowering but in the meantime the pigs do love to play in there.. c
Burdock. If so tasty roots.
And it’s biennial, another way of saying hard to kill! Simply awful for horses’ tails and long haired dogs but without it I guess we wouldn’t have velcro!
Burdock can be very useful to people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium, https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/burdock.html, http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/burdock and there is more with a decent search. Those burdock leaves are nice and big, I believe coltsfoot are more horsehoof shaped, but yes, the same family. I think there should be some research on the benefits of more of the “weeds”. The burdock can help with blood pressure control, cancer, skin conditions and more, yet there is not much solid scientific information available. It would make sense to use burdock instead of the usual response to its “weed” designation.
Well said! Here in the UK, we have a traditional recipe for Dandelion and Burdock cordial Or carbonated drinks.
Spring Tonic: )
I love the pictures today. Just love them. LOVE. There, I had to give in to all caps, sorry. Everyone looks so sleek and happy and healthy.
Lady moves across and through the grasses like a steamer. And the grass, each and every blade, looks healthy and happy that the sun is shining.
Thank you – the pic of Tia is my favourite – I love cows necks.. c
Ah then you’ll love mine! Looking more like a cow’s everyday!
oh you!!!
Aww – good Ole TonTon!! Luv him!! Wonder what was going thru his mind?!! “Life on da farm here – ain’t nuttin’ bettah!!” All the piggies and cowsies looking happy and satisfied! Have a great day!!!
You have a great day too Carol! c
Not so ordinary darling! 🙂 And not always so quiet! Ha ha! But always interesting and informative. Your page is an oasis of calm and common sense in an otherwise pretty f’ed up world, pardon my French…
The poor french – such language!! It is an oasis – you all must be busy in the gardens right about now?
I love this peaceful time !
Yes so do I – especially as it is not too hot yet.. c
I love these posts!
I think we keep reading because it is a life we admire and/or would love to live. It is definitely something vastly different than my daily life sitting at a desk working on a computer all day. Grass being greener, life is better viewed through a periscope… etc… Enjoy your day.
My periscope does the same thing! cc
Long may it last :0 Laura
Amen to that – touch wood.. c
I love reading the daily life of the Farmy. As other people have said it’s an oasis of calm in a crazy world. Lucky you your sun and heat, It’s so cold and wet here at the mo, more like winter! Have a fab day.
Oh no! I hope you get some warm sun soon.. c
I always say that about my life, too: if things are going well, nothing much is happening. I’m just making good progress on my work! But I love reading about all your dailiness.
I am glad you are making good progress – that must be a great feeling.. c
It’s the pictures. It’s the real work, earth work. It’s the way life was, and could be. It’s the words bringing warmth, humor, hope,–the best human elements. Its Ton hiding . . .
There you are- Albert, our poet. c
My thoughts exactly, Albert. We are so lucky to have you put the perfect words in our mouths. (or on our screens)
Albert said it best!
He has a way with words doesn’t he.. c
It’s an addictive little soap opera, with real heart, real drama, real people and creatures, and an award-winning writer (take a bow, Miss C).
Oh no – I think it is a collective effort.. I hope your day is moving along well.. c
Perhaps the piglet thinks he is hiding too. Or playing peek a boo. From my perspective, it is a yearning for the so called simple life. It is not so simple tho. The health and safety of the animals, the planting and success of a garden that will feed the farm humans and the farm animals, the planted fields of nutrition for the animals and gathering of that nutrition with regards to the weather. The weather! It all depends on the weather. And yet, I still yearn for it. Plus all the collective knowledge and support of the Fellowship. There you go C. 🙂
Yup – I think you covered it – have a good one Kim.
Gotta add my agreement, too– you do so very much to make things seem ordinary, yet you also give us glimpses of how much is hard and messy and sad. You manage to make the time to let us all come along with you as your co-farmers in spirit? Invisible helpers? Constant cheer squad? Who needs Wonder Woman– we have our own Miss C !! 🐷📷🐔🐮🌱
Love your wee emoticons! (is that the right word?) .. have a great day .. c
Such beautiful animals!
Reading about the farmy is one of my favorite parts of each day. 🙂
I was watching an episode of “Maryland Farm and Harvest” on PBS and they had two dairy farmers on the same episode. One had gone back to tall, mixed grass pastures were the cows were moved frequently and the manure left trodden into the pasture, the other was more “modern” with contrete pads with curbs, grain fed and a large manure handling system. It was a striking contrast. The grass fed cows were generally clean, the barn areas were quite clean and the grain fed were dirtier, the manure handling a complex, labor intensive business and the majority of the farm given to growing the grain. Lady A and the others look just as clean and happy as those cows in Maryland in the pastures. I know which method I’d use if I had a dairy cow or two.
Can’t wait to hear what happens when the piglets are together. 😍
That piglet! I couldn’t tell which end was which until I studied it for awhile – then I saw the busy little ears under the big leafs. What a hoot! And that beautiful long blue-black neck – a bovine Aphrodite! Thank you for the calmness amidst the chaos. A piece of breathing space that makes sense!
It’s kicking off the shoes, it’s sitting down, it’s grabbing a cuppa, it’s saying ‘oh! at last!’, it’s feeling comfortable and unfussed . . . it’s normal and healthy . . . .and it definitely is Ton’s nose with its white streak peeking out from amongst the plants . . .
I love that pic of Ton!! ❤
It’s nice to see you have a wonderful crop of Burdock that everyone seems to love. It is an excellent year for them here as well (and I do mean that in THE most respectful way, they are a microcosm unto themselves: )
And so, SO very important: http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Arctium+lappa
Love the pic of Ton endeavouring to hide! I’m with you, can’t stand flies ..