An announcement as we run

Sometimes you just have to run.  And yesterday evening The Bobby was doing just that. After waiting out yet another strong storm, standing in the drenching rain and high winds, there was no way he was going in for the night.  He just ran. Running rings around me. 

So I left him out.

We will have less milk this morning but never mind. These beautiful blowsy pink fluffy clouds, that folllowed in the wake of the storm still had jags of lightning messaging from inside them. Like the forked tongue of a snake flicking in and out of  cotton candy on a stick. Each time lighting up the clouds from within.  It felt ominous.

Surprisingly the wild flowers have survived every storm.  I see no damage in this field of light and gold.

Even in the dusky light, that lends a silver to the vibrant green of the corn in this patch, the flowers stand up straight and tall.

I have family coming in two weeks, I hope they last so I can show them off.

The hay is officially ruined. Again and agaain it has been rained on. i was able to flip it over the other day to try and save the pasture below the sodden messes and was going to do this again today but we had a lot of rain again yesterday. These wild squalls are coming on days when no rain is forecast. Flying across the coutryside. Moving fast. Every day it has been rained on – i have stopped counting how many.

I was going to dry this hay then get the hay man out to bale it for straw but I think it is even past that. I was feeding it to cows by hand but no-one will even eat it from the field now. The rain and incredibly high humidity is turning it to slime.  It smells. I am thinking the only thing to do it literally roll it to the edges of the fields and gather it up for compost when I have the time. We need to clear it off now so the next crop of pasture and hay can grow. I have never had quite this thorough a disaster.

Today I will call my other hay man and see about buying the two hundred odd bales I just lost.

Farming is fickle. As fickle as the weather. 

And exciting Annoouncement: I have been working on a new spin off platform from the blog. I get frequent requests and suggestions to create a page from where I can sell prints and cards and merchandise with images from the farm. But I don’t want to sell on the blog – it feels wrong the few times I have advertised the calendar on it. The farm pages are for the farm.

So, for a long time I have wondered how to raise money for the farm and its community of dependent animals (the ones like Wai who do not make money but need care)  without it impinging on the farm emphasis of the farm pages. I love how you and I and the Fellowship gather here for a cup of coffee and a natter about the farm. I really do not want to break the simple joy of the daily blog by allowing it to become commercial.

I have hit upon an idea that takes that slightly tacky side of selling right away from the blog pages.  I am devising a newsletter that will go out monthly with all those money raising buttons  and links attached. It is being beautifully designed by my new personal internet assistant, who I will introduce soon, and will have a monthly cartoon from the Farmy resident artist who I will introduce soon too and as well as advertising my products it will have brand new farm news and favourite inages from the month, etc. Lots of new material.  This newsletter will link to the Amazon page where I have listed many of my personal favourite  and frequent purchases, like Wai’s lotions and potions – the farm gets a small percentage of anything you purchase from these links – and my brand new Zazzle page where I am creating the cards and aprons and cups and prints and tons of exciting stuff. Here is a sample!

Our artist at work here! Stand by as I would like to introduce her properly but need her permission of course.

This will also be the forum  where I sell the yearly calendar and Christmas children’s picture books.

The newsletter will be small, will not take up much of your time and if you sign up for it then it will arrive via email in your own inbox on the first of every month.  There is so much potential for this medium. This is my exciting new venture. Stand by!

What else can I put in it? Any ideas? What do you think?

This week my personal internet assistant Samantha will create a button for you to sign up for the newsletter.  Then we will launch our first Letter from the Kitchen’s Garden on the first of August.

I am hard at work creating all the cards (as well as the first cups and tote bags).  I am excited! I am running with it.

This is a much more fun way to pay for hay!!

I hope you have a lovely day.  I really, really do.

Love celi

Weather – Out of nowhere a COOL day. A day to regroup. I will have to get out Wai’s beautiful new warmie blanket for tonight!

Monday 07/24 10% / 0 in