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
Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 77F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
The Kitchen's Garden 
68 responses to “An announcement as we run”
So excited about all your various enterprises!
Yes!!
Every year the Biltmore Estate here in Asheville has a river bottom roadside long long field of sunflowers that they continually cut & replant all summer long for visitors to drive past, photograph & admire. The Vanderbilts have nothing on you, Celi. Your sunflowers could become a Farmy icon for you & your brilliant new products line. A-Ha!
What a wonderful idea and kind of community kindness to plant the sunflowers for you all to see..
Brilliant idea about the newsletter! I’m looking forward to it! So sorry about the hay.
Sorry about the hay loss. Would love some of that compost for my garden! You are very smart to work on this business off shoot. can’t wait to see the products!
Sounds like a very good plan!
“Like the forked tongue of a snake flicking in and out of cotton candy on a stick”…I love the visual this line creates! Just beautiful writing!
I think the newsletter is a great idea too. Can’t wait to hear more about it.
Me too! (And I copied that line also; the rhythm imitates the lightning flashes. And the whole thing strikes at the soul. Mine, at least.)
It is a little unsettling too – seeing lightning flashing inside a pink cloud.. c
I hope you have a lovely day. I really, really do.
I really really really do!
I’ll be hitting that newsletter button as soon as it arrives. I need a new apron, so I hope there’ll be one of those soon, before the holes and stains in the current one make it completely disintegrate…
I will go over and design one for you shortly I don’t know about international shipping though
So long as it’s not three times the cost of the apron itself, I’ll be happy to pay. It shouldn’t be too heavy… I’ve had packages of several yards of fabric come from the US for about $10, I think.
So sorry about the loss of the hay, and I love the idea of the newsletter! Glad to hear that you have an web assistant as well as an artist on hand! Very exciting :*)
yes, having an assistant for this makes all the difference.. I just don’t have the time to LEARN what is already in her head and I do SO love a team
Lots of exciting plans. I do love the way that nothing every stands still at your place (even The Bobby). Hay is a tricky crop that’s so weather dependant and I’m mightly glad we don’t make it any more.
Such a bore isn’t it
I’m with you. I’m not comfortable “selling” on my blog. I, too, like to keep it more of just a journal. However, hay must be bought, vet bills paid,… And people *do* want to help. They appreciate what we do and like feeling a part of the farm family, living vicariously though the farmers that are willing to share. I think you have a good plan. You always come up with good plans :-).
Thank you and also thank you fir your support of little Wai – he is having a great day today as it is cloudy so he can go outside. The idea of the newsletter has been stirring for a while ..
The sunflowers are so lovely and what’s amazing is they have only benefited from the rain.
Exciting newsletter! I’ll be signing up too. 😊
Yes the rain has certainly been good for them and I think that because they are growing up the rise on the bank it makes for a much better show – i cannot do that stand justice with the camera really
I think you have an iPhone, C? Can you do a panoramic shot of the flower bank?
whats this about Amazon….?? I buy loads from there …can you send it on an email to patreciau@gmail.com that way i shall be sure to see it
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2017 at 2:09 PM
I will let you know – still working on it really
Hi Celi! From Faye here in Canada. You might want to look also at a site called Red Bubble and one called Society 6. They both sell products like zazzle but they are both more for artists and artistic work. Your photographs are more artistic in my mind and uploading them for products is apparently pretty easy. My niece sells her artwork in both sites and gets a nice little monthly income from it. I have a lovely pair of yoga pants with her artwork on them. And a cell phone cover. Lots of products. P.s. So sorry about the hay. The weather just doesn’t care! Have a lovely day.
Sounds great – I will look at it! And good luck to your niece.. I love seeing artists getting out there selling their stuff.. c
Brilliant idea. Can’t wait to sign up.
You have a kind of newsletter arrangement? c