PIGS, COWS, CATS
That about sums it up. 
A gentle day was had by all yesterday. It was warm after a while and the sun shone generously throughout the day with a good measure of wind to continue drying out the mud. Wai (above) is still sleeping in his little tin shack in the back of the Corridor Paddock. What I find interesting, but not surprising when you think about it, is that the other pigs Tima and Tane do not bother him at all in his new house. In fact they go no-where near it, not even to lie next to it. Everyone goes to their own bedrooms in the evening. And all is well.
Though all that rain and all those pigs pretty much means that the last of the grass in their fields is gone. And their fields are not that small. In the spring they will be resown in something delicious. 
Though still quite limpy Tane is getting around better than he has in a year or so. He is also looking so much shinier and his long hair is softer. He can run too, bless him and likes nothing more than to get into the chook house when their door is opened in the afternoon and grubble about in there looking for leftovers. 
The white rock chickens that I am growing for the freezer are really taking a very long time to grow. They eat a lot of pasture but are growing very slowly which makes them so much more expensive to produce. I want to get as much chicken in the freezer as I can before the winter comes because I don’t want to grow chickens for meat next year either. No milking, no chickens, no calves born, no enormous garden, no woofers. None of the big time-consumers.
Next summer I hope to be freed up enough to move about a little, travel about the families more, concentrate on the areas of the farm that make actual money like eggs, beef, pork and the Zazzle shop. John intends to retire early for one reason or another and if the farm is not paying for itself it is doomed.
Txiki is next to be put up for sale. Alex and her baby Rainbow have sold and will go to their new home in early December. I adore Txiki though and am reluctant. She is such a quiet wee pet. But cows are expensive pets and she would be a perfect little cow for a little farm.
Another lovely day ahead. The nights are not even that cold yet. We have been lucky with this weather. We have just passed our first frost date so we can expect a change soon but so far we are having a perfect fall. I was so afraid that winter would come early. But we still have pasture growing and warmth enough to dry the washing in a couple of hours. So all good.
The roads are heaving with harvesting equipment as they try to get as many of the crops out before the weekend’s rain. Everyone is sniffing from the dust. The corn bins all have their dryers on and the air is loud with the buzz of the big fans getting the last of the moisture out of the GM corn or beans. I will be out and about today delivering eggs and beef and vegetables so I will try to remember to take some photos for you.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
WEATHER: Abundant. Sunshine. Lovely.
Thursday 10/19 0% / 0 in
Abundant sunshine. High 72F. Winds light and variable.
Thursday Night 10/19 10% / 0 in
Clear skies. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
Sun
7:09 am 6:05 pm
Moon
Waning Crescent, 0% visible 6:47 am 6:28 pm
33 Comments on “PIGS, COWS, CATS”
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Hmmm- so your veggies are not profitable enough to continue? Or are they more work than what they are worth? I find that the cost of chicken food and the lack of winter eggs only brings me ahead $9/wk (not counting gas $ for egg deliveries) so I’m contimplating winding down my egg business to just a few dz a week for friends and family.
The vegetables did not sell as I had hoped- and I have to feed and house the help to be able to garden that much land – though we have fed 100s of pounds of vegetables to pigs and cows so there was no waste – but no – I made nothing on vegetables – i saved heaps but if I had not had kids staying here I would not have needed that much – I make more renting out that room.. much more even after only a few months and only a few visitors
Our neighbors have an air BnB and have asked me to keep our cows (esp Phil) at their barn because the guests take such delight in the animals. It seems folks are more interested in seeing/ watching farm animals than paying the small farmer what it really takes to raise the food they eat. Sorry- I’m grumpy today.
Tane is looking cute today – I’m glad his leg is holding up.
It seems to be his spine – so his weight has a lot to do with it – bit dicey really – keeping him well-fed enough to be strong but but not that heavy so his balance shifts and he cannot move. He is good right about now..
He looks happy – that’s the main thing!
That seems to be the issue for many of us. 🙂 Keeping that weight just right.
Aww, not Alex, Txiki and Rainbow. 🙁 Laura
I have bred them to sell them though – so it has to happen. The only way Txiki and INKY can stay is if I can borrow a low line angus bull. Aunty Anna will be sold too when she has weaned Inky in about 6 months. I have too many cows for the amount of land they are on – which is the opposite of sustainable farming
Tima and Tane are such polite little piggies 😂 I’m glad Tane is still ok, let’s hope the winter is kind to him.
Yes – maybe I can get HIM to wear a coat – Wai absolutely refuses to have anything to do with the idea –
I love Tane. I love his funny squiggle toothed face. He makes me smile. Even laugh. I can see why you have these wonderful critters around. Everyone needs reasons constantly to keep a smile on. And love seeing the wash flying in the breeze. It makes me remember that delicious smell on cloth that comes in from the line. It’s too humid here to do that in Georgia, but growing up in Michigan, those memories stay in the mind.
Me too! I think that Tane is just too adorable! What a fabulous picture of him sprawled out in the grass! And the laundry blowing in the breeze seems so comforting and wonderful somehow! Maybe because we rarely see it anymore?
Yes – when it is humid here the washing just stands about catching flies – now is perfect!
Who couldn’t love the face of Tane? All of the critters look mighty contented in the autumn sun. Such a wonderful collection of photos. Our weather has been exceptional too. I hate to admit it but I am ready for the first killing freeze. The mosquitoes here have been horrible for weeks now!
Oh NO. Mosquitoes are horrible. They are long gone here. Though I am one of those people they do not bite.
I too hate to say it but I’ll welcoma a freeze too. We are inundated with wasps and box elder bugs (ugly little sob’s). That’s the A #1 best thing ever about a freeze – cut the bug population. (I sorely dislike bugs, can you tell?)
I feel a bit sad. Not sure why. Maybe it’s the change in the winds. Or the coming of true autumn. Or the idea of Txiki going away…but, your decisions are yours and sound very solid and the thought that you will have more freedom to travel makes me very happy for you. I know you have a wandering soul…October has always been the hardest month, I think. And it is almost over. Good!
I have talked to a lot of people who are feeling sad and a bit discombobulated these last few weeks – quite unrelated. Maybe it is the month and the threat of an ugly winter…
The fall weather has been beautiful. Enjoying all the photos today and that Wai is enjoying his new home, a home he chose, is just too funny.
You have a lot of change coming up and that will take a price out of your peace of mind for a bit. It looks like you are heading toward a slower, calmer lifestyle so eventually the change will be worth it. Change is very hard no matter the reason or the benefit. I wondered what happens with Wai once he has fully recovered since he is such a loner. I’m glad to hear Tane is doing better. If I could find someone here that had fresh eggs not far away, I’d go buy them. Store bought just taste like hothouse tomatoes. Bland. A member of my sewing group stops by a place that has a little cupboard at the road to take your eggs and put in your money. Honor system and it seems to work. We collect empty cartons for her to take back and leave there. They should be coming to you for eggs and veggies. We have big rain here this week. Next week, back to the 70’s ????
Ah! The Before the Holiday Blues’ syndrome! We’re standing on the precipice just before leaping into the whirlwind of activities to come for the next 2-3 months whether they are our own or someone else’s – we are all affected. NO sicknesses for you this year, Miss C.!
Sorry I had to borrow your reply box, insearchofitall, but nothing I write by myself goes into the comment section. I’m having to ‘hitchhike’ these days and then it signs me out as ‘anonymous’, which I am not…I’m Sunny. Thank you for letting m borrow your space.
Sunny – who has the Blues? – not me! We are months from Christmas yet. So I hope you don’t have the Blues either. All your letters are turning up – so don’t worry if they are not there immediately – no technology is perfect. Maybe your should UNFOLLOW and REFOLLOW – that may help.
Ah! The ‘Before Holiday Blues’… standing on the precipice before jumping into the whirlwind of seasonal activities to come, whether they are your own or someone else’s – we are all affected. BTW – NO sickness for you this year, Miss C.! Sunny NOT ‘anonymous’, as this thing likes to call me.
What’s the deal? My comments aren’t even showing up now!
Just love the piggy pictures today!
I hope Tane will wear the coat. I wondered how that was going with Wai. It sounds like you are battening down the hatches, farm wise. More time for travel will be a good thing tho. Perhaps the cats need a stern talking to as to their job on the farm tho. Lolling about doesn’t catch the mice. I say this as three cats lay about in my own house. I heard owls in the trees last night as I lay in bed before sleep. Perhaps they caught some mice. I hope so.
Wise Miss C. Work with your strengths, meet your demands and open your hands and let the rest go. Waving goodbye to dear animals is hard, but you are a farmer and not a pet shop or animal refuge. I do admire your strength of mind and self-discipline.
awww you will miss those ex$pen$ive buddies on your farm, but I get it!
I’ll have to get my ### in gear and order some Christmas from Zazzle!
SAME!
‘If at once you don’t succeed, try, try again!’ . . . . glad to see you adjusting time and again to make your life less frenetic . . . and more profitable we hope! When Big John does retire from his impossibly tiring schedule there will have to be another reworking for what brings peace and contentment. May all of your endeavours bear fruit . . . life ebbs and flows and we have to go along with that . . .
Wai is looking great, I really admire what you’ve done with him.
It’s really amazing how much better he looks now compared to when you took him in.
Thanks, Miss C. I’ll give your suggestion about ‘un-follow and re-follow’ a go and change my name back from Anonymous to Sunny in the process!