My friend John from Chicago has many Aunties called Zia (Tia means Aunty in Spanish) and his favorite  (though he has other favorite Aunties too) has an apple tree here that has just come into blossom. Planted right beside the turkey house. And then I have Tia the heifer. And then there is Aunty Del named for my own favorite Great Aunty Del. So with Tia, Zia and Aunty – they felt like the three Tia’s to me.

Yesterday I brought Tia and Aunty Del back to the home pastures so I had Three Tias on my mind.

Yesterday had a still stormy disposition but no good rain.

The lack of clarity in the above blossom from Tia’s apple tree is testament to the endless strong wind.

Aunty Del.

Tia.

I am looking for a nice Angus bull that these two girls can go and visit. I am hoping to gentle Tia and see if she will work out as a milk cow. It all depends on her udder – she is out of an outrageously valuable Holstein show cow Mama and the bull was an Angus. So being half Angus and half Holstein it is possible she will have a milk cow udder or maybe not. We will see. But she is a lovely gentle animal and I am going to train her as a milk cow anyway. If they breed and deliver ok they will produce two beef calves and if  all goes well I will milk the Aunty’s next summer.

WaiWai would like to announce that the last scab has come off his back and his skin is completely healed. So all up it must be a year since he was set on fire and now look at him. Healed and even sleeping with Tima and Tane in the night times. Not close yet, but in the same room.

Sheila.

The cold is coming back with the nights going down into the low 40’s in the next few days. The chicks are too big for their old heated table so I made them a new one with one of the heated mats (it is made of fiberglass – heavy and rigid) set on brick ‘feet’. This is plenty big enough for the twenty Rhode Island Red chicks to get under if they get cold.

This morning the wind is blowing briskly.

I love how this shot shows the true state of my tea towels!

I picked four pounds of asparagus yesterday and then washed the usual three dozen eggs. The rhubarb is not quite long enough to pick yet but I will be listing horse radish leaves for sale next week as well. My daily take is rising.

I hope you all have a lovely day.

Love Celi

WEATHER: Very windy. Mostly scudding clouds and a little brave sun.

Friday 05/04 20% / 0 in
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy. Windy during the morning. High 76F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph.

Friday Night 05/04 10% / 0 in
A clear sky. Low 52F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Sun
5:47 AM 7:52 PM

Moon

Waning Gibbous, 82% visible