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LAST DAY

Tomorrow I leave for California – not for long – six days I think – so today John will do all the morning chores by himself so he can ask me any questions. It is actually pretty hard for me to stay inside while he does chores by himself but it will be ok. And now that I finally got my assignment finished and handed in ( the computer managed for that long before going black again. I was working fast and in fear of a collapse. So it will not be a perfect grade, but better than no grade). It was not a tough chapter though. I have achieved 100% for everything bar that first quiz so far.

However – I am getting through my list and according to my own timetable I am still on schedule for my departure of the farm at 5.30 tomorrow morning.

Yesterday John created the gap in the back wall of the Rat House so the big pigs can come through to be fed on the dry side of the Rat House. We even found an old heavy door so the gap can be closed. With Anna here ( and helpful Sheila and Poppy) I was able to clean up the rat house floor and make rubble steps and get their corridor cleared. Did I tell you there is a blues brothers car in there. I am sure Poppy is thrilled.

I fully expected them to go back down into the root cellar at night but Sheila is tired of stairs and chose instead to sleep in the little tin house.

Winter feeding will be so much easier for them now. This part of the field ( in the foreground of the above shot) is an old driveway and more solid – not nearly as muddy. But cold in winter – this way they can still get back to the sunny side.

So, Sheila and I are pleased and now John can feed them.

I was wondering if you have any questions for me as blog posts for when I am in the California suburbs. Questions would be such a marvelous help for the blog while I am gone. I don’t tend to write about my family on the blog and the suburbs are not exactly heaving with photos!

I imagine a good question for new people is why the Rat House is called the Rat House. Maybe I could draw you a map of the farm again? – with kids crayons!!

Do you have any questions? Things you have always wondered?

Love celi

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100 responses to “LAST DAY”

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  1. Wishing you a wonderful holiday, you so deserve it. If you do post any crayon pics of the farm layout that
    would be wonderful. I try hard to imagine it all but it’s rather challenging.🎄🍷

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  3. I know you do a lot of cooking while visiting. Maybe some food pics sans family, menus and recipes? (Are you going to grade John on his chores?)

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  5. Having not been with you since the begining, I sometimes wonder how you got into farming, specifically environmentally sustainable farming? What was the calling? When did you decide this was a project that you wanted/needed to tackle? How did you go about making the leap into it? And how, as a native of a very far away country, did you end up in central Illinois? I love your blog, and we are richer for you here, but it is not an obvious destination (at least to me)! 😉

    Also, I too am looking forward to the crayon sketch!

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  6. I love to hear the history of the animals and sad as it is maybe about WaiWai too. We need to be reminded of his sorrowful past and how you nursed him big time back from the literal jaws of death. It isn’t bragging as you might think. It’s facts. Plain and simple.
    Also TonTon—when did he come to the farm. And maybe talk about each of the cows. And when are the two aunties due.

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  8. Yes a visual in crayon would be great. I STILL don’t know where the rat house is or the root house is either. And maybe Manu’s digs too.

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  10. From my neck of the woods in California – near Fresno – actually 12 miles from Yosemite, the sun is shining gloriously. We have had rain which has lead to heavy fog at times, and the oh-so-wise weather folk are predicting snow Christmas Eve and Day at our elevation. Really a shame you can’t make it to the coast in the Cambria area (about a 2 1/2 hour drive S.W. from Fresno – the mama elephant seals are birthing and it’s quite a to do going on over there!
    Oh SO looking forward to the Farmy drawing – with crayons! LOVE IT! I’ll print it out and frame it! Have a wonderful Christmastime with your family! Big hugs!

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  11. I am happy to see what ever you seen that catches your eye… glimpses of suburban California. I travelled to and through it once by train in 2000, and the glimpses of eveyday life, residential areas was every bit as interesting as the tourist destinations. Merry Christmas ☺

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  12. I would love to hear how it all started for you. How do you know what to feed them, how do you know which species get along with each other, do you have a mentor to teach you all things farming, or do you go by trial and error? Would love to hear geeky details about barn building, fence design, what you feed the animals.

    I recently started reading your blog and I get drawn in by the animals antics and the simple rhythm of farm life.

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  15. Crazy little Piggy Poo is growing!! Happy for you to get away and visit your Kids!! Take a real vacation and forget the blog!!! What a Christmas present you are giving John ~~~ do all the chores!!! Just back from a 3 week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia and Mekong Delta river cruise!!! Their winter weather: daily mid – high 90’s with 85 – 95% humidity!!! help!! Saw much of the 3rd world living over there ~ but no more wars for those people ~~ and they are very happy and were very friendly to our group of 51. Their motto: “forgive and don’t look back ~ focus forward and keep on going.” Wishing you a nice Christmas getaway!!

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