FURRY NOSE
While I am milking Tane sticks his furry nose under the door and talks to me. Like an animated head suspended from a string. Milk. Milk. Milk. He chants. 
I carry his milk through the gate and past him as he makes the difficult turn. Then once free of the door he shoots out of the barn after me and his bucket. Rushing like a trotting horse. If he forgets to direct his legs they work wonkily fine. 
All the pigs are drinking a lot of milk. Aunty Del gives about thirty-five pounds of milk twice a day. Plenty to go around. ( A gallon of milk weighs 8lbs – a gallon is 3.8 liters).
Last night I caught all the Australorps and put them into the chook shed. It is not enlarged yet – two of my helpers are coming down in a couple of weeks to build the improvements but with the endless rain it is time for them to move to bigger dryer quarters. And every afternoon they happily run around the yard with the big chickens so they will be fine in there. The little Easter Eggers can have the tin hut for a while. 
This (above) is not a crop. This is the green algae bloom of weeds in the field, seen through my garden. The fields have taken back control. And still it rains. Yesterday was fine though. More heavy rain in the forecast for this afternoon. Then maybe a few more dry days.
We are being taught a lesson.
Saturday today!
Slowly, slowly the weather will settle. Not today though. And getting very late for the GM farmers and their maize. 
We still hope to plant ruby red popcorn in one of Harold’s fields. John popped some yesterday afternoon. It is VERY GOOD! Really white and bright with a perfect crunch. I look forward to this crop! Stop raining!!
Celi
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I read that as “When I am milking Tane” and I wondered if you’d lost the plot and were now milking the pigs !!
Haha! I had to reread that sentence too! That’s how I know I was going too fast.
Seems like either way you may drown! You get to choose, milk or rain. Laura
Good one Laura!
There is that!
Part of me is saying – Mother Earth is causing the rains so your adjoining commercial fields can have a growing season to recover. But I know that impacts the economy and workers and those who’s financial life depends on those commercial fields. And then it hurt your small mill friends too.
Love Tane’s little nose through the fence… and WOW – that is a whole lot of MILK!
Yes that much milk from one cow is stunning. I had no idea it was even possible! How much milk would a calf drink on a daily basis?
I’m so happy for Tane. Hate to say it but here’s one guy who seems to thrive without a gal to help him through the day!! Hahaha
How adorable is that greedy little pig!! I hope it stops raining soon for you all.
I love popcorn. And I love the picture of your beautiful cow framed by the barn’s walls.x
Hi. all! Ceci, it looks like the chooks have taken over the boot feeder! The cows are not incensed? Love your description of an ‘animated head hanging from a string’, for that’s exactly what it looks like! Maybe Tane could join the music group -“Talking Heads” – grin! Popcorn looked so fresh and wholesome! We’re expecting thunderstorms here, too. Hope your rains don’t wash you away! Have a wonderful afternoon! – Sunny
It is so dry down here that even the invasive species like bush honeysuckle that have no trouble out-competing native plants are drying up and struggling. We’re at a dangerous low, but we had monsoon-like rains in March.
Where are you? We had our monsoon in April/early May and it seems to have moved north of us to Celi and I’m curious if you’re south of Central Texas and got the same rains, just in March.
We’re east – Knoxville, TN.
A whirly gig then! 😄
Tane is such a dear! and Aunty Delis a prodigious supplier of MILK!
I have out of touch with the Farmy for a week or more… and it is STILL raining. I hope you get sun soon 🌞
Yup still raining.
Dear little Tane!
The weather seems to have turned a corner here and it’s now predicted to be 21 – 23º C with sun for the next couple of weeks. It has been the worst spring for many years in Cataluña. Ironically, the UK weather today was about 4º hotter! I’m not complaining though, 21 to 23º suits me fine.
Tane is singing for his supper/lunch/breakfast… That green cover of weeds might at least stop some of the topsoil washing away. I hope they plough it in rather than spraying it and slashing it off, to give the soil some organic matter, but maybe that’s too much to hope for with Big Farm Industry. I wish you wind, to blow away the clouds and dry up the ground.
Yup. They will spray it then cultivate it – we have another storm overhead right this minute so it may be a while before they can get machines on the land.
The “MooPar” sedan, became a “coup” when the chickens landed in the boot!!
Rain rain, go away…
Love the word-picture of Tane as he “makes the difficult turn” and moves fast out of the barn, his legs working “wonkily fine.”
Great complement to the “animated head” under the door and the furry nose photographs. Cheered my slow day!
For all his frailties he is such a cheerful wee pig. And so much happier without Tima. He is stronger and putting on weight. Poor brow beaten husband.