DOWN THE BACK
The hogs down the back are getting big.
Their field is large and still full of green. They sleep under their weed trees in the daytime.
Soon John will go away for his visit to his brother and for a few weeks I will be farming alone. I can’t tell you when for security reasons but it is going to be a hard out few weeks.
I have filled my oven with all the cast iron I own and this has made such a big difference to the baking, and the last few bakes the oven has stayed on which is a blessing I do not take for granted now. . I have also remembered rice flour for the banneton baskets. The wonderful thing about bread making is that I am always improving. And that every bake is different for no apparent reason. It is like taking photographs with film – you don’t know what you’ve got until you get into the darkroom. The loaves are always a surprise.
Oh – I keep forgetting to tell you. The duck is still sitting on her eggs! Hissing at me every time I pass. I think she has another week to go.
Mr Flowers has lost his whole tail now. Soon even those last few ordinary feathers will drop out. I have always thought those ones would make great quills. 
The chicks are growing fast! They need no heat in the daytime. Soon I will bring them out to their first outdoor house.
Did I tell you I have brought the two black cows from the other side – the angus calves – back to the home fields. We will do repairs on the fences over on the West Side and let the grass grow for early winter grazing. 
So now we have our winter herd. Del, Tia and her calf and the two young black angus. I hope I have enough hay for this small but hungry herd. They have blended beautifully. Del is being nice.
Saturday morning and what a relief. I need a wee break from the race to work in the morning. Though I totally love my job. I have never had a job I hated.
I hope you have a lovely day.
I have another Airbnb short change today – people leaving just before the next ones arrive but after this I have two long termers which will be restful! Two separate solo individuals who are working close by for a short time.
And now to work for me.
Talk soon!
Celi
23 Comments on “DOWN THE BACK”
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I need to go back and reread comments and a couple posts I missed, I think. Seem to have missed the whole discussion about putting cast iron in your oven! What’s that about??? A remedy of sorts? Have a lovely weekend.
Maintaining the temp. Peter pointed out that bakers use bricks
Yes…good science there.
Fingers crossed that the hissing duck mama gets lucky.
Beautiful, serene pictures of the farmy. Have a good weekend. Laura
Soon you will have ducklings!!! Super exciting!!! And ducks and such good mothers! I bet it’s 10 or more! And they will be with the mama always for at least two or three weeks, and you’ll count them every time you see them to make sure they are all there! Ducklings are just wonderful! And you will be increasing your flock as well!!! 🙂
Beautiful pictures of the sunset.
Are the pigs’ ears notched?
Yes! These are show pigs that were too ugly. I bought them in the spring remember? In future all my piglets will come from the same source as that breeder has Manu now. Another kind of left overs!
Celi, you TRULY are the Queen of ‘Reduce. ReUse. Recycle’: )
But how or where did you find cast iron ?
I have been collecting all over the world. I love cast iron to cook in
I recently acquired a LOT of cast iron, but much of it needs cleaning and reseasoning. I’m waiting for rainy, autumn weather to tackle that job. I’m excited about your ducklings! The chicks I ordered this spring are really growing. I’m looking forward to a lot of eggs in November!! 🙂
Hullo there darling girl! I am still worried my batch of ducks are mostly male! Fingers crossed.
Oh no! Do you think all of those with the ‘headgear’ are male?
Of those I can see, I count 8 dark heads…
Sure hope those ducklings are all hens (not that it’ll help much at first…)
Cast iron!!! I love to use it – just can’t lift it anymore – have beautiful stew pots/roasters, skillets, Dutch oven….some my grandmother’s, others acquired from our street festivals. Ceci, I had to do a double-take more than once on that first photo – it looked like our lovely BIG pig is grazing on a cliff overlooking the ocean! Happy ducklings to be born! Y!! Our little chicks have just started laying peewee eggs! Have a lovely, although busy, weekend! As a side question…are you and Littlesundog related? Sure resemble one another in your photos!
When I was a child, I used to visit the local farm. It was a single man and his mother who owned it, and she still cooked on a wood stove. Her bread oven was huge, and the sides were lined with big round smooth river stones, because “keeps the heat nice and even, see, dearrrr”. I loved Mrs Ellis. She’s the one who taught me about putting honey on infected wounds, and taught me to milk a cow.
Oh so many important skills to learn Kate!♥️ (Around here, Honey always goes on the bandaid before it goes onto you; )
Best times of my childhood were going out to get The Girls on the old tractor with my Aunt and her Border Collie. I can still recall the lovely scents of that barn…
I bet your bread gets yummier e3very baking session!
Beautiful summer glow to today’s pics ♡
I still like the pigs the most.