Wind
I don’t really know why I wrote Wind in the heading as there is none this morning. In fact, living in the depths of the Mill 12 hours a day I cannot even really comment on whether we have had a lot of wind lately. I no longer see the weather coming. I am not in it.
Did you know wind is more about sucking than blowing. The air is drawn down from high pressure to low pressure. I think I have that right. I read this somewhere years ago. In fact we may have talked about it years ago. I guess we see this principle in action when you open the front door and the change in pressure slams the back door.
Here is a nice piece of text from Wikipedia:
Wind is air in motion. It is produced by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. Since the earth’s surface is made of various land and water formations, it absorbs the sun’s radiation unevenly. Two factors are necessary to specify wind: speed and direction.
I like that sentence – wind is air in motion.
I had to buy a new phone (an outrageous expense) – which meant downloading all my apps again: we were setting the new phone up in the shop and their systems all went down and the download went a bit wonky. Not that I care! Anyway starting again has been good I left behind the detritus. But the new app for WordPress looks different! I am slow to make my post this morning. But like they say – a change is as good as a holiday. And God knows we could all do with a holiday!
Every night after work I pick up the pig scraps from the restaurant we call Beans. I have the back seat of my car full of clean buckets and swap them out for the full ones. Yesterday there were trays and trays of strawberries. Old blind WaiWai has a nose for strawberries. He slowly and silently followed me between the car and the tree until I had the strawberries unloaded. By the time I had everything unloaded and sorted into his bowl it was quite dark. But he still waited for his strawberries which he ate with delicate little bites and snuffles before sloping like a ragged shadow back to the barn. He is quite silent, that pig – unless he gets a fright then he huffs.
Tima is allowed to run loose on the weekends when I am home. Not that she does any running. But she cannot come out of her large enclosure when I am not here. She is too naughty for John to manage.
This weekend I hope the men will run a long electric fence out into the wheat field. We have so much feed this winter – but I still want to take advantage of this big field of clover. It is really good for the recovery of a field to have animals on it. As they graze they pull at the roots of some plants creating air pockets and drainage and turn the grass into manure to enrich the souls as they pass. I honestly wish all this farm was grass and trees and I would let my herd graze large areas – migrating about at will. I love weeds and overgrown areas and jungles. But we are in the business of organic cropping now. I hope I live long enough to fund a little New Zealand farm for my children and create our own little wilderness there.
Are you baking? What are you making? Godzilla is out on the bench warming up for the weekend bread. I still want to make some bran muffins but I cannot find Mum’s recipe. I have collected bran from the pizza flour milling. It is half Turkey Red and half Glenn and has a lot of sifted flour in it. We don’t sell it but we should, because it is baking magic. I want to make the bran muffins with it.
Tima has come up to the porch for her morning nap. She takes over TonTon’s bed which upsets him greatly. But the pig is bigger than the dog so the pig wins.
Do you have a good simple bran muffin recipe? I want to put lots of dried fruit in them too. I am hungry for a muffin.
Time to get going.
Talk soon
Celi
67 Comments on “Wind”
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Thank you for your words of wind, Miss C. I really really dislike the wind (and yes, you have spoken of it before) and try to recall all the lovely thoughts about it, but it seldom makes me feel better. We are buying a place deep in the pine trees which is wonderful (except there is no meadow, a requirement I have to let go of) and I am hoping that the sound and feel of wind through the pines will help my relationship with it. Your words make me think you are wistful for being on the farmy full-time. This too shall pass.
It does sound kind of nice to nestle in amongst the trees.
How do I send a Bran Muffin recipe?
You can send to cecilia@janiesmill.com. Thank you!
Celi, 12 hrs. is too long for humans to work in one day. Remember what Aristotle taught us ~ Moderation in all Things. Perhaps you are abiding by Oscar Wilde’s advice: Moderation in all things, including Moderation.
As to wind, I don’t like it except in Moderation or gentle cooling breezes. We lived half way up a mountain side once, protected by the mountain at our backs. The wind on the ridge at the top sounded like a freight train roaring through, & trees were often blown down up there. (Our Blue Ridges are seldom above the tree line, their ancient peaks having eroded over the eons. It is fun though to sit on the porch & watch the leaves swirling down in a Small gusts of wind. A friend used to make divine bran muffins for everyone, studded with raisins & walnuts from a recipe he said he read on a pkg. of bran. Have a lovely day with your John & the Farmy creatures great & small. Your turning leaves look beautiful there now. Judith
I worked at least 12 hours a day farming for myself – lucky for me the mill is only 10 minutes away so I have no commute to add to that.
So good to hear from you Celi! I do like the wind, especially when it brings the rain with it, which we desperately need right now. We are having a super dry fall so far. It is so nice to see pictures of the farmy. And that Tima is just too much! 🙂 Don’t know if you saw in your last post, but I let you know that Jethro, our boar, had to be put down. He suffered from the same back hip issue as Sheila. So very sad. I just know you will enjoy every minute of your wonderful weekend! Sending you and the fellowship big hugs! XO
So sad when we lose our animals. I do commiserate with you on that one. Sheiks broke my heart. Sending lots of love.
Lovely post- I look forward to your photos and wise words. Take care and do stay in bed and read now and then! ps I am having difficulty commenting on your blog now that google is not on one of the accounts offered for commenting. and I no longer have wordpress.
These tech giants do not make it easier for the little people
Thank you for a beautiful post about the wind today! https://www.wisdomforpennies.com
Thank you for reading!
Wind is the perfect word for me today. We are having our first true autumn rain/wind/thunder storm over this weekend. No gales mind you, but my small wind chime outside the door has been constantly singing to me. I have not had coffee yet, must be off to energize for the morning!
We need a bit of rain too. I am watering the young trees – they are starting to struggle . Good for the harvest though!
You are “watering the young trees”? Did you plant more this year Celi?
Egads! I love the wind…like sweeping out old dirt, leaving new debris in its place. It allows the leaves to dance, the trees to play their symphonies! I love the feeling of the wind playing with my hair, or the mad dash to catch a windward, wayward hat! Give me reasonable wind any day. Destructive wind, not so good, but we don’t have a choice on that! Thar she blows!
When did WaiWai become blind? And you said ‘old’? Seems like only a year ago you were nursing that little one into miraculous health. How really ‘old’ is he? Is he really blind? What happened?
I’ll hear you through whispers in the wind!
I already knew that pigs were smart from friends in Virginia that had some. But reading your posts I’ve gotten a much clearer idea of how smart they really can be. Thanks.
Tima is to funny how she comes up and sleeps on the porch with the dogs!
Still missing her old fella, I imagine, C?
I love the wind! The sounds, smells, and visions of it. It’s like it sweeps away the old dirt, allowing room for new debris. It lets the leaves dance ad swirl an the trees to play their symphonies. I love to feel it playing with my hair and occasionally causing me to chase a runaway, cartwheeling hat. THAR SHE BLOWS!
You wrote “old, blind WaiWai”. When did he become blind? How old is he? Seems like only a year ago you were nursing the little guy through all of those burns……….
Thank you for the photos! Always wonderful!
I’ll be hearing your voice on the waves of the wind – g’day!
He has never been able to see much – his face was a terrible mess after the burns.
Ever wonder how long Karma takes to work things out?
… and not one fart joke!
Doing my best! Had a few rough moments with the wind sucking!!
Love seeing your post again Celi!!! Miss you and the Farmy Kids!!! The Ducks made me laugh!! Hope you get some weekend rest ~ Hope all is well with you and John and all of the Family ~ here and over across the water!!
My family is so far away – over that water.
Can you feel it (when we send hugs, I mean Celi?) ♥️
When I see the headline WIND I think of Mary Poppins announcing that she would leave when the wind changed direction.
I was totally in love with that movie – a long time ago – I never saw the new one though.
Such a lovely story wasn’t it? Wouldn’t want to ruin the memory…
The only bran muffin recipe my mom used was the one from the all bran cereal. https://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/recipes/the-original-all-bran-muffins-recipe.html
It was a lovely muffin. Warm with butter it is very satisfying. But it’s not the recipe you are looking for.
I will look it up though. Maybe I can adapt it. Thank you!
My pig is shut in most of the day because at the moment she just hoovers up acorns all day—we’re scared she’ll explode. So when I took her some delicious treats yesterday she totally ignored them and looked me in the eye and scolded me for at least ten minutes. I had to apologize profusely 😆
I can imagine!
Kia Ora Celi.
Here is Mum’s Bran Muffin recipe. Mum was born in 1930 and over her life time she made dozens of these bran muffins, or “early risers” as her younger brother called them. She grew up in the era of “healthy regularity” :-))
1 oz butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoonfuls of Golden Syrup (Remember the Chelsea Golden syrup tin??)
1 1/2 cups of bran
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 1/2 cups of milk.
Chopped dates, or raisins or sultanas can be added.
Melt the butter and sugar, add the Golden Syrup. Sift dry ingredients in and add the milk and soda that has been mixed together.
Mum notes it is a wet mixture. Spoon into greased patty pans (Mum’s old patty pans were much shallower than more modern muffin trays)
Bake about 20 minutes in a moderate oven (350F or 180C) They were very tasty muffins…..good NZ butter and Golden Syrup made for a rich flavour.
Alison Holst offers this Basic Bran Recipe:
2 cups of wheat bran
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of sultanas (optional)
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup golden syrup or treacle
1 egg
1 cup of milk.
Put bran in a large bowl and sift flour, baking powder and baking soda on top. Add sultanas and or walnuts and mix all lightly with your fingers.
Warm the golden syrup or treacle until runny. Remove from heat and add egg and milk, mix well. Pour into dry ingredients and fold gently together.
Avoid over mixing.
Bake in muffin tray at 200C for about 10-15 minutes.
Both recipes freeze well IF any avoid being eaten…..Bon appetit!
That’s really great – thank you! I do remember Golden Syrup. I have never worked out a good alternative as I cannot get it here. I used to love the stuff!
The golden syrup squeezy bottle says it is just sugar and water. Do they caramelise brown sugar or cane sugar and then liquify it with water I wonder. Can you use a light amber treacle? Alison Holst says treacle can work….Good luck. Mum’s muffins always smelt so good…happy memories.
I found a recipe to make golden syrup! Who knew?!
Wow! Nice work….I hope those bran muffins taste great…..given the fibre content there could be wind I have been thinking….Lol 🙂
lol, so much for no wind jokes, hey? (As so often happens, it was only a matter of time really; )
Also~ I just found it for sale on amazon (of course). I have seen it recipes from British posters over the years. I have never tasted it & I think I will order some for a try.
Enjoyed this post and the comments very much. Interesting to hear points of view about wind (with no fart jokes, as Jean said!) Sorry to learn that Wai Wai has gone blind. He’s been through so much but so lucky to have found a loving home at last…with strawberries. I absolutely love a good bran muffin and even thinking about them is enjoyable before breakfast as it is for me. Thank you for the recipes Ordinary Good, and inspiration, Celi. xx
Yes! I will make them today!
Wonderful word images of Wai Wai waiting to enjoy his strawberries and Tima taking over Ton’s bed 😀
A pity those two hate each other!
A Sunday morning hello from Australia . . . lovely to hear from you and catch up with an autumnal farmy and its doings. Wind . . . I also am one who dislikes anything beyond a gentle breeze . . . storms with their unknown and uncontrollable power hold no charm . . . Twelve-hour working days are fine as long as you enjoy them and find satisfaction . . .
Yes! I don’t mind doing the hours.
Only being ten minutes away is wonderful: ) but I do hope you’re getting lots of sun on your days off to make up the deficit?
I always look forward to your lovely posts and pictures .I rarely comment, but I’m often moved. Thank you for sharing yourself with us. I admire your strength and envy your many talents!
Thank you Anne. What a lovely comment! Take care.
All the photos are lovely but I laughed at the one of Ton, checking out Tima’s activity and looking like he’s wondering, ‘Is she supposed to be doing that or should I try to stop her? And how?’
He often encounters that dilemma with Tima. Lovely to hear from you!
Not much baking here, but plenty of homemade ketchup with the last of our volunteer tomatoes. along with my family’s new favorite root beer BBQ sauce. They really are better for cold weather as they take for-ev-er to thicken up, keeping the kitchen nice and warm in the meantime.
Sounds just right! I have thrown whole tomatoes in the freezer and made the sauce in the winter – back in the days when I did such things!
Lovely farmy catch up, so nice to see some of the hugely entertaining characters again. Look after yourself as well as you look after your animals. Strawberries indeed! Lucky old Wai Wai. Tima’s adventures always make me smile. 😄
Good morning Andrea!
I have been meaning to make a recipe for a plum bran muffin…. from a well-respected baker. I remember you’re love affair with golden syrup.
Plum bran muffin sounds pretty darn good
Ha ha – poor TonTon. I wish I could see Wai eating his strawberries – no doubt there will be loads of pumpkins in a couple of weeks.
So many people hate the wind, but I get edgy without it. Something about belonging to a small windy island nation, eh, Miss C? I’m not much of a bran muffin girl, but I did recently have a wonderful apple and cinnamon scone with plum jam. Such a brilliant combination…
So happy to hear from you . I read once that the wind is what keeps the clouds from falling. Don’t know if that’s true or not. Just started watching David Attenborough’s film on nature. As a 93 year old he is in a unique position to see firsthand how our natural world has changed. I wish every single person on this planet could see this. It might make a difference.
That Tina is to be reckoned with. First Tanye, then WaiWai and now TonTon. But one thing I know~~what goes around comes around.
Emphasis on the ‘round’ when it is Tima. !
I liked the pig most
Just noticing the different leaves beside Tima and Ton on the porch (Forsythia and Ash, perhaps?) and it got me wondering g how your split Chestnut Tree’s been doing lately…
Good to see the ducks are looking very sleek for going into winter but that Tima, I’d never noticed her little curled up, ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ toes before… Such an incredible Pig!
Oh, a recipe for bran muffins does sound nice.
Ah it is so nice to visit the Farm again! Sigh