Happy New Year Everyone

If I get back to the farm after a days work at the mill –

– in time to see the animals, my favorite part of the evening is tucking Wai and Tima into bed at night. It is always dark in the barn by then and I have to turn the light on but the only movements they make are to burrow deeper into the straw in anticipation and grunt softly in thanks as I cover them totally in about a foot of straw then lay the pig blankets on top. We have lots of pig blankets passed down from Sheila.

It was raining ice when I first awoke this morning so I thought I had better get some New Years wishes out to you in case the ice brings down the power lines.

The animals and birds won’t be coming too far out of the barns today – it is nasty out there.

The windows are covered in ice. It is dark and gloomy in the house. I can’t see out the windows which exacerbates the cocoon feeling we all learnt in 2020: hunkering down, waiting it out.

Do you remember that year when we had an ice storm and the ice built up so thickly on the wires that the weight pulled miles of power poles down. We lost power for 6 days. Another reason for me wanting to get my New Years wishes out to you early! Though I think it might warm up a touch later on today then the rain will just be rain.

Thankfully we are not milking and have no animals or birds that need warm lights so if the power goes out everyone will be ok.

If we have all been cocooned for so long what will we look like when we emerge – large dusty moths or vibrant little worker butterflies. I think I will emerge as a large angry shark. Especially if vaccines expire before even getting out of their boxes. I will be a large angry shark and just swim home. Have lunch with my daughter in Melbourne on the way past- she always has the best lunches.

There is no ice on the trees yet. But this is a dreadful day. Wind and ice. Blowing ice and 29F ( minus 2). At least it is not too cold.

I move around the mill a lot. Here is my kit. The lap top slides right in there – perfect.

Masks up people! Eat real food and drink lots of good water.

We still have a ways to go.

In case you are looking for one – here is an exceptional focaccia recipe.

It is in my bread blog over at Janie’s Mill. I am addicted! You can make it with any medium protein flour if you don’t have any Janies Mill flour in your fridge.

I am going to toast some focaccia right now to go with a fried egg for my breakfast this morning. The ducks are only laying one egg a day in the winter and the chooks about four – but that is fine because with all the restaurant scraps these eggs are exceptional!

As are you.

Happy New Year.

Cecilia