It is pouring down outside. Well, it would look pretty silly if it was pouring up, said the old lady.
A calf very sweetly showing us his tongue. Hmm.
We have a had a good drop of rain, I can hear the rainwater barrel filling up outside the window – though today the rain barrels will be upended in preparation for the freeze. Which is coming. The freeze that is.
We go down into the 20’s at night going forward and the temp will continue dropping for as far as I can see in the forecast.
Today I will sink winter water heaters into the water containers for the animals and birds.
We are still in a waxing gibbous phase of the moon which is when I am at my most productive. No idea why that is but I get so much more done when the moon is waxing. And also, this is the time that I’m more likely to fall in love, have long talks on the phone, my kitchen gardens flourish (glasshouse at the moment), I start good strong new projects (the monthly newsletter) and I cook (but the oven has broke- it keeps turning itself off) and write (or take videos) or look longingly at flights to just about anywhere.
You know, when I was writing my Sustainable Sunday podcast – an introduction actually – I forgot to write how lucky I am. I have always had incredibly good luck. Stand close to me. My luck IS contagious, like happiness and laughter; they are contagious, too. Come on. Cuddle up.
Have a lovely day.
Celi
This weeks Sustainable Sunday
Don’t forget to sign up for SubStack – all this weeks Farmy SoundScape is FREE and this evening we are featuring 10 minutes with The White Chickens. It is a very peaceful video with gentle sounds. Unlike tomorrow’s 10 where Big Jude shows his bossy colours. You just never know what goes on when I am not there.
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PS You know how the coffee machine broke? Well, I have not drunk coffee since then. Once I was past the withdrawal headache, which only took a few days, that morning habit of coffee is beat. I love a good challenge.
Now I am casting about for a good tea to spoon into my teapot. You know, I used to be able to find looseleaf tea in the supermarket. I can’t find it anymore. What the hell! Do I have to buy my tea online as well? That is not sustainable.
The Kitchen's Garden 
17 responses to “The Ears Have It”
It has been pouring down here too. In the UK, we’ve had so much rain this autumn (and summer!). I escaped briefly to Madrid last week, where it was balmy 19 degrees (66 Fahrenheit) and blue skies. And of course they’re much further south so the dusk was at 6 pm instead of 4.
When we landed back at Heathrow, my partner and I always joke we’re back in ‘Pudding Island’ (Lawrence Durrell’s nickname for Britain).
Not complaining, though. I was thinking this morning that, despite gripes about work and the weather, I’m very lucky to have such a good standard of living compared to many people in the world.
If you have a health food shop near you, perhaps they may be more likely to sell loose-leaf tea. What tea do you opt for? My choice is an Earl Grey with lemon. Almost time for my afternoon cuppa!
No such thing as a health food shop down here in the boonies. At least an hours drive to one. I might call ahead and see if they have loose leaf tea / that is a good idea. Tea drinking is not a big thing here in the states though they drink sweet cold tea in the summer. 😒
I just drink gumboot with a little milk. I grew up on Choysa.
This is is great idea though Grace. I will call around the health food shops in the city then drive up.
Gumboot tea is a new phrase for me. I googled it and saw it’s what we call “builder’s tea” in the UK. I love learning the little differences between English as it is spoken around the world.
I hope you manage to find some lovely loose-leaf.
Yes! I love those different words too.
They say that planting during a waxing phase of the moon produces better growth in plants. I’ve got 6 broad bean seeds popping up this week…
I drink Barry’s Gold Blend – it’s a smokey black tea from Cork. You can definitey buy it in Boston, but I’m not sure about the rest of America. You would probably find it in an Irish shop in Chicago…
Barry’s Gold Blend! I will find it and we can share a brew.
https://www.timeout.com/chicago/restaurants/5-of-the-best-irish-food-shops-in-chicago
You can see it on the shelves in one of these Chicago shops 😉
It is getting cold there! I am grateful that I still have not had to turn on the main heating in my apartment. Small space heaters are doing fine for now.
Yep, winter is definitely one the way! Fortunately here in Arkansas we get a reprieve in the weather now and then during the cold season. 🙂 And then we get snow! 😦
I’m in for your contagious luck!
Greetings from Indianapolis!
I really like you.
Thank you for your wisdom.
I love ears!! And eyes! And noses!!
It is cooling down at night here in Spain now but still lovely and sunny in the daytime. We could use some rain though. It is so dry the bushes in the park are looking very sad. I do hope you find some loose-leaf tea. xo
If you do decide to get your loose leaf tea online I get mine from Stash Tea (https://www.stashtea.com/). They have Super Irish Breakfast, English Breakfast, Double Earl Grey, various herbal blends , white, green and black teas and my favorite Lapsang Souchong (A smoked black tea which is worming and different, great on a cold, damp day). It seems there’s a $5.00 off for new customers which I just saw checking the link. I do know they do a buy three bags get one free. My maternal grandmother loved Gunpowder tea (it’s a green which the leaves are rolled into little balls). the Orange spice it nice, Lemon Ginger too. There were no decent places to get loose leaf tea near where I was in Chicago and none at all here in small town Indiana so online order makes sense instead of a long drive,
It does make more sense. I love Lapsang too! And oolong. I will definitely check them out today! Thank you so much!!
Ah, heaters for the water already – not sure I am ready!
Isn’t it odd how so few realize how much the moon’s phases affect humans? If it can affect the sea, then…
Cuddles all around!
I’m lucky that tea and coffee both grow locally (within 500km, as opposed to another country or continent). We’re gearing up here for a super-hot, dry Wet season (thank you, el Niño), so thank goodness the cane harvest is almost over. I’d like a few days of steady rain to fill my 4,000 water tank so I can at least keep the vegies watered. The rest can take waste water from the laundry. We’re lucky to be outside the worst affected areas.