The wind has flipped to the Sou’wester which is a warmer wind in this hemisphere. Though it is only 8 degrees. F. So warm is a relative term. And the long wall in my study is south facing so it’s a bit chillier than previous days in here today.
The wind affects houses in different ways. And this house is feeling bedraggled.
The four little pigs have had a rotten cold week but they still seem vigorous and wild. They are so hardy. But they don’t put on much weight in this cold winter – using a lot of their energy to keep warm.
Chapter Four of Wind in the Willows is HERE.
I thought I would write down for you my routine going forward. So you know what to expect. Usually I don’t write travel days but don’t start for a few weeks yet.
Here is how a ‘normal’ week of writing and reading and listening looks:
- Monday – TKG – Blog post
- Tuesday – SubStack: Bedtime story
- Wednesday – TKG – Blog post
- Thursday – Substack: Bedtime story
- Friday – TKG – Blog Post. (Archives from the blog – very popular – we are in 2012 so far).
- Sunday – Substack: The Kitchens Garden newsletter (tons of stuff in this piece) and another chapter of the bedtime story.
You will have signed up for either or both. (I don’t mind how you subscribe or where you subscribe) – these two multi storied old internet houses of mine live side by side with interconnecting passages like Badgers house – just like we planned – I move from one to the other at will seeing you all and happy to have you along).
And if you live in Australia or New Zealand (and many of you are in the Southern H) add a day: Monday in Illinois is Tuesday in Melbourne, and etc. I know! It does my head in too!
My daughter frequently sends me pictures of the cuttings she is minding for me in Melbourne. Here is the basil. I thought it might cheer us up to see a bit of green. I see pesto in my future!
I love pasta with pesto.
Jude and FreeBee are hunkered down. Coming out only for food. In chapter four of wind in the willows there are a number of references to animals taking it easy in the winter. Sleeping more. I smile at that as I read.
It is a very pertinent book to be reading in the Illinois winter. Wind in the Willows. Chapters three and four anyway!
We got shocking news the other day of an organic chicken enterprise in our cohort that lost almost all their chickens to Avian flu. We wrote to ask her what to look for and here is her answer.
Awful. Avian flu is real.
It had been extremely cold but these chickens had a heated house. So – know your farmer. This farm was up close to Chicago about 50 miles from here. Way too close for comfort.
Our chickens are doing ok. No sign of illness and no deaths. They are even coming out of their winter doldrums. And venturing out a little. We are averaging 7 eggs a day now. Let’s hope that means things are looking up in the egg laying department.
Today I have to go shopping which is literally my least favorite thing. And it is forecast to snow. But not much. I would rather be sat with the animals by the fire, cooking English muffins …
and answering your comments!
Have a lovely day!
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
26 responses to “the sou’wester blows warmer but the chill remains”
Oh the avian flu sounds just heartbreaking. I can’t imagine walking in to a large number of dead birds. So sad and scary how fast it hit them. I hope it is contained and under control.
I am sure that whole flock has been euthanized and the house thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Those farmers have had their lives turned upside down. Such a shame.
Those Plop Plops are still young and excitable, but I bet Jude and Freebee just want a seat by the oven, with TonTon 🤣
In this country, they keep birds locked up when there’s nearby Avian Flu.
The birds that died were in a closed unit. But even here in my mink proof hen house the wild birds get in somehow to steal food.
That’s the problem, as I’m sure you know.
And not much we can do about it. Most of it comes down to luck – I think.
Indeed!
Avian flu scary and horrible, hardy little black pigs gorgeous, big pigs taking it all in their knowing stride. Shopping ghastly, keeping warm by the fire, the best. Oh and improved egg laying👌xx
Yup! That’s it – in a nutshell!
I’m amazed to see your dog and two cats so close to one another.
That big ginger one (Vandal) stretched and pushed Ton right off the cushion after this shot. I had to rearrange them so Ton could return and go back to sleep. Vandal is a dreadful cat.
Do they actually get along, or are they only tolerating each other because of the cold?
Ton occasionally growls lazily if they get too close to his face. But the cats take no notice of him at all. He has never had a problem sleeping with cats. Boo on the other hand would rather die- cats never get close to him.
I remember back just prior to that first outbreak of avian flu. We had so many backyard flocks all throughout the neighborhoods, and of course wild birds flying in and out among them. Not a single flock made it through. It was so sad to walk each day and realize that one by one you weren’t hearing the chickens talking as you walked from block to block. I know you take good care but… hearing lots about outdoor cats who are dying as well after catching wild birds. The city garden basil is looking wonderful. Any word on the neighbor bunnies or have the dog and cat made it clear that they should stay on their own side of the fence 😉
the neighbor got in touch with the owner over the back fence and so he came around to talk to my daughter. Apologies, etc. (though they had been out for months from what I could gather). Soph said – they are very sweet but I am afraid my dog will eat them. So. The man caught them and put them back in their rabbit cages in his own back yard. Then he filled in all the holes under the fence which we watched with raised eyebrows. However he has done the best he can and we have not seen rabbits in the yard again so far! 😂
Oh but just wait until you have the time to transform that yard into a spectacular garden. The bunnies from miles around will knocking at the gate 🙂
😂 !!
The animals’ reverence for rest in Wind in the Willows is one of my favourite things ever. That is sober news about the chickens – last year, we had a farm in our same valley have to cull their entire flock because of it. We are keeping our fingers crossed – there are so many wild birds about and the chickens are out all the time, I don’t see any way to limit their exposure.
I have wild birds that even get into my hen house – going after their feed I guess. So there really is no point in locking them up. I hate locking them in anyway – it is not healthy – they need to be out in the dirt and the sunlight. But not today! They won’t even come and peek out the door today – too cold and grim.
I remember it was 2014 or 2015 and there was bird flu. It wasn’t really noticeable among the usual wild birds, except that suddenly there were no crows and we had a very large flock of them. The hawks came back because there were no crows to harass them and chase them away. The crows didn’t start to come back till 2019 and very few of them then. Wretched about the chickens. I haven’t heard about any outbreaks near me. No one close to the house has chickens, most of them just go to the local farm stands and buy fresh eggs or to the grocery store. Spring is coming.
It is frightening about the bird flu. I only have a few chickens and can’t bear to lock them up. I alternate hanging aluminum foil or old cd s or other scary things at the doorways. They usually work for a little while at keeping the wild birds out.
Eggs are in short supply here because of avian flu down south. So far, we are OK, and our poultry supplier says they are still good to give us three pullets in early March, so fingers crossed. We’re currently supplying the Husband’s colleagues and our neighbours.
3 pullets will be very nice!
Hopefully they will help to boost production as some of the Girls are getting older and laying less.
Oh Celi, I pray your chickens don’t get the bird flu. It has been devastating out here in Southern California. Millions of chickens have died or were deliberately put down to try to stop the spread of the disease. Now it’s been passed on to the dairy herds, and people tending chickens and cows have also been reported to have caught the Bird flu. Please be careful… My neighbors have five chickens. They lay green eggs:) They have a watchful squirrel that keeps the wild birds away from the coop – hopefully, also keeping the Bird flu away. My best, JBK
Yes! I hope that does not happen either. But it feels like pure luck at this point.