Pig TV . Fast Asleep . Buttering Toast

Baby asleep on the monitor reminded me of pig TV from the farm. Oh - and - How to butter toast one-handed: here’s a hint, I can’t.

This picture of baby sleeping on the monitor in 2025 made me think of this post from spring of 2017.

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Spring of 2017

From the archives of The Kitchens Garden.

This wireless monitor on the kitchen bench connected to a camera in the barn is a game changer. I am so excited about it. Instead of getting up and getting dressed and creeping out across the farm yard through the cold, dark rain then tiptoeing through the barn trying to sneak up on a pig (which is almost impossible), now I just walk into the kitchen and there she is. On the tele. On the monitor placed in amongst the plates.

Poppy is due to farrow today, maybe tonight. I can see, as I write this morning that she is awake and lying on her belly quietly listening. The monitor feed even has sound though all I hear is roosters crowing. And the monitor is not tied to my inclement and terribly slow wifi – another bonus.

This is a major change to the way I manage my farrowing and calving. Much, much, much calmer, which is better for everyone.

Lady Astor’s udder, she is my milk cow, is slowly tightening up and filling out but still not as full as I would expect by now; with one week to go.

But - almost time to put on her milking collar.

Below is a shot of one of the plonkers down the back watching us pick asparagus. The harvest is not large yet. We will be up to 40 pounds a day in a few weeks. But so far it is too cold and there too many weeds yet. And with two more days of heavy rain and wind ahead of us I am not getting out to clean the asparagus patch up any time soon.

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A later shot of some piglets for you.

Piglets have little side rooms called ‘creeps’. You might have heard the term creep feed - this is the food in the creep.

The origin of the word creep related to piglets and calves, comes from the practice of providing a specially sectioned-off area where young animals can access heat, dry bedding and supplemental food while still nursing, protected from larger animals; this allows the young to creep into a safe feeding space

There is a very low tiny door that allows the piglets into a separate small warm creep to sleep under the heat lamp. Every few hours mama pig will lie on her side and call them out for a feed. The sow is huge and can inadvertently lie on a piglet. So the creep keeps them out of the way while she situates herself. When they hear her grunting call they swarm out through their hole in the wall, climb all over her laid out feet and drink madly. Pushing each other off teats and shoving each other about until they all settle in for a good drink.

Then they potter off back into the creep and line up like sausages under the hot lamp and fall fast asleep.

Fast asleep

Fast Asleep is an oxymoron. Both fast and absolutely asleep and still. Or is it?

“Hold thou the dore faste, or the wynde shal rend it asunder”!

In the twelfth century, fast meant something firmly fixed or secure, as seen in words like steadfast and handfast. To fast or abstain from food, (fasting) comes from this idea of holding firmly to a practice or observance; breakfast is to break ones fast. ‘To fast’ reflects discipline and determination. Running fast came later.

(With my history of anorexia I avoid the trigger of fasting apps but those are the most modern iteration of fasting).

Hold fast to your dreams.

Asleep and fast feels like an oxymoron - to fall fast asleep sounds like even more of one - a baby held fast by sleep is a joy indeed: But not in this baby’s repertoire. Which is hardly surprising. After all he is only a week old.

Below is my early morning cup of optimistic tea. Drunk standing up, swaying the baby into little sleep, so mum can fall fast asleep herself. After her night of little sleep.

Buttering toast with one hand is not for the faint of heart. I wonder whether my habit of lots of butter plonked onto warm toast came from years of babies and one handed buttering.

English is a curious language. Fun to write in.

In the middle of a tiring night I decided I would take up watercolors. Writing just felt too far away.

Have a gorgeous day!

Celi

PS I wrote this whole post with baby (eventually) fast asleep on my shoulder, sleeping with great determination, head tucked under my chin.

Mother of mothers. Babies are a lot of work.

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California be careful. They want an excuse to roll in the big guns. To teach us all a lesson. To keep us from freely speaking. Yet we must speak. My heart is with you today. Thank you so much for speaking up for those who can’t.

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Love Celi.