(Year 227, Summer) In a new mini series we'll follow Antoinette Morck and Salim Benali and their 5 kids moving from a tiny rented flat in San Myshino, to run the Moo-moo Cow Farm in Henford-on-Bagley. It's not only a long distance to travel, but even more an extreme change to how they live their lives. There will be 3 parts each representing one week.
If you missed their first week, you might like to start here.
*) This is a not-in-game thing.
2nd Week - day 1
I'm Antoinette Morck. Our first week as farmers started rough, but I think we gradually found a better routine. That was before we were forced to get the fourth cow, though...
When we bought Moo-moo Cow Farm we did not realize that we had to keep 4 cows for milk production. It was challenging enough for our household of 7 just moving from San Myshuno to Henford-on-Bagley. On the picture above our farm is centered, the Watson Chicken Farm is our closest neighbor (right), and the Rossie Palace is up there on the hill across the River Bagley (left). It's a nice neighborhood, indeed.
The Finchwick grocery stall expects me to deliver milk equaling to a daily volume of 20 bottles! I can save up for a couple days, but Kim obviously keep accounts on my deliveries and reports to the regional Farming Committee when I don't meet expectations*.
I basically run the farm with some valuable assistance from the older kids. My partner Salim has made it clear that he will not touch anything farm-ish, but at least he has now agreed to work from home. He still waits for the big breakthrough for his poems. It brings us hardly any income at all, but the least he can now look after our youngest, toddler Poblo. When Salim has not locked himself away in his writer's nook in the old barn, that is.
This morning we had a quick family meeting while we ate our breakfast. Sundays seem to be the better for this. Last week we saved up nearly §5,000 but as Salim insisted on his new writer's nook, we spent nearly half of it equipping his new office in the barn. It meant I got the old computer back, so I can work with my social media again. We also bought a new sofa , and I found a nice painting on Plopsy. I think our home needs more fabrics, like rugs and curtains, but this has to wait.
I suggested that I and the kids could walk up to the Rossie Palace later this day. And they all cheered and looked forward to it. I'd just need to milk the cows first...
Little Poblo joined me. While I cleaned and milked Pinky, Princess, Clara and the new one that has not yet been named, he made a colorful mess. I guess he just needs more attention. Salim was supposed to look after him, but I have not seen Salim since he should just adjust one sentence in one of his poems, right after breakfast.
Later on I and 4 of the children took off to have a closer look at the palace up on the hill.
Mangela and Selinda were most excited, but the boys, Joshua and Conny, were eager as well. As we crossed the River Bagley I told them that hundreds of years ago there were great battles on the Henford Field. The palace has been resided by the dukedom ever since, and today's duke and duchess have 4 sons whereof two are still in elementary school, just like Mangela, Selinda, Joshua and Conny. I reckon those noble boys might attend some private school, though.
- No, they don't, Selinda said. - I've seen one of them at school in Britechester!
To my surprise Salim had secretly been watering the orchard while we were away. He called it meditative reflections, and stated that it will never happen again.
2nd Week - day 2
Nights are more quiet now that we have only one toddler in the house. But occasionally Poblo decides to start our day at 5 AM. And I hate it with a passion.
This morning I taught him to use the potty, hopefully that will help a bit on our future sleep quality. Salim says his writing depends 100% on a good night's sleep.
So, I went back to bed and did not get up again in time to prepare breakfast for the kids...
I hope they grabbed something raw from the fridge... Bad news, the stove broke. Also the only toilet on the main floor has been broken for a few days. We could spend all our savings on replacing them both, or someone could try to repair them...
- Don't look at me like that, Antoinette! I am no handyman. I'm a Writer!
- But could you give it a try anyway? I'm too busy with the cows and I must deliver milk today.*
- Ordering a service can't be that expensive? Let's say I'll look into it.
I activated my old drone for today's milking. Streaming the event is worth a try, and I actually meant to do so for a while. Combining the farm chores with my social media might build something, let's see!
But then it was time to go into the village. This bike was left behind by the previous farm owner and I love it!
But guess what! I had forgotten to bring all the milk that is currently stored in our fridge! So, Kim got only today's produce. She was a bit sour, and I think she didn't quite trust that I had purchased the fourth cow. I said I just forgot the milk at home, and will bring it on my next delivery.
While I was gone Salim fixed the kitchen stove and the toilet! He said he did it himself, and I am impressed. If I want Kim to trust me, how should I not trust my Salim?
Kids were busy doing their school work. I think it's time to introduce them a bit more. One child every day?
Mangela (7) is our first born, but of course we treat her and her twin sister as equally old. She seems to be the one paying more interest in the farming, but well, her younger brothers are probably too young to catch interest quite yet. She is a bookworm, and she is more creative than her sister, so I won't be surprised if she will get inspired by her dad's writing, at some point. Mangela is the only one inheriting my hair volume, guess that's why I feel a strong tie to her.
Late in the night I decided to try some canning. We don't grow that much, but what we grow is meant for our private consume. I sold some Parsley to Kim today, but that was because we had plenty. So, I tried making some Strawberry Jam. It might be good for a future picnic. I made 6 jars before I went to bed. Salim was already asleep.
2nd Week - day 3
We were blessed with another sunny Summer morning. It's not as hot as where I grew up in Oasis Springs, but it's pretty easy to tell that our cows like this season!
And I must admit Summer is a good time of the year. It feels more lush and green, and there is more produce to be harvested. I almost start enjoy spending time in the orchard!
This morning I harvested Parsley, Basil, Bell Pepper, Cherries, Green Beans and Blackberries. I really need to find some recipes for some of these! A pie or a salad? Or can some of this harvest be preserved?
After milking Pinky and Princess, I had to fix something in the house, then I'll milk Clara and the nameless later. I stopped by my little social media studio. It's one of the spare rooms downstairs, probably used as a bedroom by the previous owner. I brought my equipment from our city flat, but I have not used it much yet. Now that my existing video royalties are fading a bit, it's time I release a new video. So, I made a Farm Girl Fashion Tips video. I wonder how it will go down with my followers...
Right outside I heard Selinda (7) and Joshua (5) playing. Selinda is another creative soul in this household, but she is quite social, so I'm curious to see in what direction her creativity might flow. She turned out to be a good assistant on the farm, but I can tell that she gets bored with it at times. Perhaps she misses the city.
I knew Mangela and Conny were busy cleaning the cow sheds, so I suggested to show Selinda and Joshua something cool.
Next to the farm there is an old tree where lots of birds seem to live! I told Selinda and Joshua that birds like to socialize and that they might like a gift or two. I gave the kids some cherries, suggesting the birds might like such a gift.
Joshua called for a bird and gifted it the cherries, and Joshua was thrilled. But then the bird clearly signalized that the gift was not appreciated! How rude was that?
Joshua started to cry, and I needed to comfort him a bit, while Selinda kept talking to the birds.
We returned back home shortly after. I don't know whether any of the kids will actually pay interest in the wild birds. Personally I have my hands full with 4 cows.
Today bills were delivered, and it seems our weekly pay will be around §3,000. Right now that equals to all our cash, but tomorrow I'll sell some milk again. We'll do fine.
2nd Week - day 4
Today's plan was to tend to the cows and the vegetable garden and orchard, release my "Farm Girl Fashion Tips" video, and try to inspire the children to find new and interesting activities.
Well, it did not start out all that good, because when I woke up, Mangela, Selinda, Joshua and Conny had all left for school. Knowing they did not do their homework bothered me a bit, we really should look into a more strict school routine! Downstairs I cleaned some stinking plates, and found Salim teaching Poblo some poem related vocabulary. I guess Poets can never be cured...
Ah, the bills! Suddenly the lights went off, and I remembered the bills. Luckily we had enough cash, but I really need to sell some milk today. I want curtains and rugs, and even if we can't decorate all rooms in one go, it would be good to get started.
New vegetables could be harvested today! I'm especially thrilled with the Garlic, that I bought and planted just a couple days ago. While it's in season, I should find a way to store it. i really need to look up recipes and improve my canning.
My plan for the vegetable garden is to grow just a little of everything for our own consume. Because we are a big household, I should probably grow a little more of species that can be canned for later use. I also would like to grow Carrots for gifting to the wild rabbits, not sure if that might be their favorite...
Talking about the rabbits, today a fox stopped by again! I noticed it just before it attacked a poor black rabbit. I firmly shooed the fox, and I'm so glad I did because little Poblo was on his way to pet the rabbit! I don't even want to think of what his experience would be like if there had been a fight right before his eyes!
We named the rabbit Carrot, so now I really need to grow some! We gifted it a Bell Pepper, and Poblo was thrilled from having a new pet on the farm.
After school the kids roamed the lot. I've learned that they do better when left to their own. I just remind them to clean the sheds and fill the cows' food supply before bedtime.
This day Joshua wanted to help me with cooking dinner! We made Garden Salad, just to make use of some produce. It's getting harder to have regular meals, so in addition to the dinner, I've started to just leave a serving dish either on the dining table or in the fridge for anyone to just help themselves.
The rest of the day was chaos. I only milked Pinky in the morning, and intended to return later to milk the other 3, but I did not manage to do so until late in the evening, and because Kim's grocery stall would be closed, I did not go to the village today. No income except my shrinking video royalties that now are down to about §400 per day.
Late at night I released my new fashion video, I really hope it will trend! Meanwhile I will try to come up with ideas for new videos.
2nd Week - day 5
We had terrible thunderstorms all night long! I was awake worrying for our cows, but at least they had clean sheds to stay out of the bad weather.
At least that is what I thought, but in the morning it turned out that the kids forgot to clean the animal sheds last night... We might need to talk it over, there must be no doubt regarding those chores! It gets harder for me to milk unhappy cows, and I have been told that cows will run away if treated badly!
Salim spends more time in the old barn, writing on a new poetry book. I think he might be onto something, I allow him to lock himself away most of the day. I got plenty of work to do anyway, and this morning little Poblo was still asleep because the thunderstorm kept him awake most of the night.
This was my first day trying to milk Pinky, Princess, Clara and the nameless during a storm. I did feel unsafe, expecting them to be just as nervous as me, but it worked surprisingly well. After milking Pinky the rain stopped, and things became much lighter.
There was even a nice rainbow, and Clara obviously enjoyed being cleaned.
Our life sure feels idyllic at the moment, but is it perfect? Not really. Salim and I should go better along, we hardly ever romance these days. The kids are busy, but I have a feeling they would enjoy a pet of some kind, not a cow and not a wild fox, but their very own pet.
Talking of wild creatures, look who showed up! The black rabbit Carrot suddenly noticed the old fox, and ran off.
These animals got me thinking. Would the kids like a cat or dog? A pet that would be there all the time, not only occasionally? But how would a pet go along with the cows?
I gathered all the milk (48 bottles!) and headed for the village. I love these quick bicycle rides - I should get more active to stay fit, though.
At Finchwick I ran into a stranger asking me if I saw her dog. Well, what a strange thing to ask, I obviously just arrived.
- I'm Sonia Oaksdale, I'm a farmer from Gloomville. I was just visiting a friend here, and brought my large dog, but now I can't find it.
She told me the dog was a valuable member at their farm, and it behaved nicely with both their cow and the chickens.
- Interesting!, Antoinette said. - I was just wondering if my 5 children would fancy a cat or dog.
- Of course they would! You should be aware of the pet's traits, though. Check with the adoption service, They will surely help you!
Back home on the farm the kids were already preparing for the night. Mangela was doing her homework while Selinda was asleep. I noticed the girls had a cat card on their corkboard. Should we go for a cat, or should we drop the pet idea? Anyway, I should mention it to Salim first.
Joshua was tired, but asked for food. So I told Salim to cook us some Yorkshire Pudding.
I observed Joshua and Conny seated in each their end of the sofa while eating. They are twin brothers, but yet quite different.
Joshua is a smart boy and because of his Mental resources, I see him as the one most interested in the garden. But he is outgoing, too, which might make him dislike working alone for too long. As a toddler he was clingy, and in a way he is still the one grabbing my skirts for attention.
Tomorrow we might contact the pet adoption service. I said nothing to the kids yet, I wonder how they will react?
2nd Week - day 6
This morning I got a surprise! Poblo cried and he was very hungry, and I wanted to give him something from my inventory, to calm him down until I had a fair chance to cook breakfast.
To my surprise I could feed him the "Super Vitality Fertilizer", or the "Vitality Fertilizer". I handed him a cherry...
Someone else loves our cherries, though... I think I know who is the produce thief!
The elderly wild fox was observed running off with its mouth filled with cherries! I'm glad the other produce was left to us. Which reminds me, I should try to cook some Cherry Jam!
I had a chat with Salim in the orchard, on this extremely hot morning. This Summer had all kinds of weather - yesterday a thunderstorm, today a heat wave. It makes sense, but I felt it was too hot for milking the cows - will rather do it in the evening.
- Salim, I was thinking of getting the kids a cat or dog!
- Oh no, not a dog! And please, not a cat! Isn't 4 cows enough?
- I think they will learn a lot from being totally responsible for a pet. We might even teach them to cooperate.
- At least wait till tomorrow?
- Sure... and tell me, why do you wear long socks on a heat wave day?
- It's camouflage, my dear.
- Huh?
- I spilled some blue paint on my leg this morning, and did not want you to see...
- Oh my, you finally painted the orchard bench!!! It looks so much better!
- It's like a poem...
- Thank you, Salim!
Kids were back from school and both Mangela and Selinda were affected by the heat. They stated they could not do their homework, and it was too hot to clean the cows' sheds.
Selinda found the perfect shade by looking for frogs in our private, muddy pond. I don't like it that they play in the filthy water, we might need to hire someone to clean it up a bit *.
I've already mentioned Mangela, Selinda and Joshua. Conny (5) is the 4th, and despite being Joshua's twin brother, he is quite different. Conny loves his pink tanktop, and he normally prefer the pink rocking chair, too. I guess he was more affected by his older sisters, than his brother. He'll probably grow out of it. Perhaps he will need a pet the most?
I biked over to the community garden just across the River Bagley. There's often local news on the boards*.
I was actually looking for info on puppies or kittens. But thinking of it, I didn't really observe that many dogs or cats around here... Then I got the idea - why did I not think of it before? My brother Ray lives with a cat lady in Brindleton Bay - I'll check with her if she has a spare kitten!
Right behind me, the elderly produce thief died! I must admit, I could not have cared less!
Salim joined me, and he brought our camera to take a few pictures of me. Later, when we returned to the farm, the night was still warm but I thought it was fine for milking the cows. I found they were all dirty, and some were starving. I milked the nameless one, but then my energy was totally drained.
The big question is - can the kids actually have a pet? The cows are not cared for, and a pet will probably take a lot of their time. It gotta be a kitten, because at least grown up cats are less dependent and might take less of their attention away from those filthy sheds. I need their help on the farm, because I obviously can't run this place all on my own!
2nd Week - day 7
It's finally Saturday, and the kids are not leaving for school. It means less time for me to work, but more time to do something together. The plan is breakfast in the garden and later on we will all visit the Finchwick Fair.
I want to share a great investment I did. See the red-ish casserole on the kitchen counter, centered in the above picture? It's not just for décor, but can store meals! I bought this one and also milk pails, and thee also exist many other versions of this portable cooling storage. Yes, that's right, the casserole and the pail can be placed in my inventory. It's indeed a useful object, and it also helps when separate produce, say I want to spend the old milk before adding fresh milk to the fridge - then I can simply store the fresh milk in the pail and move it later.
Well, we had a lovely pancakes breakfast in the garden. It was a hot day, but partly cloudy.
I told the kids that we all need to pay more attention to our chores, or Pinky, Princess, Clara and the nameless might escape. If they escape we will need to buy new cows, which will cost a lot of Simoleons.
vI asked them if we could make a deal - if they each tends one cow, we might get a new family member - a kitten! There were of course thrilled by the news, and Conny said he will care for the nameless cow, that he insisted on naming Nameless, and Joshua doubtfully accepted to be in charge for Clara (this far my cow). I told them that cleaning the sheds is very important, and that we might all help each other with the feeding.
- When comes the kitten, mom?
- Will it be a girl or a boy?
- Can I decide the color?
I told the that I will phone Uncle Ray later today, they will probably be able to send a kitten.
Then we headed to the village. I brought milk, but the stalls were just closed. Kim handed me a cottage pie, and we decided to check out the ongoing Llama Fair.
These fairs change a little every week. We don't have any llama business, and the kids will definitely not get a llama, but it was fun for them to watch this big animal for the very first time.
I never saw Joshua this happy, he really enjoyed the fair.
Back home I gathered everyone in the living room to eat the cottage pie.
But first, it was time to phone Uncle Ray. The kids were all silent, and Salim looked like he wished there would be no available kitten - ever.
But Ray's partner, Catarina Lynx, had a kitten, and they would send it right over!
I told the kids they had to eat first. The kitten would probably arrive first thing in the morning. Then we will need to get some cat equipment to make it feel welcome in its new home.
Right then I was not aware that the kitten had already arrived. It was observing its new family, while we totally ignored it. With 5 kids, 1 cat and 4 cows, we will surely head for another busy week.
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