FRANCIS'S BLOG 03/19/24
Oh those chicks! 🐥
The chicks are distracting me from my hay:Baldy is standing by to chase off the cats:And the perching stick is becoming more popular:Schrödinger is one cat the chicks don’t need to fear:He’s too hot to be bothered. 😾
Steamy Monday 😾
It’s 81℉ and it’s barely 8 o’clock! I’m glad I’ll have a cool spot under the hay barn. Here I am, after my “morning constitutional” (a roll in the dust as soon as I’m let out of my stall):The riding arena is open and airing out—but even then it might be too hot for anyone to be ridden:We’ve named the chick with the lightest feathers Brunhilda:She likes high places. As you see, she was on the perching stick. 🐥And there she is on top of the waterer! 🐥
Bath time for horses! 🐎
Everybody got a nice bath before their fly spray:Don’t roll, Charlie, you’ll stand up a mud pie:Let’s hope Henry has more sense:Meanwhile. . .Don’t worry, chicks, Hansel won’t let them get you:Ok, let’s watch some more movies!
😺
Chicks spend the day outside 🐥
Hey, Finn, no sleeping on the hay:Thank you.The chicks will spend their first day outside, in a new pen:Here’s Betty testing the roof:The chicks love scratching up and eating the fresh grass:Let’s watch a movie of the cats giving the new pen a thorough “predator-test!” 😺
🐥
Rain is on the way 🐎
The mallards are beak-deep in clover:Clouds are moving in, so right now we’re enjoying the cool breeze that comes with them:Hansel has taken a shine to the chicks:He is never far from them. 🐥
Let’s watch a video of them together:
🐓
Horse crime! 🐎
The sky is full of swallows:Schroeder has his perch for the day:Betty finds out that these steps go nowhere (unless they are beside a horse):Charlie stole Henry’s stall, so he’s having to eat from her bowl:That’s ok, Henry. It just means that you’ll have first crack at the hay:Other than that, Charlie, Chavez, and Rose are bugging each other:It’s going to be a hot one today, so nobody’s too keen on heading out to the far pasture. 🐎
One of these chicks is not like the other 🐥
It’s another nice day to enjoy my hay:One of our new little chicks looks different from the others:She doesn’t have her sisters’ brown wings:So we don’t think she’s a salmon faverolle. She may be a light brahma.But no matter what her breed, she’s a cutie! 🐥
Sunny and cool 🐴
After being cooped up all day yesterday, between the rain and the farrier’s visit, I’m glad to be outside:Baldy and Finn are enjoying two duck eggs:Onslow is checking on the chicks:And Henry says, “Hi!”“It’s going to be a nice day.” 🐎
Rainy morning 😾
The branches are so laden with water, some are almost on the ground:We’re not too unhappy with the rain, since the farrier is here and we have to stay inside anyway:It looks like Hansel’s in charge of guarding the carrots (our reward for being good while our hooves are trimmed):It’s so wet today, that we not only have toads (who only need water to lay eggs). . .But we have a visit from our favorite frog (whose skin needs to stay moist):Welcome back, Ann Phibian! 🐸
Nasty storm overnight 🙀
It poured all night so everybody stayed in the stable, which means the horses were up to such shenanigans as turning on the lights and knocking down Jewel’s feed door:When I’m let out of the stall, the first thing I do is have a nice roll. Then I’m content to head to my pen:It doesn’t take long for Baldy and Hansel to invade my stall:Onslow certainly looks like a cat that hears baby chicks:They’re doing fine. . .And getting bigger every day. 🐥
Bad cat photos 😾
We have more beautiful lilies:Here is a photo of a bad cat: Evil Cat (right edge) is about to pounce on Betty (left edge). That’s a bad, bad kitty, Evil Cat! 🙀Here are two bad pictures of good kitties:Even though Zelda is at least 17—she’s still much prettier than the above picture makes her look! 😾And Finn would never have posed if she knew she had riding arena sand on her nose. 😾
Chicken McNuggets! 🐔
Hey, Finn, do you hear peep-peep-peep in the distance?Security Chief Schroeder reports, “I have discovered the source of the peeps!”Welcome our new salmon faverolle chicks—four hens. 🐔
Let’s watch them make themselves at home:
🐔
Fun in balloon land 🐴
I see something has Iris’s attention:What do you see, Iris?Oh! the school across the street has a balloon unicorn and whale. What do you make of it, Rose?She says, “I know some kids who will have fun today.” 🐎
Finally, let’s watch Onslow battle the swallows:
🐴
Where are your shoes, Stormy?
Zelda likes eating outside—at least until the ducks show up:Henry and Stormy are hard to tell apart when they wear the same color mask:Speaking of Stormy, he lost both his front shoes last night. How he managed to throw two shoes at once, we’ll never know.Stormy said, “If I wore shoes on my back hooves, I would have thrown them, too!” 🐎
First bat-check of the year 🦇
They’re hard to make out, but this is the first time we’ve seen our bats. There’s a single bat on the left, and the other six or seven are in a clump:And here’s a little light-colored bat on the other side of the barn:As for me, here I am visiting Jewel. I have my own section under the barn, where it’s always dry and cool:
Finally let’s watch a video of the ducks hogging Finn’s breakfast:
🐴
Kitty capers 😺
The baby swallows are almost ready to hatch:Chezzie’s considering trying to open the gate:We’re all pretty happy, because we had carrots with breakfast:Iris’s fly coat had to come off last night because of a broken strap. Here’s Finn guarding it from any thieves:This morning, Schroeder and Onslow take charge. . .Followed by Betty and Finn:Horse farm security is everybody’s business. 😺
Sunny Sunday 🐴
Onslow hears a bird on the roof of the feed shed:Jewel and a swallow are enjoying the sun:Everyone else is about ready to head out to the far pasture:I wish I could join them—but it’s the front pen for me:I’ll admit I’m getting used to it. I don’t have to be dragged there anymore—I pretty much go voluntarily.And I do enjoy that I’m in the shade. 🐴
We’re having work done 😺
The ducks are supervising the installation of new gutters:And we had a lovely rainbow:Onslow is visiting me in my new pen:
Let’s watch a time-lapse video of me (and an occasional cat):
Watch for the cats coming to drink, and Rose rolling toward the end. 😺
I get some sunshine! 🐴
Pumpkin says Hello. She likes breakfast in her own little dish, out of the way of the ducks:Onslow is using the buckets as a “swallow blind:”But more importantly, I’m spending my first day outside the stall:I’m in the little pen by the hay barn. I still have to watch how much grass I eat—but at least I’ll have more space and fresh air! 🐴
A sunny Thursday is a good time to show off our flowers 🌼
We have lots of new flowers, mostly roses:I wish I were as free as Stormy’s tail:But I'm still in my stall. (However, I’ve been promised exercise tonight):How can I show my displeasure in the meantime?I know—I’ll make a poopie in one of my water buckets! (I’m lucky I can count on “maintenance" to come right along and clean things up!) 🐴
At last a sunny morning 😺
Baldy is calling to his friend in the car bumper:Everybody’s out enjoying the day:Except for poor me:While my hooves are better, and I’m my normal perky self, Mary noticed some cracks in my teeth. So Dr. Christina had to come check me out. The long and short of it—I’ll be ok! 😺
Rain is in the air 🐴
Betty, Finn, and Onslow are enjoying fresh duck eggs:I am so ready for freedom:But I did have carrots this morning to cheer me up:Stormy has decided my old hay is still good:And so has Chavez:It’s going to be a crowded day in the stall:It’s not raining yet, but no one feels like moving out. 🐎
Let’s watch the swallows for a minute or so:
I have to put up with their twittering all day. 🐴
I’m feeling better 🐴
It’s hard to park when your driveway is full of ducks:Anyway, I’m showing more signs of getting better. I stepped out of the stall on my own:I visited my stall:I even went out and got some sunshine:I still can’t stay out all day—but everyone hopes I’m getting there! 🐴
Sunny Sunday 🐴
It’s going to be a nice day:We have lupines (or lupins) in blue:And white:Stormy and Baldy say Hello:I’m still on lockdown:But I’m taking my medicine and drinking my water. I’ll be let out soon. 🐴
Spa day, plus a surprise visit! 😺
Charlie got a refreshing shampoo today:And so did I!But the highlight of the morning was a surprise visit from René and Tyler, our friends from Geneseo Child Care across the street! They brought their children—Shae, Harper, Reed and Ryder—who fed the ducks mealworms, and fed carrots to Jewel and Rose, and petted Pumpkin! 😺
They left us lovely thank you notes:You can see they are signed by Drake and Shae!You are welcome, kids! You were very nice and we had fun! 🐴
Muddy morning 🐴
We had another night of rain—but I stayed dry inside. I’m feeling better and soon will be out for some exercise. I only hope things dry out a little:Mary used the big tractor to mow the front pasture. It uncovered a lot of blossoming clover for Jewel and Rose:Baldy and Hansel are on their way to the stable:I’ll be serenaded by cock-a-doodle-doo’s all day! 🐴
Loads of toads 🐸
The rain has made for lots of tadpoles, which has made for lots of toads:Some are more colorful than others:We think we’ll start feeding the ducks more in the evening:This morning they couldn’t get enough of the Kit ’n’ Kaboodle.
As for me, I’m feeling better. I’m taking my medicine:I get fresh water twice a day. And I have my own fan to keep me cool. 🐴
Stormy morning 🐎
We wish we were as easy as cats to feed during a downpour:But it’s letting up. Since we were packed in the stable all night, Rose’s door was knocked down:Who did it, Rose?“Don’t ask me. I wasn’t looking when it happened.”
I’m still on lockdown:But I think I’m getting better.I’m standing, and eating my hay.Oh, and here’s a baby bird dislocated by the storm. We’ll keep him in the tool shed—hopefully out of the way of the cats. 😾
I’m not feeling well 🐴
I only have the swallows keeping me company right now:I might have an inflammation in my feet, so I’m on lock-down. The farrier is coming this afternoon to do a special trim of my hooves:It’s a bed of sawdust and a hay-only diet until I get better. 🐴
New fan and new masks 🐎
Betty is looking precocious this morning:We have new flowers:Mary and Mara installed a new stable fan:And Rose, Jewel and Iris got new fly masks:Haute couture! 🐴