FRANCIS'S BLOG 05/17/24
It’s a good day for fly-masks 🐎
Yesterday night, I got to spend some “quality time” with the grass outside the gate:
Today, Betty caught a sparrow. Don’t worry, birdie. Just be patient; she’ll get bored and put you down:
And Iris has a brand new fly mask:
Don’t lose this one in the far pasture, Iris! 🐴
Finally, let’s catch up on our recent movies!
🐥 🐟
Sticky Tuesday morning 🐎
It poured all night. If you look closely, you can see little me, anticipating another steamer of a day:
The cats are enjoying all-new food from the air-conditioned tack room, so it will be cool and crisp:
The new chick is grumpy, because she’ll have to spend another morning alone in the pen:
Cheer up, chicken, in just a week or so, you’ll be big enough to run free all day!
And why is Iris eating in the convalescent pen?
It appears management forgot there was a vacant stall!
Don’t worry, Iris, I’m sure you’ll get “make-up carrots” this evening. 🐴
Finally, let’s watch the new puppy Calla run with Sophie and Phoenix:
The baby collie is doing her best to keep up! 🐺
Oh that Stormy! 🐎
It looks like I’m waiting to be harnessed to the manure cart, but I’m actually having a scratch:
Iris is being patient while getting sprayed:
And what’s that you say, Stormy? You have a surprise for us?
Oh no! 🙀
A water bucket full of poopies! 🙀
We have a new friend! 😺
Buttons, why on earth are you keeping the chickens out of the hay barn?
“Because it’s a cat-door, not a chicken-door!” 😾 (“Just kidding!” 😺)
And meet Calla!
Calla is Mara’s baby collie. Welcome to the farm family! 🐺
More and more rain 😾
Good morning:
Jewel spent last night in the convalescent pen, because all the rain made her stall wet:
The rain also made the floor of the poultry pen very muddy. The mud gave poor Indira a case of “bumble foot,” which caused nasty bumps on her feet. Here she is getting an iodine soak:
So last night, we set up an “emergency” chicken coop out on the nice, dry grass:
This morning, there were happy, dry chickens:
With lots of grass to eat! 🐔
Rainy Friday 😾
Good morning:
It’s dreary and raining. We took a look outside. . .
And decided to come right back in:
And we’re getting in everyone’s faces:
I know Chezzie doesn’t appreciate me in his stall:
And now Stormy’s in here, too!
Everybody needs to spread out! 🐎
Slow news day 😾
Sorry we don’t have much for you today, so here’s a glamour shot of the chick:
What a beautiful butterscotch color! 🐤
And let’s watch Onslow causing a ruckus among the sparrows:
😺
Chick on its own 🐤
It rained quite a bit overnight:
But it’s letting up, so we are heading out!
The chick can fly just about anywhere it wants:
This is the first day it will be by itself in the pen, because Mom ran outside and wouldn’t come back in:
That’s ok. You’re big enough to be by yourself, little chick. . .
But you’re not big enough to be by the cats! 😺
Good job, Bill! 🐎
It was only 57 this morning, so I'm feeling pretty good:
Here are Jewel and I, sharing a drink:
Misty can be always be found at her stall, ready for breakfast:
And yesterday, our Bill spent all day whacking weeds:
Most of our fencing now looks neat and trim:
We would like to trim the weeds by our creek:
But the banks are over 6 feet high, and there’s too much danger of falling in! 🙀
Monday movie time! 😺
Our fly masks are just-washed and springtime-fresh:
I’m heading out to the far pasture.
In the meantime, you can watch some videos!
Hurry up and grow, little chick, so the cats won’t want to catch you! 😾
A little rain, here and there 🐴
It’s cloudy and sprinkling:
Betty is in the weeds:
And now she’s keeping an eye on the new chick:
Onslow is having a look, too:
We don’t mean to scare the chick or its mother. We just want everyone to get used to each other. 😺
Happy Birthday chick! 🐥
I’d like to wish you happy Saturday, but I’m about to sneeze:
Ahhhhhh—CHOOOOOOOO!
Pumpkin says, “Don’t talk to me until you’ve fed me breakfast.”
And the new chick is one month old:
We’ll name it when we know if it’s a hen 🐔 or a rooster! 🐓
Bat Check! 🦇
Here are the first bats we’ve seen this year. There are sure to be more:
Last night’s rain filled our tanks with new water:
The goldfish appreciate it:
The chick looks more like mother Petra every day:
And here am I:
Oh! I just thought of something so funny:
I just have to laugh! 🐴
Time to mask up! 🐎
Do you recognize me?
It’s fly mask time, and, like Stormy here, we all look like bandits:
Iris especially fusses at having to wear one:
But a carrot is the best cure for a fussy horse:
As summer rolls along, we’ll appreciate them for keeping flies from our eyes! 🐴
A big step for our chick 🐥
First, let’s watch Rose make a lot of noise with a carrot!
We are so happy it is only in the 60’s this morning. The swallows must be happy, too; because it can get quite hot near the roof of the stable:
Finally, Petra let her chick take a peek at the big world outside the coop:
But Mom thinks they’ll go back inside for another week or two:
Her baby is still small enough to be cat food! 😺
The duck pool is no place for a cat 😾
I guess this is where our food will be from now on:
It shouldn’t be too hard to break into:
And don’t get comfortable, Betty:
You’re about to get wet:
The duck water will not wait! 🙀
New construction 🐎
It’s 71 this morning, instead of being 81, so we’re grateful for that:
It’ll be a nice day to spend in the pasture, after having a drink:
And after having a roll:
Mulberries are just as popular with the chickens as they were yesterday:
Goodness! What’s this?
Mary and Mara worked in last night’s steamy heat to install this feed cabinet in the stable. Good job, girls! 🐴
Cooler Sunday! 😺
Yesterday afternoon, Jewel meets Hansel up close (Jewel has a tendency to chase after chickens and cats):
This morning, Buttons and all the cats got their worm medicine:
Worming nowadays is no problem at all: Just a few drops of liquid between the shoulder blades! 😺
Finally, let’s watch the new chick and mother Petra try “chicken granola!”
It’s a tasty mixture of layer feed, cracked corn, freeze-dried mealworms and mulberries—yummy! 🐔
A clean horse is a happy horse! 🐎
The chick is almost a month old:
It’s so hot, Betty doesn’t know whether to take a drink or jump in:
After breakfast, we all had carrots—nice and cold from the refrigerator!
And every night, one of us gets a bath:
Last night was Jewel’s turn:
The well water is nice and cool:
And it’s fun to drink from the hose!
Let’s watch a movie of all the fun:
🐴
Slow news day 😾
We’re sorry we don’t have too much to tell you today, other than it’s still very hot!
We normally hate getting sprayed, but at least it feels cool:
Betty says, “Me and my dolly are not coming out of the shade.”
Bring my breakfast over here, please. 😺
It’s still very, very hot 😾
It’s 91℉. And, it’s farrier day:
We have to be patient and wait our turn:
My hooves don’t need trimming this time, but I still have to wait until everyone else is done (and hold the fly spray):
Poor Iris is sweating buckets:
So Bill put a fan over her stall and she soon felt better. 🐴
Busy morning! 😺
Finn nuzzles Pumpkin:
Betty is upside down:
The ducks are getting clean water:
The new chick can jump/fly pretty high:
I’m about to get shot—with bug spray!
And look who’s here—Bill!
We’re always happy to see him. 😺
Hot and Humid 😾
Jewel says, “Nobody in here but us chickens!” 🐓
I intend to stay in the stable and out of the heat:
Other than that, the mulberry tree over the feed shed is full of fruit:
The wild birds love them! 🐦
Where are we this morning? 🐴
Poor Stormy is neighing and braying. I’m afraid we left him alone this morning:
The horses are down the hill, and I’m trying to lead them up:
Finally, we’re starting to move:
Here’s Chezzie, taking his sweet time:
While Rose thinks this is a race:
Anyway, Stormy is the first one out, to make up for the distress we caused him:
And first to get a carrot!
Good things come to those who are made to wait. 🐎
We are lost in the weeds! 🐎
Let’s start off with a nice picture of Buttons:
Our chick is getting bigger and more colorful by the day:
Here I am, having my morning roll. Get a good look at me while you can. . .
I’m about to get lost in the far pasture. 🙀
We really need a good mowing. Let’s try and guess who’s who:
This (above) looks like Stormy and Iris.
This might be Stormy, covering up RC almost completely.
And we’re pretty sure this is Chavez, Rose and Jewel.
But where am I?
I’m barely taller than the grass! 🐴
Lazy kitty 😺
It’s going to be a hot one:
Stormy is ready to start the day:
He and Jewel are happy that they’re well, and can join the rest of us:
And Buttons is beat. . .
She’s all tuckered out from breakfast. 😺
The ducks get their big pool 🐎
Good morning. . .
I’ll be right with you, as soon as I’ve had my carrot:
Today the ducks have their big pool, which is deep enough to swim in:
Don’t be a pool-hog, Patrick!
Don’t worry, Patrick says he’s happy to share!
Now let’s watch Betty and Onslow wrestle with the dogs’ chew toy!
What fun! 😺
We have a lot to swallow 🐦
The swallows are everywhere:
And so are their nests:
There’s even a nest over the florescent light:
Here are two pairs taking a break:
Remember just one thing, birdies. . .
Watch out for kitties! 😺
Stormy and I are free! 🐎
Here I am, expecting to keep Stormy company, as I’ve been doing for practically a month:
But we’re pretty sure he’s better, so he gets to spend the day with Jewel in the front pasture:
Just look at him run!
If he continues to feel well, he’ll be joining me with the rest of the herd. 🐴
Hey! Let’s finish up by watch Bruce spin a knife:
It’s a neat trick, Bruce, but people and cats should not play with knives! 🙀
Tuesday potpourri 😺
Betty is preoccupied with something under the duck dish:
There was nothing under the duck dish. 😾
I don’t know what this plant is, but the flies love it:
I hope the flies love it more than they love us. 🐴
Let’s watch a video of Betty trying to get under the duck dish:
😺