FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/22/2026
Sunny morning 😺
I’m taking in the sun:
And Baldy’s trying some gourmet chicken feed that Ann got for Christmas. It has corn, wheat, milo grain, flax and sunflower seeds, and black soldier fly larvae:
Haute cuisine! 🐓
We’re looking forward to a slightly warmer weekend 🐴
The snow is mostly ice now:
It’s also very dirty and poop-y:
We either need this snow to melt or more new snow to cover it all up:
Oh, and here are Onslow, Betty and Schrödinger under the heat lamps:
They just want to say Hi. 😺
Gloomy day 🐴
We were fed an hour early this morning (so I don’t know what I’ll complain about today):
Misty and Stormy say Hello:
Here’s Onslow and Betty having breakfast under the light in the feed shed. As I said, we were fed a little early:
After that, Betty went out to raid the ducks’ meal worms for dessert:
But Onslow went straight to work:
He’s on the lookout for trespassing mice! 🐭
Feline faux pas! 😾
Evil Cat is eating breakfast up on the hay, where Pumpkin usually sits:
That’s ok, Pumpkin doesn’t mind sharing:
But will Evil Cat mind sharing back?
Oh no, Evil Cat!—don’t take a swing at poor Pumpkin! 🙀
That’s a BAD, BAD kitty! 😿
Meanwhile, Zelda and Schroeder snooze through the fracas. 😼
A clean duck is a happy duck 🦆
Breakfast was late because it took forever to corral the ducks into the pen:
I made sure everyone knew I was not happy:
But the ducks have gotten so dirty. . .
. . . they need to spend the day among big tubs of clean water. Hopefully everyone will get a chance to wash up. 😺
Unusual goings-on 🐎
We need a good rain (as long as it’s above freezing) to clear out this snow:
Here are some opossum tracks:
And look at how this ice hangs over the roof of the hay barn:
This ghostly apparition is Schrödinger trying to look in the basement window:
Finally, here are Schroeder and Zelda snuggling:
Nothing’s cozier than kitties in the hay. 😺
Time to change coats 🐎
Jewel and Rose are getting their coats changed. Here are the cats “guarding” Rose’s coat before it goes in the wash:
Here’s Jewel in a fresh coat:
Rose is waiting—but she’s next in line:
Let’s watch them stretch out and relax!
🐴
Slushy Friday 🐴
It snowed several inches last night, but this morning it’s 35 and no wind:
Iris is making deep tracks in the soggy snow:
Where’s Henry?
He’s still cleaning up the last of his grain:
Finn wants to hurry him along. Yesterday she caught a mouse in his stall and is hoping history repeats itself. 😺
Kitty Capers 😺
It didn’t snow as much as we feared last night. Other than that, hey Finn, look behind you:
See the mouse?
Iris and I are after “Onslow’s” hay:
I think we’re going to have to eat it out from under him:
😾
Snow is on the way 🐴
It’s warmer this morning, but the wind is picking up:
Snow is in the forecast:
We hope it’s not too bad, because Travis is coming tomorrow to do our hooves.
And here are the ducks eating meal worms, just after they helped themselves to the cat food. 😾
More of the same 🐴
It’s a cold but sunny day, just like yesterday:
We had to be called in to breakfast several times. I didn’t go in at all:
Gretel sticks out her head for some worms:
Onslow has his place in the sun:
So does Finn:
And so did Zelda:
But she fell off the bag. 🙀
Much nicer Monday 😺
Yesterday we had -20 wind chills, but there’s no wind today and a sunny 15+ degrees:
It’s put me in the mood to fuss until I’m served outside. 🐴
There’s still plenty of crusty snow everywhere:
Onslow has joined Kanna and Betty under the heat lamps:
And the ducks and chickens are enjoying an extra helping of worms:
High energy meal worms help them keep warm. 🐔
Snowy weather 🐴
We really got snowed on yesterday, starting in the afternoon:
This morning Iris is in her stall until her coat dries out:
Those of us without cloth coats are enjoying the fact that it’s 35 degrees:
But it’s getting colder by the minute:
Ugh! 🐴
They tell us snow is coming 🐴
It’s gloomy this morning, but at least we’re in the 20’s:
The ducks are enjoying some quiet time in the fresh air. They don’t run around too much when it’s chilly:
They’ll be going in for breakfast soon:
And Kanna and Betty are where they usually are. . .
. . .hogging the ducks’ heat lamps. 😺
Chilly morning 😾
It was only 7℉ this morning:
But at least it’s sunny!
Let’s watch some recent movies:
Ice on the mud this morning 🐴
Here’s a picture from yesterday. Kanna is guarding a precious new box of paté:
Also from a few days ago, here’s Betty, chowing down on the mealworms:
But back to this morning, Baldy and the cats are breakfasting as usual:
And Iris is out early:
The mud is glazed over with ice. It’s crunchy! 🐎
Sunny with a 100% chance of mud 🐴
The sun’s out but it’s very muddy:
Stormy pooped in the feed bin:
We’re happy that there are some dry spots to eat:
Ignore that donkey behind the curtain:
He only wants a drink. . .
Especially if it’s meant for someone else. 🐴
Four kitties and a rooster 🐓
Baldy has agreed to guard the cats while they eat:
The ducks are on the loose and we know how they love Kit-n-Kaboodle. 🙀
Other than that, Hansel and Gretel are keeping close together, like they’re in a haunted house or something:
We’ve got extra hay this morning:
The twine broke on the bale we were going to have tonight:
So the loose flakes were scooped up and thrown over the fence—to us! 🐴
It’s a nice day to be outside, but only if you’re a horse 🐴
Henry has picked up a rider:
No precipitation, so everyone can stretch their legs:
But Onslow, Betty and Schroder still want to bask under a heat lamp:
And so does Daisy:
Ducks have been huddling under heat lamps since ancient times:
Just ask the Egyptians. 🐴
Icy morning and snowy afternoon 😾
We’re having hay inside this morning:
There’s ice on everything. . .
Even on the ducks:
There’s no snow on Kanna, though. . .
She’s having a heatwave! 😺
Getting ready for winter 🐴
We’re having a pleasant morning, but we hear a winter storm is on the way (ugh):
Finn is keeping cozy in the hay pile (in between giving dirty looks):
The kitties supplement their breakfast with high-protein duck eggs:
Pumpkin, Zelda and Kanna are putting their heads together:
And finally, Kanna is showing off the new windbreak that Ferdinand, Percy, Daisy, Hansel and Gretel will certainly appreciate:
They always like to huddle at the bottom of the fence. 🐔
Family photo 😺
Here’s all the cats waiting for their hot canned food yesterday afternoon:
As for me, I’m in a mood this morning:
My dish is full, but I’m chasing after the food buckets. 🐴
Oh, and Onslow's up on a shelf in the feed shed. 😺
Ducks on the run 🙀
It’s only 16 this morning:
If I were small enough to curl up under a heat lamp, I’d certainly do it:
Gretel is ready to tuck in to a big bowl of meal worms:
Uh-oh, here come the ducks. What are they up to?
Look out, cats!
There goes your breakfast!
A fowl deed, indeed! 🙀
Animals on watch 🐎
Iris is in charge of hurrying along breakfast:
The ducks have a drink while Patrick's on lookout (for mealworms):
And Baldy is in Hansel’s territory:
It’s dirty looks all around this morning. 😺
Slow news Tuesday 🐴
Not much going on today:
Zelda says Hello from her cozy hole in the hay:
She sleeps there between breakfast and dinner. 😺
Happy Birthday, Mary! 🐴
It may take a while for the snow to go away:
It’s dry but chilly:
Hey Betty, don’t singe your whiskers:
Back up if you smell smoke! 🙀
Snowy Saturday 🐴
Snow on the ground but not on the roads:
Onslow’s not giving up his perch as easily as he did yesterday:
Jewel and Rose are going to have to eat it out from under him:
Silly cat. 😺
Rain on the way 🐴
“Good morning, Onslow.”
”Please get off my breakfast.”
”Thank you.”
”I don’t sit in your Kit-n-Kaboodle.” 🐎
Pleasant Thursday 🐴
I’m not at all moody this morning. I’m eating my breakfast and not whining:
The ducks are getting another morning of free roaming:
You’d be free all day, ducks, if we could only trust you to not cross the street. 😾
You know from yesterday’s post that Betty had been sitting on top of the heat lamp.
Well, since she knocked it down once—and we don’t want any crispy critters—we moved it a little:
😾
The New Year is starting off sunny 🐎
The ducks are out stretching their legs:
Betty and Kanna have the warmest spot on the farm:
Here are more of our New Year’s pictures:
Lots of fun! 😺