FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/22/2026
More roast chicken! 🐓
We’re having the last of our carrots this morning:
Time to get some more!
This is not a sick rooster:
It’s just Hansel, trying to get his feet toasty! 🐓
Where on the farm is Onslow? 😺
As we eat our alfalfa pellets, Onslow has farther to jump:
I’ll make you a deal, Onslow: You can get cozy on my back:
Provided you don’t get cozy on my food. 🐎
Kitty capers on a Friday 😺 (we’ll be back Sunday)
Any sunny day automatically puts a smile on my face:
So, what are the cats up to? Well, Betty is looking out the window in the duck garage. She’s taking a break from mousing:
Onslow is, as usual, all over the place. Here he is under the hay barn:
And here he is, again, in my alfalfa bin:
Just like he was on Monday! 🙀
Lots and lots of poopies! 🙀
Last night, Onslow thought, if he kept still, he could sneak a cozy night on a saddle in the tack room:
But now it’s morning. Schroeder doesn’t feel like getting up just yet:
Chezzie gives Dukie a sniff:
Hey, housekeeping! Look at all these poopies! You need to clean them up now, please!
Speaking of poopies, Stormy likes to stand with his tail up against the feed bin. . .
So sometimes we have a bin full of Stormy-poopies! 😾
Time for some roast chicken! 😺
It’s -7℉ this morning:
Nugget doesn’t plan to move all day! 🐔
Let’s watch Onslow getting a free ride:
😺
A change is as good as a rest 🐴
It’s zero degrees, again, so I’m having breakfast in the sun:
Stormy is in Chavez’s stall:
Chavez is in Iris’s stall:
Iris is in Stormy’s stall:
And I’m in Misty’s stall:
Wait! Exactly how did I get in here? 🐎
Monday potpourri 😺
Last night, a hen left us her calling card:
And Onslow was elected spokes-cat, demanding canned cat food:
This morning, they are having dry food from a just-opened bag, which they like as much as canned:
Here’s a shot of Schrödinger and Evil Cat, playing peek-a-boo:
Finally, it’s nothing new to have Onslow parked on my hay. . .
But this is different. . .
His hot little cat-butt is on my alfalfa pellets! 🐴
Sunny Sunday 🐴
Last night, Jewel had pushed her hay under the fence:
Don’t worry, it was moved back for her, to a place where neither her nose nor the wind will move it.
This was not the best place for our hay, either:
Sometimes the cat-cops need to police themselves, and be more careful! 🐴
Anyway, it’s a nice day this morning:
Astrid is laying an egg:
And Buttons is settling in, ready to sleep until dinner time:
😺
It’s in the 20’s today! 😺
Calla and Nixie are waiting for Sophie to join them in the snow:
It’s warm enough for the ducks to have their big door open—they’re enjoying the extra fresh air:
Here I am to say Good morning:
Onslow is having a stretch. . .
Before soaking up the sun on my breakfast:
And even though it’s a pleasant day. . .
Zelda and Petra would still rather stay inside! 🐔
I wish I were a fish 🐟
Misty and I are having a debate. On a day like today, when it’s -5, who has it the best on the farm?
Is it us? We have our food, our fur, our coats (if we need coats), and the stable.
Is it the cats and the poultry?
They can get under a heat lamp. . .
Or make a cozy hole in the hay.
I say it’s the goldfish. There may be ice above. . .
But, “under the sea,” it’s just another day in the tropics! 🐟
Let’s watch a video! 😺
It’s 0℉ this morning. Schroeder and Zelda say, “Wake us up when it’s April.”
Actually, cats, it doesn’t feel as bad as yesterday, because there is no wind:
However, from the frost around the water tank, you can tell that zero degrees is still zero degrees:
Anyway, let’s watch a little video. It’s about the radio shows that mentioned our reunion with Noodles:
How nice! 😺
Oh, do we hate windchill! 😾
It’s bad enough that it’s 11℉, but the wind makes it feel like -9. Come in the stable and warm up, Jewel!
Doesn’t Finn look comfortable?
Cats are good company:
They feel like a hot-water bottle. . .
And they’ll go out with you to appreciate the sunset (from last night)! 😺
Don’t get roasted, rooster! 🐓
Dukie and I say Good morning!
Nothing good happens when cats get up on a shelf: last night someone knocked a bunch of marker flags onto Buttons’ bed:
Betty got tired of sitting on duck poopie, so the cat-cops put down a nice bed of sawdust:
Don’t get your fur singed, Buttons:
Or your feathers singed, Hansel:
Chickens, cats, and people should always keep a safe distance from space heaters! 😺
We made WGN Radio! 😺
I’m afraid I don’t have much news for you:
We’re still counting all the places that covered Noodles and Ann’s story. Did you know we made the Washington Post?
Ann also did an interview with a nice lady on WGN radio!
We don’t know how long the link will stay up, but for the time being, you should be able to click the link below, then hit the play button. 😺
Misty is still doing ok 🐴
It’s 0℉ this morning, but we’re warming up fast. Here we are before breakfast, soaking up the sun. We’re happy our Misty is doing well after her “fainting spell,” and is keeping cozy in her two coats:
I’m enjoying the sunshine too much. I’m having breakfast outside:
And poor Evil Cat has an piece of evil hay stuck to his nose:
Baldy says, “If you would only hold still, I could peck that right off!” 🐓
Poor Misty! 😿
Oh no! After dinner, the security camera shows that poor Misty is sick!
In the middle of a snowstorm, Dr. Danielle came out late at night and gave her some medicine. It was very scary until about 8PM. Misty was having seizures. But she started seeming better, after we put two horsecoats on her, and warmed her up. Here I am, keeping her company this morning:
When she was trying to get up last night, she almost kicked a hole in the stable:
We’re keeping an eye on her this morning:
And so is Jewel. We’re so grateful Dr. Danielle and her daughter Bristol came out, in terrible weather, to save our Misty! 😺
We’re on national news! 😺
Oh my goodness! What is Ann doing on Fox News?
Everybody’s talking about Noodles! Of course, his name is now “Max,” and here he is doing what he loves—sitting on a horse!
As you know from our previous posts, A Christmas Miracle and We made the news, we located Max (né Noodles) in his new home, after we thought we lost him forever. We’re so lucky that he was found by another horse farm family! 🐎
Let’s watch this video! It’s all about how we ended up on the Fox 10PM (CST) news!
How exciting! 🐎
Dukie and Sophie visit! 🐴
Betty has a mouse:
And I have a black labrador!
Sophie is here, too:
It’s too slushy for their walk through the corn field—so they’ll have to make do with the riding arena. 🐺
Fowl deeds 🐓
It’s a special morning. What’s so special about it? It’s above freezing! Time to melt some snow!
The ducks haven’t been out in a week. They look happy to be out:
Baldy is way over by the hay barn this morning. He’s trying to talk to Hansel, who, if you look hard, is having a dust bath under the floor:
And here’s Baldy sharing some eggs with Finn:
Cats love eggs, and so do chickens!
It’s too cold for baby chicks, so there’s no sense in letting those tasty yolks go to waste! 🐥
We all have our own kind of coat 🐎
Come on, Betty—don’t get locked in the feed shed again:
Buttons says, “You’re right! I do intend to spend the whole day in front of the heater!”
Astrid says, “I’m staying in the nesting box until its time to lay my next egg!”
I think we need to turn the lights on:
Anyway, here’s Rose in her coat:
And Iris has a nice coat, too:
Their natural coats aren’t as grown-out as we’d like:
I don’t have that problem. I’m nice and fuzzy! 🐴
What a lovely bird! 🐦
First, let’s have a “Carrot Roll-Call!” 🥕
Here’s Iris:
Stormy:
Chavez (and his tongue):
Misty:
Rose:
Jewel:
RC:
And me!
Lastly, someone new is paying a visit to our feeders:
It’s a red-bellied woodpecker:
And it’s a she! 😺
The roads are icy and so is our snow 🙀
The “road” in the snow, between the farm house and our stable, is covered with frozen rain. Breakfast had to wait until some salt was put down:
Anyway, here I am this morning:
While we’re eating, Mary and Mara are cleaning our poopies and putting out our hay:
Last night we were worried about Alfred. He wouldn’t move from his bed—and HISSED when an attempt was made to pet him:
But this morning, he’s moving around, and he looks like he’s feeling better:
We hope so! 😺
Cozy kitties 😺
It’s another gray, windy day. 
I’m staying inside, so let’s look in on the cats. Alfred is sleeping in Schroeder’s bed:
And Onslow is trying to settle in on a saddle!
But he knows that he can’t spend the night in the tack room:
He’s trying to grab the camera, so there will be no evidence! 😾
Anyway, let’s look at a video of Betty!
Mice are running everywhere! 🐭
We made the paper! 😺
It’s -6 this morning. I have ice whiskers:
So does Chezzie:
And Jewel:
Anyway, we made the Quad City Times! Click here to read the article —> CLICKME 😺
Sophie plays Ring Around the Rosie! 🐎
I’m sorry we don’t have many pictures for you. That’s mainly because it’s zero degrees:
But we’re keeping as warm as possible:
I know! Let’s watch a security camera video!
It’s always a little cozier in the riding arena. It may not be any warmer than outside, but there is NO WIND! 🐎
Blowing snow and very cold 😾
Onslow, you and I are staying inside today:
You’re going to have to get off that hay. It’s going to be spread around in the stable, because of the high winds:
I hope you find me warm, Onslow. 🐴
Just a normal winter day at the farm 🐴
Nothing special is happening. Our Christmas cactus keeps getting prettier:
As usual, Alfred and Onslow are caterwauling at each other. Schroeder is saying, “I wish you would realize that neither of you is going anywhere, so you may as well make up and be friends!”
A hen has laid her morning complement of eggs:
And we’d love to talk, but breakfast won’t wait:
As I said, just another day. 🐴
What do you do when it’s minus two? 🙀
Our friend Officer Mike cleared away our driveway. . .
And got rid of the deep drifts:
Poor Betty got locked in the feed shed, all night. 😿 Onslow says, “You should know better. When they bang on the walls, hollering, ‘There better not be any kitties in here!” they mean it:
You’ll notice I have a few “ice whiskers:”
I don’t like February weather in January. 🐴
It snowed all night, and this morning it’s only 6 degrees 🙀
Oh, just look at what we’re facing today:
Lots of drifting snow:
Some of it, artistic:
I wish I were a chicken or a duck. . .
They’re having breakfast under the rosy glow of a heat lamp! 🐴
Another snow storm on the way 😾
Here’s a little sparrow in the snow. It looks lonely, but a second ago it was surrounded by friends. They all flew away when a cat-cop walked up to take a picture. What a smart bird! It knows the people at this farm are nothing to fear (cats are another story). “They flew off and left all this food to me.”
Onslow says, “Good morning!”
I’m watching the snow start to accumulate. Poor Dukie, you won’t get too long of a walk today!
Other than that. . .
I, Misty, and everyone certainly hope 2022 is better than 2021—whether you have hooves, feet, or paws! 🐎🐓😺