FRANCIS'S BLOG 10/06/2025
Movie Time 🐎
It’s -1℉ this morning. Thankfully, there’s no wind, but still too cold for my hooves to work the camera:
Let’s all go into our respective stalls, and catch up on a video:
🐴
Vandals! 🦝
It’s a single-digit day, with a windchill of -4℉. I’m staying inside:
Apparently the raccoons got into the trash last night. Shame on the cat-cops for not emptying it beforehand!
Don’t even think about it, Betty. I can guarantee you the raccoons didn’t leave anything. Hang on, your breakfast of fresh food is coming! 😺
A wonderful visit! 🐴
Our butterscotch stranger is becoming friendlier and less inclined to run away at the sight of a cat-cop:
I was off yesterday, because I was having a wonderful visit with Ann’s equally wonderful friend, Judy!
What a delightful person and a nice new friend for me! 🐴
Careful, Onslow! 🙀
I have to report a cat crime! (Oh, I’ll be off tomorrow, by the way. 🐴)
What’s going on here?
Onslow, you are in violation of CAT RULE NUMBER ONE: STAY OUT OF CARS!
Even worse! Now you’re climbing into the back where you can’t be seen!
Our own Noodle climbed into a car and we lost him!
We were so lucky a sweet lady found him and took him in! (Click here to relive our “Christmas miracle.”)
We have a visitor for breakfast 😺
It’s only 17℉ this morning, so the snow won’t be melting, at least not today:
Good morning from Jewel’s stall, of which I’m about to be kicked out:
You’re getting kicked out, too, Chezzie:
The chickens say, “Don’t worry about us—we’re cozy in the coop. In fact, we’ve already laid two eggs. Yesterday, we laid ten!
What are you looking at, Onslow?
Oh! The butterscotch cat is in the garage. Don’t be afraid of the cat-cops, Butterscotch, they can only get you fixed once! 🙀
More wet snow! 🙀
A couple inches of snow this morning, but not that cold:
Onslow and Betty are on their way to the farm house to hurry up breakfast:
Meanwhile, Buttons is getting a “blow-dry:”
And a little later, here’s Onslow again, supervising a delivery of food:
Why, thank you, Onslow:
Our food is in safe paws with you around! 🐴
Poor Schroeder 😾
The chickens are gathered around their two bowls of yummy mealworms:
Here’s Onslow from last night, sitting on the hay:
And here he is this morning. He loves hay rides!
Finally, poor Schroeder isn’t walking on his front right foot:
Ann and Mary looked at it, but couldn’t find anything wrong, like a thorn, cut, or break:
We made need a trip to the vet, kitty. 🙀
Security is everbody’s business! 🐴
Uh-oh, we see raccoon tracks on the ice, right outside the duck pen:
Don’t worry, our ducks are safe. We keep watch on them with a security camera. . .
And always double-lock their door!
Onslow says, “Hello from the wheel barrow!”
And finally, I spilled some alfalfa pellets outside my bowl:
I did it because I was talking/hee-hawing with my mouth full. So never do that! It’s impolite and messy! 🐴
A little snow. . . 🐎
It snowed overnight, just a couple inches:
It’s not stopping Betty and Onslow from playing:
It’s not stopping Iris or any of us from eating:
Whether we are eating outside or inside, like me:
The chickens, however, will have their mealworms inside, because those little worms would get lost in the snow:
We put out two bowls, so everyone could get their share:
That’s one bowl for every twelve chickens. 🐔🐓
What are you drinking, Betty? 🙀
It’s another cold morning, so the mud is hard and dry. I’m joining Jewel and RC for hay. RC, now and then, will want to chase Jewel away; but I’m here to encourage him to share:
The ducks are doing their best to dig for worms, but, as I indicated, the mud is frozen:
The chickens’ water froze this morning, so it’s just been replaced:
The chickens, ducks, horses—and me!—only drink clean water!
Why am I bringing this up? Because the cats will drink anywhere! YUCK!—Betty, that’s old duck water!
Cats can get a drink from our tanks, their buckets, or anywhere! But they’re always just choosing the nearest puddle. 🙀
Freezy Friday! 🐴
The mud has frozen, so our hay won’t get muddy:
Because the horses love to throw it on the ground:
And Evil Cat has discovered the warmth of the pet pad:
Buttons says, “I’ll never get him to move.”
“But Evil is old and not feeling well, so it won’t hurt me to share.” 😺
At least the goldfish are happy 😾
Crystal clear drinking water can only mean one thing:
It poured all last night. The mud, that was bad enough yesterday, is worse today:
Oh well—that’s farm life. We’ll just have our hay inside:
Speaking of inside, the hens are in their nesting boxes making eggs:
Finally, hey Stormy, don’t stand too close to that window:
Rose is going to bite your butt!
Oh that Rose! 🐎
Kitty capers! 😺
Come down, Buttons. Time for breakfast!
Did you throw down that big bale of hay all by yourself, Onslow? Thank you!
Here’s Betty, in her “sparrow blind.”
Do you see a sparrow, Betty?
Does it see you?
Obviously not! 😺
Stormy and Chavez 🐎
Stop sniffing the manure cart, Chezzie.
And move your haunch, please, so Stormy can go out for hay. 🐴
Oh great—more mud! 😾
This morning started with pouring rain. Ferdinand and Percy got a bath in the fresh water. They don’t come outside much, because, at 9 years old, they have trouble walking:
The wet doesn’t bother Rose and Iris, it seems. Their blankets keep them (most of them) dry:
Thankfully, the rain let up in time for hay!
As for me. . .
I can’t stop yawning! 🐴
This Sunday has three things going for it! 🐎
RC says, “Good morning! We haven’t had a sunny morning in some time!”
And Dukie hasn’t come to see us in a while, either!”
That’s two good things. Do you want to know the third?
We have carrots for all!
Iris says, “Don’t forget Rosie!”
Don’t worry, Iris. . .
Rose got her carrots, too. 🐴
Oh those ducks! 🦆
Good morning. It’s colder than it was yesterday. Pardon me while I help the horses eat their hay:
Let’s look back to summer, when the ducks were hiding from a crop duster. It’s a very short video, so you may have to watch it more than once to catch the crop duster flying overhead at the very end:
🦆 ✈️
What can we talk about today? 🐴
I’m struggling for a topic this morning, Chavez.
“Well, Francis, let people see, close up, how nice our hay is.”
“It’s leafy, sweet alfalfa hay from Farmer Rich’s fields.”
“It can stay yummy and green all winter!”
“And it makes a comfy bed for the cats!” 😺
Trading places! 🐎
It’s dreary and colder today, but at least it’s above freezing. Misty and I are staying cozy inside, sharing our hay:
Here’s Iris and Rose having their breakfast, too:
Uh-oh, Iris (like she does every day) decides the food in Rose’s dish must be better than the food in her own:
“Time for the ‘switcheroo,’ Rose.” 
“Oh, Iris, I’m getting the same food as you.”
“But if it makes you feel better, you can try my bucket.” 🐎
50 degree day! 🐎
Good morning!
The hay is flying!
The chickens are laying!
And Jewel’s coat may be dirty. . .
But her coat underneath is shiny clean! 🐎
Nighttime kitties! 😺
Onslow says, “Good morning!”
Betty says, “We’re drowsy this morning. Onslow and I were up last night, investigating an after-hours appearance by a cat-cop.”
Here’s Onslow, saying “STOP! Identify yourself!”
Everything’s ok: After a late-night delivery of horse food, the feed cabinet, the feed area gate, and the main gate were closed, but not locked!
Nobody sleeps until the horses (and donkey) are secure for the night. 🐴
Make yourself at home! 😺
It looks to be a good day:
The chickens got a fresh seed block. What’s left of the old one is on top (waste not—want not), and there’s a Wyandotte on top of it:
Buttons likes her breakfast better when it’s on the pad with her:
And here’s the best picture so far of the mystery butterscotch kitty:
Don’t be shy, no one will hurt you. 😺
Oh that Iris! 🐎
Happiness is an unattended hay cart:
The mysterious butterscotch cat showed up again. We hope it gets tamer, so we can get better picture:
This morning we heard a sound like someone shoveling snow off a walk. Oh!—It’s Iris, and she’s scratching herself on the old metal sign we use as a duck-gate:
Uh-oh, the cat-cops will have to check the chain on that gate:
If she opens it, it’s just a hop, skip, and a gallop before she and Rose are running loose—something nobody wants! 🐎
Electrical fault 🐴
Why are you ignoring your breakfast, Buttons?
Oh no! Our water tanks are frozen! What happened?
Oh, I see! Circuit breaker #4 is in the wrong position—for some reason it must have become overloaded and popped (BTW, #3 is deliberately turned off because it goes to something we know isn’t working; and BTW-BTW, the goldfish are fine because the water’s not frozen all the way through):
Either that, or somebody turned it off. We’re looking at you, Chavez:
Finally, Sophie, Nixie and Calla are here:
It’s Sophie’s birthday today—she’s 5! 🐴
Rocky road! 🙀
Why are we looking at Iris’s hooves? Well, it’s not that it’s farrier day (but our friend Travis always does a nice job on her feet), it’s that it’s very cold, so the mud has frozen, so we’re all struggling to walk on some very rough terrain:
As we said, Travis is here today, so we’re getting our manicures. Here’s Onslow, guarding his truck:
And here’s me, outside the gate, with the hay wagon all to myself (yippie!):
Meanwhile, in the chicken coop, Ginger kicked out a fake egg, so she can lay a real one!
And finally, don’t Onslow and Betty make a snuggly pair?
Happiness is an heated pet pad on a 20℉ morning. 😺
A little snow 🐎
A paw print. . .
. . .made by Betty:
It’s not that cold, about 30, so Iris and Rose are having a walk around the pasture, looking for a blade or two of grass before breakfast:
The weather’s not keeping the ducks inside, either:
Finally, yesterday, there were no eggs, but this morning, there are five:
They must have been saving them up. 🐔
Onslow goes fishing! 😺
Good morning! It’s still very wet and muddy:
Which is nice (if you’re a duck):
On the plus side, all this water has left our tanks crystal clear:
Onslow can see the fish, and the fish can see him:
So close, and yet so far. 😾
Happiness is an empty manure cart! 🐎
Sophie says, “Good morning!” from inside the house. “It rained last night, so I’m keeping my white hair away from all the new mud.”
I wish we could keep away from it so easily:
Iris and Rose are having their hay by the gate, up the incline, so their hay will stay as dry as possible:
I’m having what little grass there is outside of the gate:
What are you looking at, Iris?
Oh! The Fedex man left us something!
Once again, we’re grateful for our friends like Farmer Rich:
He spreads all our poopies on his fields. It’s good fertilizer! 🐴
Buttons discovers the cat bed 😺
Buttons has always slept in the hay barn, and each morning she comes down to have her breakfast on the food bin in the garage. When we put up the heated cat bed, she just wouldn’t put her feet on it:
This went on for weeks, until last night. It seems she finally discovered that the cat bed is toasty and cozy, and not a bad thing at all:
The above picture was taken last night at 4 o’clock. The picture below was taken first thing this morning:
Do you think she spent the night there? 😺
Anyway, in case you missed it, let’s watch our latest movie:
🐴
Foggy New Year, and a Mystery Cat! 😺
What’s the good thing about a foggy morning?
When there’s fog, there’s no wind!
Betty is starting out the new year by catching a vole:
And a butterscotch cat visits the farm:
Finally, remember, yesterday, when I was afraid I’d be caught and put in a costume for the New Year?
Best wishes from Paschal, the other ducks, the chickens, cats, horses—and me! 🐴