FRANCIS'S BLOG 03/23/25
I’m on the Sick Call List! 🐴
My eye is full of tears this morning, and I’m keeping it closed. Oh no, what could be wrong?
Maybe I have a piece of hay or something in it. I finally opened my eye, and have been keeping it open, so maybe I’ll be ok:
Mary and Ann will look at it when they can. If it doesn’t look just fine this afternoon, you can bet the vet will be called:
Until then, I’ll have several carrots—for “medicinal” purposes! 🐴
Sunny Sunday 😺
We’re all together, appreciating the sun:
You’ll notice that RC is enjoying a lick of salt:
The chickens are under the barn, having a dust bath:
The hen ducks have nice new bedding:
And so does Basil:
Basil’s bumblefoot is getting better, but it’s a very slow process. 🦆
Let’s watch a movie! 😺
Fortunately, yesterday’s snow isn’t hanging around:
Dukie says, “Good morning!”
Alfred is getting tamer everyday. Soon he’ll be tame enough to put in the cat-carrier:
Then off he’ll go to the vet! 🙀
Now, let’s watch Betty play with some Iris-hair!
Iris got a nice grooming, and Betty got a new toy! 🐴
Oh no! More snow!
Betty says, “Good morning,” from our winter wonderland:
Please let this be the last snow of the year:
But that’s unlikely:
Anyway, have a nice day! 😺
Rocky road 🐎
This morning, Chezzie and I were found inside Rose’s stall. We were busy filling it with poopies!
After we were “asked to leave,” I pushed open the door to Misty’s stall, but she didn’t leave much food:
Several days ago it was very muddy:
But now the mud has frozen solid. So it feels like we’re stumbling around on rocks.
It’s rough going, whether you have feet, paws, or hooves! 🐎
Kitties should not fight! 😾
You may recall, Onslow went to the vet on Monday with a swollen leg: 
Well, just to let you know, his leg is better. His injury was due to an infected CAT-bite! Don’t look so innocent, Onslow, you know you pick fights. . .
And, while we’re at it, so does Alfred:
Now Betty is a good kitty. Here she is, keeping lookout by one of our many cameras:
A good cat is a vigilant cat (who does not start fights). 😺
Bad day for getting our hooves done 🐎
It’s cold, wet, muddy, and all-around nasty this morning. The temperature is expected to drop during the day. You can see how the flock is hovering around the heater:
We’re getting our hooves done today:
So we all have to be patient while our friend Travis does his work:
I’m helping myself to some hay while I wait my turn:
Onslow has gone from sitting on my hay to laying on my back:
And Betty is sitting on some gloves:
Comfy kitties! 😺
Horse Farm Sick Call 😾
Schroeder walks among the clumps of Iris-hair from last night:
When the birds start making their nests, they will have plenty of raw material:
And this morning, Onslow is limping. His front left leg is swollen. You can see he’s holding it up:
Don’t worry, Onslow, we’ll get that leg fixed. You have an appointment this afternoon with the vet. 😺
Windy but warmer! 🐎
It’s a sunny “carrot” morning:
Would I like another? Why, yes, please!
We opened up another new duck pen, and moved Basil into it. He’s still suffering from bumble foot, but he’s still getting treatment and getting better:
We also moved the girls’ pen so they have more room:
Finally, Rose and Iris are having a frolic in the riding arena:
What fun! 🐎
Oh! My poor food dish! 🐴
We’re back to single-digits this morning, but we’re grateful it didn’t snow last night as much as expected:
Iris is wearing her newly-cleaned coat:
Stormy is wearing our Onslow:
It’s always a good day when Dukie visits:
Finally, what happened to my food dish?
Oh well, I wanted a new one, anyway. 🐴
It’s a good day to stand on one leg 🦆
Patrick says Good morning:
And so does Danny Fairbrass:
Here we are, waiting for the farrier:
But—oh no!—a scheduling mixup! Travis won’t come until Tuesday:
That’s ok. It's just as well—it’s very windy and cold!
Finn went back to bed right after breakfast. 😾
Scene of the cat-crime! 🙀
Oh my, it looks like someone had a blue jay for dinner last night:
Alfred’s not saying anything:
And Zelda and Schroeder are still asleep (we think):
Either they’re asleep, or they just aren’t talking, too. 🙀
Dukie doings, and a movie! 😺
It’s a 50-degree morning (I must apologize for not looking up—but, you know, breakfast):
Here’s a pretty pose from Buttons, yesterday:
And what does Dukie see in the rearview mirror?
It’s Betty on the trunk!
Get off, NOW, you bad kitty!
Why are kitties so careless around cars? 🙀
Finally, let’s watch Schrödinger, Onslow and Alfred do some caterwauling:
Nobody sounds happy, do they? 😾
Clean coats makes for happy horses! 🐎
Come in for breakfast, Stormy!
It’s going to be a nice day. . .
So Misty and Iris will get their coats washed:
We’re lucky that “management” has a large-capacity washer! 🐴
Lots of changes this Monday morning! 🐎
Our hen ducks have been getting beaten up by the drakes lately, so the girls have gotten their own “room.” It’s too cold to have any fun outside, so the girls are quite content in their cozy new pen:
Betty has been eating the mealworms. It’s her way of telling the cat-cops to get her breakfast, NOW!
Now, the unpleasant-looking mixture below might look like worms, but it’s actually beet pulp. We’re trying it for the first time:
It had to soak in water overnight, so it won’t swell up in our stomachs. Here it looks like brown rice, doesn’t it?
Anyway, we found it a sweet-treat!
We probably won’t have it 0ften, because it’s extra work to soak it.
But we still have our regular grain and hay, everyday! 🐴
A little bit of snow 😾
Poor little me, alone in the snow:
Well, no time for self-pity, I have to get to my hay:
Schroeder, Onslow, and Alfred are caterwauling at each other (as usual):
It’s only 11 this morning, with a windchill of zero:
Buttons says, “I’m staying put the entire day, with heat on one side and water on the other. Just slide my dinner in front of me tonight, I won’t have moved!” 😺
And Nugget says, “Hello!” 🐔
Ice sculpture! 😺
Yesterday, when we had a whole day above freezing, we could dump out one of our buckets:
This morning it was only 11℉, so I need some “comfort carrots:”
Iris agrees. . .
And so does Stormy, that carrots are “Sunshine in a stick!”
Baldy informs Betty, “Yes, this pan of sawdust is quite comfortable, and, “No, there’s not room enough for both of us.”
Finally, it’s always a nicer day when we have a visit from Dukie:
She and Ann have had their walk, and now she’s waiting patiently, while the houseplants are watered, the curtains are opened, and other farm house duties are performed. 🐴
Melting ice makes for muddy horses 🐴
Good morning! It was 40 at 7AM!
Betty is contemplating how she and her white fur are going to make it from the barbeque to breakfast:
Jewel looks pretty neat this morning:
I wish I could say the same about Stormy:
RC’s nice and muddy, too:
Don’t worry, Misty, you’ll get your coat washed this weekend:
And Chavez looks pretty clean. . .
Which is odd, because the security camera caught him lying down earlier:
He must have been on some old hay. 🐎
Gloomy and chilly 😾, with a chance of Dukie! 😺
Here’s a picture of Schroeder and Alfred from last Monday afternoon, taking in the sunset:
Jewel and Chavez say Good morning:
Good morning from me, too!
Dukie’s at the farm, again. . .
And, again, Chezzie and Stormy greet her like they’ve never seen her before. What friendly horses! 🐎
It’s cloudy but warm (relatively) 😺
Baldy is dipping his beak in some just-poured water:
Astrid is dipping her beak in a just-laid egg:
We’re having our hay in the front pasture:
We’re celebrating our first morning above freezing. It was 36!
We hope it melts this stubborn ice! 🐎
Keep your rear off the gate, Iris 🐎
Chavez, Jewel and I were all relaxing yesterday evening:
This morning there are two trucks stopped in front of the pasture. We’re sure they are admiring us!
And Rose is trying to nudge Iris away from the brand new gate:
“Don’t scratch your butt on the gate, or you might tear it down.” says Rose. “Your mommy Mara and my mommy Mary worked too hard to put it up for us.” 🐎
New construction 🐴
Yesterday, it was 42, and this morning, it’s 10. Isn’t that the way, kitties?
It’s a good day to stay in the sun:
I’ll tell you, Misty, what I told your son the other day—I didn’t leave any food:
And last night, Mary and Mara installed a shiny new gate:
What a good job! 🐎
Don’t worry, Misty is fine now 🐎
Sorry, can’t talk, mouth full:
Schrödinger can sleep through breakfast if he wants, but he needs to wake up and get off the food chest so the other cats can eat:
Here’s Nugget stretched out in front of the heater. She’s looking rather elegant, isn’t she?
Finally, let’s watch a video from last January, when poor Misty had a seizure. Please don’t worry, she recovered quickly and hasn’t been sick since. . .
But it was a scary night! 🙀
Oh dear, DEER! 🦌
You’ve got two hooves on the hose, Rose!
Alfred is taking in the sun, although it does make him squint a little:
I can promise you, RC, I didn’t leave any food:
Dukie is waiting thoughtfully to go home, after a nice walk around the farm:
And look at these deer:
They had just crossed the road near the farm. 🦌
A little sun goes a long way when there’s no wind 🐎
Good morning. It’s 5℉:
Stormy, Jewel and Chezzie are in their “soaking up the sun” positions:
Alfred, Buttons and Evil Cat have the same idea:
Yesterday we mentioned that Evil Cat had a runny nose. Well, his nose looks drier today:
Stay warm, Evil, and get over that cold! 😺
Horse Farm Sick Call 🐴
Chezzie, RC and Iris spent the night under the hay barn:
Hey, Stormy, get away from my breakfast!
Evil Cat has an evil runny nose:
Have some breakfast then go back to bed, Evil:
And Basil is on lockdown, because he has a bad case of bumblefoot, which is a bacterial infection, that has caused a nasty swelling on the bottom of his foot. Poor Basil has had to hop around on his good left foot:
But don’t worry, Basil’s in a nice cage with dry sawdust, a heat lamp, and his own water and food. He gets his foot bathed in hot water with antibiotic medicine. We expect he’ll be better soon! 😺
Snowy Groundhog Day 😾
Misty and Jewel would like to look up and say Good morning, but, you know, breakfast comes first:
On Monday and Tuesday, the old snow and ice was just beginning to melt. So, of course, today we have new snow to replace it:
You can see above that Chavez has a little snow on his back. And after I had my hay, I went back inside:
Ann is talking to our friend, Officer Mike, on his all terrain vehicle, that doubles as a snowplow:
We’re lucky to have friends like Officer Mike, who plows our snow; and Farmer Rich, who hauls away our poopies! 🐎
Stormy has a poopie problem 🐴
Betty, if you don’t want to spend the last night of January in the feed shed, get out now!
But that was January, and this morning is February! Alfred has just had breakfast, and you can tell he liked it:
It's 38℉ this morning, and the ducks hope we can melt a little snow:
Anyway, as I was going to say. . .
Who wants to eat hay that’s been sitting on top of poopies?
Stormy is the culprit!
It’s times like this when I’m glad I’m too short to eat from the bins. 🐴