FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/08/2026
Kitties on lockdown 😿
Good morning! It’s dreary, dark and rainy—we’re glad you’re here to cheer us up!
Some poor mouse went swimming alone in a duck bucket. It should make some lucky chicken a delicious treat (kitties don’t eat cold mice):
Tux and Marbles are keeping cozy in the tack room until tomorrow morning, when Ann will take them to Dr. Dana to get neutered:
Don’t worry, babies, it will be over before you know it—then you’ll have all your shots and won’t be able to make any unwanted kittens when you grow up. 😺
Checkin’ in with the chickens 🐔🐓
Good morning! Would we like hearts after breakfast?
If you insist! I’ll tell RC, Rose and Stormy!
“Don’t take me out of this bag—I’m warning you. . .”
My, my, Tiger. We’re in a mood this morning, aren’t we? 😾
Anyway, let’s look in on the chickens having breakfast (more after video):
And when we’re done with our breakfast, what do we do?
High-tail it over to the stable to lay some eggs! 🐔
Rose visits the neighbor (2 videos)! 🐎
“Good morning! Tails, here. . .”
“Our creek is crystal-clear and full of fish. Sorry that you can’t really see them, but they’re there:”
“Francis is already out in the far pasture. In the videos below, you can see that Rose has made a friend.”
“If you listen carefully, at the 5-second mark, you can hear a whinny. It looks like she is homing in on the sound:”
“Ah-ha! It’s our neighbor!”
“If Francis were here, I’m sure he’d say, ‘You stay on your side of the fence, horsie, and we’ll stay on ours—good fences make good neighbors!’” 😺
Surprise on a Saturday! 🐴
“Good morning! Thanks, Francis, for letting me greet our friends!”
No problem, Anya. I’m so glad to be with you and our Mary today:
And we can’t forget our Calla and Nixie. . .
Your mommy, Mara, cleaned out my hooves and treated them for thrush (Google it). My feet feel better already! ❤️
A video of two very bad young cats 😾!
“I’m so happy I get to say good morning to YOU! Didn’t the flash bulb give me blue eyes? You can explore all sorts of little tunnels in the hay (and maybe find a mouse or two 🐭).”
Sounds like fun, Mini. You’re a good cat that knows there are plenty of diversions at the farm. . .
You don’t need to run off and worry the cat-cops!
For example, here’s a very, very bad Marbles (the tabby, as you know) and Tux. Marbles has been missing for FOUR DAYS, and Tux was gone yesterday afternoon and all morning:
They don’t deserve those delicious Goo-Tubes for dessert. But we were so very glad to see that they were still alive, we couldn’t be mad at them. 🐴
Musical stalls 🐎
Good morning! I’m looking at something. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m looking at it:
The nesting boxes in the stable are quite popular. The hens like places that are higher off the ground than those in the coops:
“Why are you in my stall, Stormy?”
“Do horses need a reason, Rose?”
“Good point, Stormy.” 🐎
Well, hello stranger! 😺 (and latest YouTube 🐴)
Good morning! Ann is giving me an invigorating brush with my breakfast:
“Good morning, everyone! I’ve missed you!”
Where have you, been, Tails? We’ve missed you, too! We know we don’t see you everyday, but you’ve been gone for over a week! Wherever you go, Tails, we know you’ve been eating well.
“That’s my secret, but you know our friend, Farmer Rich, feeds cats, too. Maybe I’ve made some new friends. BUT!—I always come back for a day or two, to eat Ann’s delicious food and check on my kittens.”
Speaking of your kittens, Tails, I’m not sure I want you to sit on my back for a while:
“It’s a little nippy this morning. . .”
“And we all know that manure generates heat, and doesn’t smell all that bad when it’s dry.”
Anyway, here’s my latest YouTube short, in case you missed it. . .
Sometimes I just have to do my “primal hee-haw!” 🐴
Who killed this poor black bird? 🐴
Good morning!
There was a skim of ice this morning, but fortunately the hose worked, so it’s bath time for Paschal:
Oh my goodness! Who or what tore the wings off this black bird? I’m glad our birds are always locked up at night:
Oh, here are some Hawaiian fish called “yellow tangs.” They’re very pretty, but in Honolulu they must say. . !
They can only live in tropical salt water. 🐴
Oh my! A stuck horse (and two short videos)! 🐎
Good morning! It’s a chilly but beautiful day. There’s a lot to show you, but let’s start with last night. After dinner I “nosed” into RC’s stall to clean up his leftovers. I allegedly didn’t leave enough space for RC to get out. He’s quite smart enough to know that all he has to do is back up, but he wanted be dramatic and get the cat-cops’ attention, so I’d get in trouble:
You ought to know by now, RC, that we never get in trouble. When we do something wrong, the cat-cops blame themselves!
Anyway, Luna and Onslow are having a Goo-Tube. . .
And this morning, those of us with hooves all had 3 peppermint hearts. They were fresh and crunchy:
And Security Chief Onslow spent the night in the Tack Room:
“All clear—no mice, voles, or shrews sighted.” 😺
Tyrus goes exploring 😺!
“Good morning! I snuck out the back door and am having a look around.”
“Hi, Tyrus. I think a cat-cop is about to put away the camera and pick you up.”
“That’s easier said than done, Betty. I weigh over twenty pounds and can go limp like a Slinky.”
I got everyone together to greet you this morning before we go in to eat:
Speaking of eat, Luna and Patches are overseeing a grain delivery:
Great! We were getting low! 🐴
Let’s get green! 🐴
Good morning! Grow, grass, grow!
Ann gave us all a nice brushing. Our winter hair is starting to go!
Come on out, “Tux’s Dad”—if you were less of a scaredy-cat, you’d get more to eat.
And Security Deputy Mini is patrolling for trespassers:
“All clear—no starlings, sparrows, or undocumented cats!” 😺
Spring-like weather on the very first day! (and a Honolulu video) 🐎!
Good morning! We’re looking forward to temperatures in the 70’s!
“Don’t tell anyone I snuck out the front door. It feels great out here!”
I agree, Tiger. Oh, when I was in Hawaii, I saw “horses of the sea!”
I’m sorry, the horses and I don’t see the resemblance. 🐴
Anyway, not everyone in Hawaii is on vacation, of course. Here’s a video of some hardworking cat-cops, trying to drain the golf course after their terrible storms:
I couldn’t wait for them to finish so I could get out on the “green”—to eat it! 🐴
Cheery sunbeams! 😺
“Good morning, everyone! It’s bright and sunny and 57 degrees!”
It certainly is, Stormy!
Look at how the sun is beaming into the cat garage! I don’t remember the sun ever shining through that door:
Oh! That’s because our Bill and Devon removed the old chicken coop and feed shed:
Nothing left but the mulberry tree:
🐴
Great news, if you’re a hen (video) 🐔!
During the three or four hours it wasn’t pouring in Honolulu (seriously), I saw a red-crested cardinal. . .
And a seal:
I think he looks like a dog with flippers. 🐴
Anyway, while I was away, our Bill and Devon did lots of work on the farm. First, they installed nesting boxes in the stable:
They were an immediate hit!
Here’s a quickie video of the hens lining up to use them (sorry the preview is black, but it will go away as soon as you hit play):
Bill and Devon did much more work, but more on that tomorrow! 🐎
I’m back (with videos)! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ☘️
I spent last week in a very wet, windy Honolulu, with record rain, landslides, and power losses. Here I am on the beach, full of flotsam washed up by the storms:
But, even with a half-foot of snow and a 9 degree morning, I’m happier this morning, because I’m home with my farm family, especially YOU!
The Hawaiian storms kept me inside a lot, so my little hooves were tap-tap-tapping on my laptop, working on changes to my website that will let me take YOU with me the next time I travel! ❤️
Here’s a look at the wind, rain and surf from my hotel “stall:”
On the bright side, the hotel had dolphins:
He loves his “chew toy!” 🐬
I won’t be back until St. Patrick’s Day ☘️, but I’ll miss you every day until then 😿 (and I have a video).
Good morning! I see Security Chief Onslow is keeping an eye on “Tux’s Dad.” I’m sure he’s been telling him to be more friendly; it hurts the cat-cops’ feelings when you run:
I’ll be on vacation all next week. I promise to share my pictures with you when I get back. I wish I were happier, but I’ll miss you all so much!
I’m working on a software change to the website that will let me take you with me and share my adventures as I go. . .
But I am a donkey, and working a keyboard with hooves takes extra time. 🐴
Oh, here’s a video of some wyandottes eating one of the olive-egger’s eggs:
Don’t tell the olive-eggers, please. 🐴
Let them NOT eat eggs! 🐎
Good morning! What crystal-clear water!
“The rain always works it magic. As soon as that camera goes away, I might go fishing!”
Now-now, Tails. No fishing. Anyway, what flavor Goo-Tube do we have this morning, Smudge? Chicken and cheese? Yuk and yuk!
Apparently Onslow likes it, too:
Speaking of chicken, poor Stormy had egg on his dinner last night:
The cat-cops forgot that his feed dish is the latest nesting site. 🙀
When the opportunity presents itself. . . (video) 🐴
Good morning! It looks like someone left the hay a little too close to the gate:
Oh, Stormy! You should be ashamed of yourself for not resisting temptation!
“You’re one to talk, Francis. . .”
That wasn’t me. That was my evil twin. 🐴
Mystery solved! 🐔
Good morning! Oh, excuse me for yawning!
Hey Greg, it’s bad enough that the cats sometimes eat chicken food—but that’s stale chicken food!
And remember when we told you somebody started laying eggs in Stormy’s feed bucket?
Is our little black hen the “depositor?”
A-ha! We have video evidence!
It’s ok if you do, little hen, just don’t make a poopie! 🐴
Eggs can be anywhere 🥚
Good morning! I’m so glad to see you, I only wish I had more news for you:
I asked Tiger what he was doing. He said, “Oh. . .not much. Just keeping the gloves warm.”
But somebody laid an egg in Stormy’s feed dish:Now this is an Ann’s Horse Farm first! 🐔
Hmm. . ? Maybe you ARE Tux’s Daddy (video) 🙀!
Good morning from Rose and myself! You know, yesterday, we said that we didn’t think the new stray was Tux’s father, because he didn’t have Tux’s cute white nose.
He showed up again this morning, and we got a better look at him (more after video):
Security Chief Onslow got a better look at him this morning:
Yesterday we reported that new kitty didn’t have white on his nose. We were wrong!
He has TWO white places on his nose! 😺
Are you Tux’s daddy? 🙀 (and a chicken video 🐓)
“Good morning. Please put down the phone, get out of the car, and feed us.”
Good job, Betty. Rose, RC, and Stormy say “Good morning, everyone!”
We love the cat-cops, but sometimes they need a “fire lit under them,” so to speak.
Here’s the best picture we have so far of a new stray:
He looks like Tux, except he doesn’t have Tux’s cute little dab of “nasal white:”
The sky this morning is full of chattering birds:
Speaking of birds, let's visit the chickens:
With the exception of Tom and Bart, these birds are quieter. 🐔
Well, howdy neighbor! 🐎 (and our latest YouTube)
Good morning! We have a neighbor that moved in two houses down. . .
And part of his pasture adjoins ours:
I’m sure we’ll be friends! 🐴
And here are Sophie and Anya in our latest YouTube video:
I don’t know if the game is “freeze tag” or “red light—green light.” 🐴