FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/22/2026
What are the kitties up to? 😺
While Luigi was looking the other way, Evil Cat sneaks some evil breakfast.
Literally, Luigi was looking the other way.
Alex rides Chezzie 🐎
We had another nice visit from Alex on Sunday.
He and Chavez do very well together.
Here they come back down the trail, after executing a 180 turn.
A pair of prize-winners! 🐎
Julia and Chavez had a great day at the horse show on Saturday.
They both looked their finest. And Julia had a winning smile!
They won Second Place! That is wonderful for a beginning cowgirl.
Good job, Julia! 🐎
Chezzie in the “winner’s circle!” 🐎
Chavez gets to eat alone in the riding circle this morning.
Julia and he are going to a show this morning. Good luck, you two! 🐴
Franz is indignant 🐓
“What?”
“Did I poop on your shoulder?”
“I’m outraged you would even suggest such a thing!”
“I’m not talking to you until you apologize.”
Alex is a natural! 🐎
Our new friend Alex visited the farm this past Sunday.
He is a natural rider. Look how he and Mary lean with Chezzie and Stormy.
Good job, both of you! 🐴
Survival of the ugliest 🐔
Mildred figures if he looks gross enough, the raccoons and chicken hawks will leave him alone.
Looks like somebody needs some sunscreen.
If this year is like last year, he’ll grow new feathers before winter. 🐓
Angry birds⎯I mean cats 😾
Evil Cat and Schroeder square off.
There’s enough 9-Lives for everybody, guys.
Julia visits Chavez 🐎 and Luigi 😺
Our friend Julia stopped by to ride Chavez this past Wednesday.
This is the first time Chavez will use Julia’s beautiful new saddle!
Mara and Mary help her brush (Mara and Iris will ride, too).
Luigi likes to see Julia, too.
What a fun afternoon. 😺
Evil Cat is the lifeguard at the pool 😺
The ducks see Evil Cat approaching the pool, so they hide.
No one said they hide well. 🐴
Slow news day, so the news is fowl 🐔
Once again, for those of you without aquariums or houseplants, here’s a video of the ducks and roosters sharing meal worms.
Luigi has a fowl proposition 😺
“Ok, buzzards, if you stop eating our cat food. . .”
”. . .I’ll give you back your meal worms."
Nice new driveway 😺
Schrödinger checks out the new blacktop.
He’s the little spot in the upper right corner.
Stormy dines out 🐎
Mary was riding Stormy while the other horses were getting fed. So he had dinner in the riding circle.
His nose fits nicely in the bucket.
Donkey doings 🐴
I’m determined to get to the sweet, tasty grass of the front pasture before any of those other nags!
The line starts at my rear! 🐴
142th Kentucky Derby Winners! 🐴
Here Luigi and I are, barreling down the straight-away!
Look at the poise on that jockey!
The winner’s circle was never graced by two more worthy competitors!
A lot to swallow 😺
Two swallows, gossiping on the fence.
”That’s it, just keep looking the other way.”
”I’ll be right over."
Lots of sun! ☀️
Here we are in the front pasture on a lovely sunny day. We can’t eat too much, because we think that’s how Charlie got sick the last time.
And here are the ducks, all six of them out together.
We were lucky to catch them between fights.
Chicken drivers 🐓
Hans figures all he needs is Franz to work the gas and Gretel to work the brake. . . .
. . .and they’re out of here!
Hen at work 🐔
Gretel spends some quality time in the nesting box.
How did she do?
Good job! (Remember, the brown one is a china egg.)
Will we ever dry out? 🐴
Charlie is feeling much better. She’s still in her stall, but she’s eating her food (and making nice, healthy poopies). In fact, this morning she was banging on the stall door for her breakfast.
Meanwhile, life has been going on at the farm. Luigi and Zelda keep a lookout on the tack room roof.
Charlie is home 🐎
Mary, Mara, and Ann brought Charlie back from the vet Sunday morning. She is recovering from her digestive problems and we hope she’ll be well soon.
She’s staying in her stall for a few days, where she'll get a pill and flaxseed oil in her feed.
Her bed is made for the night. We'll keep her company until she goes to sleep. 🐴