FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/19/2026
Good news Wednesday 🐴
Onslow inspects the duck water for clarity (and has a lick):
I’m being spoiled this morning:
And we are well on the way. . .
To a new well! 🐴
Slow news but good news Tuesday 🐴
I have some good news:
They're supposed to start digging our new well tomorrow!
Soon we won’t have to worry about muddy water.
Neither will the ducks (they only like water that they make muddy). 🦆
We had a little rain overnight 🐴
We had much-needed rain overnight, and the clouds are still here this morning:
Jewel is getting to eat outside the gate, while she waits for medicine to be put on a few little cuts:
Hey, let’s watch Onslow and Betty playing (last night)!
We have a visitor 🐺
It’s a little hotter today, so I’m eating in the shade:
Iris is getting a ride today, so she’s in with Rose and Jewel:
And Phoenix is with us today:
She and Iris both belong to Mara, so I guess that makes them “sisters.” 🐴
Breezy Saturday 🐴
Here I am, keeping an eye on things:
I just had to break up a fight between Major Tom,
And Evil Cat. I got there before it came to blows (or claws).
And here we are in the far pasture:
Let’s hope it stays nice! 🐎
Friday potpourri 🐴
Jewel and Chezzie bug each other:
The goldfish say Hello. 🐟
And Baldy branches out to the front pasture:
There’s a goldmine of worms just below the surface. 🐓
Horse happenings and fowl deeds 🐴
Nothing much is happening this morning:
But yesterday we were buzzed by a crop duster:
Here’s Baldy checking in on Ferdinand, Percy and Daisy:
And it looks like someone flew out of the pen:
Don’t worry, she was let back in. 😺
Kitty capers 😺
Evil Cat joins us for breakfast:
Have you heard of a “bird on a wire?”
Well this is a “cat on a tire!” 😺
72 degree morning 🐴
I’m still not quite awake yet:
Here we are a little later, just after eating:
We’re having a meeting to plan our day (we always decide on grazing). 🐎
Water Truck 🐴
Since the well needs replacing, sometimes the water is muddy, and sometimes it’s not.
So this morning we'll get our water from a tank in the back of Ann’s truck.
As you can see, the truck has fascinated us all. 🐎
We’re back out in the far pasture 🐎
Today’s supposed to be the hottest day of the week.
But this morning there’s a nice breeze.
So we felt cool enough go out to the far pasture. 🐴
Cloudy morning, but still steamy 🐴
Hansel and Baldy invite themselves to breakfast with Finn, Betty and Kana:
I invited myself out of the gate for some grass:
And the rest of us are having some hay:
We could go out to the far pasture for some fresh grass—but the heat has been keeping us hanging around the stable for shade. 🐎
It just keeps getting hotter! 🐴
Just look at our lovely lilies!
This morning, we’re wandering around the paddock:
We’d rather be in the shade of the stable:
But the cat-cops have set off a bug-bomb!
Yuck! 🙀
There’s a little change in the weather 😺
There are clouds behind the cats:
We hope they’ll bring some cooler weather:
We have pretty yellow lilies:
We also have tasty new hay:
Thank you, Farmer Rich! 🐴
First bat-check of the year! 🦇
This morning, the ducks enjoyed some freshly-poured water:
Onslow enjoys some freshly-cracked eggs:
And last night, for the first time, we saw some bats!
We don’t know why it took them so long to show up. Maybe the unusual amount of rain this year made them find another roost for a while. Welcome back, bats! 🦇
So, what happened to those supposedly new farm kittens? 😺
Evil Cat stopped by for some evil breakfast:
And Finn and Schroeder check out some stuff that used to be in the tac room (Mary and Mara are cleaning it out):
And hey, remember those two tiny kitties that were supposed to be farm kitties? Boots?
And Panther?
Well, they have become house kitties with Ann in East Moline. They’re over two months old now, and here they are playing “King of the Cat Tower” with Jerry:
Looks like Jerry is the winner. 🐴
It’s a sunny Saturday morning 🐴
We’re heading out to pasture:
Misty’s wearing an interesting pattern of fly spray:
Betty and Onslow are still deciding what to do this morning:
And one of the pekins is eating some egg shells:
She’s recycling calcium! 🐴
It’s as hot as heck again 🐴
I’m staying in the shade. . .
So is Henry. . .
And so is Charlie:
Onslow and Betty will eat their breakfast:
And then eat the ducks’
Poor quackers! 🦆
Yesterday was a hot and busy day 🐴
You can tell by Pumpkin and Finn that it’s going to be a hot one:
The farrier was here, too, so everybody was cooped up from 9 to 2, except me:
When finally freed, Rose and Jewel had the run of the place and the rest of us were out front:
No matter how hot, this pair always likes to gallop! 🐎
Metallurgical Moggie! 😺
Here’s a baby swallow:
His parents are close by:
And what’s Betty saying to herself in this picture?
“Yes, that certainly smells like aluminum!” 😺
There’s always something going on! 🐴
It looks like some work is going on by the road:
I’m monitoring the situation:
Other than that, we’re all looking forward to another relatively cool day:
🐎
Finally, a pleasant morning! Only 70 degrees! 🐴
Iris is taking to parting her hair down the middle:
Here I am, starting my breakfast:
And here is Stormy, finishing my breakfast:
Waste not, want not. 🐎
Hot and humid, again 🐴
It’s only eight o’clock, and I and the blackbird think it’s already too hot:
The swallows are panting:
And so are the ducks:
We had to move the ducks out from under the natural shade of the tree, so as you can see, we’ve set up a tarp and an umbrella. 🦆
Ding Dong Dell 😺 Pussies need a well! 😺
So the rain stops turning our drinking water into a mud smoothie, we need to have a new well dug. 🙀
In the meantime, here’s a video of me trying to roll:
Toward the end, you’ll notice the swallows chattering at Schrödinger as he crosses the yard. 😺
This rain is causing all kinds of problems 🐴
Look at how muddy our water was last night. It clogged up the plumbing in the house (the well people are coming to flush the system):
Oh, and overnight, Rose’s stall door was mysteriously opened:
We can’t blame that on the rain. . .
It was probably Stormy. 🐎
Pass the horse feed, fly masks, and spray 🐴
It’s another scorching day:
But it might storm this afternoon:
There’s a little breeze kicking up:
It would be nice to have an afternoon of wind and clouds. 🐴
Oh great, the power’s still out from the storm last night. 🐴
Here’s a swallow dive-bombing Onslow:
Baldy accidentally spent last night outside. Luckily there were no raccoons around:
Here he is helping the cats with their dry food:
And with their canned food:
Nobody eats until Baldy eats! 🐓