FRANCIS'S BLOG 10/06/2025
Pumpkin makes her rounds 😺
I’m outside the gate this morning. What’s this? Oh, just fly spray:
Stormy is in Chezzie’s stall (who knows why):
Pumpkin has a drink of the fresh water, here:
Then she has a drink of the fresh water, here:
The chickens are in the paddock:
Watch what you’re pecking at, chickens! 🐔
Cooler today! 😺
It feels cooler today. Hey, where’s my feed dish?
Oh, Jewel is using it:
Well, then, I guess I’ll have a breakfast of just carrots. . .
Which is fine with me! 🐴
Finally, let’s watch Rose help Mary finish off her ice tea:
🐎
Finally some rain! 😺
Last night, it was in the 90’s as usual. But we were all treated to a bath after dinner:
And overnight, Jewel stayed in the convalescent pen, because it’s cooler than her stall:
But it poured all night and stopped just in time for breakfast:
The grass is cool and wet:
It will go down easy! 🐎
Lots of work has been done 😺
Pumpkin, Zelda, Betty and Onslow each enjoy a fresh duck egg:
And look! We have shiny new bowls for cat food:
But the big news is that the whole far pasture as been mowed:
Mary and Mara did it over the course of several days:
The tall weeds are gone, so all the grass and clover underneath will be easy to eat! 🐴
Farrier Day 🐎
Freshly-washed horse blankets as far as the eye can see!
And there are bats in the hay barn!
Our friend Travis is doing our hooves:
Don’t my hooves look nice and trim now?
Rose is helping herself to Mary’s ice tea:
Jewel is getting the shoe she lost a week ago put back on:
Finally, I want to roll very badly:
But I can’t, because the dust I stir up would choke everybody. 🐴
Iris caught a fly (trap) 🐎
We’re all masked up, and ready for another hot day:
Uh-oh, Iris picked up a sticky fly trap:
Don’t worry, we got it out. 🐴
Finally, let’s watch a video from yesterday, of Iris giving our Preston a ride:
Good girl, Iris (and her “Mommy,” Mara)! 🐴
What wonderful visitors! 🐎
Payton and Preston visited Great Aunt Ann’s farm yesterday (with their Mommy and Grandma)!
They had fun catching chickens:
Here’s Preston giving Stormy a carrot:
And Payton fed him, too. (Don’t worry, all of us got lots of carrots that day):
They checked out the saddles in the tack room:
And played with the ducks:
Finally, here’s Iris, giving Preston a ride:
That’s a little boy on a big horse! 🐎
Careful, baby swallows! 🐦
I’m first out on the stable this morning, and heading to the far pasture:
I’m having a nibble as I go:
Oh no! Two baby swallows have left the nest and are on the ground! There father is on the pump handle, and he is very upset!
Luckily, no cats are around:
Don’t worry, they can fly, and the cat-cops chased them off the ground and back up with the other babies:
😾
We all help each other at the farm 🐴
Indira says, “The view is great from up here!” 
I’m keeping Misty company. . .
And helping her finish her breakfast:
And the chickens are helping the cats finish their canned food:
And that helps keep down those nasty flies! 🙀
It’s a fresh day at the farm! 😺
Astrid has fresh sawdust on which to lay her egg:
The ducks have fresh water for their baths (of course, they get fresh water every morning):
The kitties have fresh food:
And before their plates were put down, the floor was sprayed with natural fly repellant:
Natural fly repellant is a sweet-smelling mixture of clove oil, peppermint—and “geraniol,” which is found in rose oil, citronella, lemon grass, lavender, and other aromatic plants! 😺
And, of course, I had my fresh carrots!
Finally, here’s Rose, trying out a fresh, just bought fly mask:
It’s supposed to be made for smaller horses—like ponies! 🐎
Movie Time! 😺
Good morning. It’s hot again.
You’re about to miss breakfast, Betty:
Let that mouse get away, and come eat! 😺
Finally, let’s watch her and Onslow “fight:”
And here’s Rose, taking care of leftovers:
She is one noisy eater! 🐎
Oh that Jewel!
The new chick shares a drink with the sparrows:
There are also some pieces of mealworm left by the ducks:
Our Sierra brought us some home grown carrots!
The greens are especially tasty!
And what’s this?
Who threw a shoe?
How did you do that, Jewel?
“I did it kicking the stall. I’m sorry.” 🐎
I’m back! 🐴
It’s going to be a hot day, just like yesterday:
Chezzie and RC say, “Good morning!”
And Onslow and Betty are playing “tent” under the roof of the chicken coop:
It’s cool and shady there. 😺
I’ll be back Monday 🐴
I’m taking a little break, and I’ll be back July 19th:
Anyway, this morning there were 4 cats in the woodpile:
And here’s Buttons, coveting a fallen nest:
Sorry, sparrows, no take-backs! 🙀
Now let’s catch up on some movies!
Oh those kitties! 😺
What a good friend! 😺
It’s dreary and wet, again. I’m waiting for my carrot, please:
Betty is on lookout from the top of the brush pile:
And for quite a while the manure cart has been out of commission, because one of the floor boards broke. But farmer Rich patched it up with a piece of metal:
We are so lucky he’s our friend! 🐎
Lovely new flower 🌼
It’s early. I’m having a yawn:
In fact, I think I’ll have a lie-down:
The chick is staying high and dry:
And no matter how dreary the morning, a new flower can brighten it up:
What a lovely shade of purple! 🐴
Rain is back 😿
Here we are again, in a wet field. . .
Under a rainy sky:
Baldy wonders, “Where did this hay come from?” (We’d like to know, too.)
Our newest friend, Calla, is visiting!
And why is Onslow holding his paw on Betty’s forehead?
He looks like he’s exorcising evil spirits! (And it’s over 3 months to Halloween!) 😺
Movie time! 😺
Not much going on. It’s cooler and the rain has moved back in:
Betty is exploring the brush pile:
Let’s watch her hiding in the weeds:
And let’s also watch the chickens have dinner:
🐓 🐥 🐔
Horse Crime! 🐎
We have lovely lilies:
And marvelous magnolias:
Ferdinand and Percy wait patiently while Pumpkin has a drink:
I’m of course having breakfast. . .
Before joining Schroeder and Onslow!
Finally, overnight, somebody (not me!) broke a fence wire:
Don’t worry. . .
Our Bill fixed it! 🐴
A change is as good as a rest 🐎
For the first time in a month, we’re out in the front pasture:
There’s lots of good eating out here. . .
Because the grass and clover have had a lot of time to grow. 🐴
Now let’s watch a movie from a few days ago:
That noisy tractor doesn’t scare us at all! 🐎
Slow (and hot) news day 😾
We’re already out in the far pasture, so Baldy will say Hello for us:
Percy and Ferdinand would love to chat, but it’s bath time:
And splash time! 😺
There’s work to be done 🐎
Aren’t our lilies lovely? All the rain we had a week or so ago has really brought them out:
Unfortunately, the rain also brought out the weeds and grass. So our Bill is whacking weeds. . .
And Ann is on her way out to mow some of the far pasture:
You can see we’re already out here grazing:
With the tall weeds cut down, we’ll have an easier time getting to the tender grass and clover:
And we won’t be tempted to reach for the corn in the neighboring field:
Don’t try it, Rose, that’s not ours. 🐴
Lucky Iris 🐎
We’re all heading out to the far pasture. Except, where’s Iris?
She and Mara are having a ride while it’s still cool:
A few mornings ago, the cat-cops forgot to open the gate:
But that didn’t stop me! 🐴
Sometimes, being short pays off! 😺
Chezzie’s feeling better 😺
Baldy says Happy July 4th!
Chezzie’s leg is feeling better, so this morning he went out with the herd:
Mary and Mara will give him a soothing bath this evening. 🐎
Finally, let’s watch the chickens get let out for the day:
The new chick is quite a flier! 🐤
Get well, Chezzie! 🐴
The chick spent her first day outside with the other chickens. She is now officially free-range:
Poor Chavez is on lock-down today:
He got some cuts on his leg, which hurt enough to make him want to lay down:
We can’t have him laying down way out in the far pasture:
I’ll keep you company, Chezzie! 🐴
Poultry pedicure 🐓
It’s a little cooler today:
We’re all masked up and ready to go:
Poor Hansel has developed a case of bumble-foot, like Indira had last week:
So Ann and Mary trimmed his toenails and bathed his feet in bumble-foot medicine. 🐓
Sunny morning! 🐔
Good morning! It’s already another clean-mask morning (because Jewel and Rose made such a dirty mess of theirs last night):
The chickens take the chick on a tour under the hay barn:
Oops!
Looks like someone laid an egg! 🐓