FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/23/2026
The swallows keep hatching 😺
Three tiny hatchlings peek over the nest. Their older brothers and sisters flew the nest weeks ago:
The chickens are enjoying the fresh grass (made available when their fence was moved yesterday):
Dukie says hello to Rose and Iris:
Finally, I hope “management” knows this fly mask is doing me no good on my back!
We’re lucky we have our friend Jake to mow down all these tall weeds:
There is tasty grass under them. 🐎
Happy hens! 🐔
Good morning! A carrot? For me? How nice!
Good morning to you, too, Dukie!
Yesterday evening, Ann and Mary moved the chicken fence:
Now the chicken yard encloses a small “jungle” of high weeds. It will make for a cool, cozy place to spend the day:
There’s lots to explore!
They deserve a place to play. . .
After a hard day of laying eggs! 🐴
Cooler today! 😺
Good morning! As with any heatwave, it only ends with a nasty storm blowing through:
One of the blue pools that the chickens have been using as a sun shade blew way across the street:
I guess we’re lucky that is didn’t blow clear out of sight:
Other than that, Dukie’s here!
Rose and Iris say, “Happy clean-mask day! And we’re both so happy it’s cooler, too!”
And let’s watch this olive-egger help herself to the cats’ breakfast:
Did you notice her wiping off her beak on the cement? What a neat and tidy bird! 🐔
Dear weather, Please stop being hot! 🐴
Good morning. I’m not leaving the shade all day:
We got an extra fan this morning, which helps:
And one of our Easter-eggers is on the nest:
Did you lay an egg?
Goodness! Did those three blue eggs all come out of you? 🐴
It’s hot! 🐴
Good morning! It’s already 84℉ at 9AM!
I think I’ll join RC and Chezzie, back in the stable:
These chicks have jumped the fence and found some shade. There is shade in the pen, by the way, but I guess they wanted somewhere less crowded:
Now, those chickens that stayed in the pen, will get a breakfast of yummy squash—and tomatoes!
Let’s watch them enjoy it:
Grab a tomato and run! 🐔
Nice and clean coop! 🐔
Good morning. We had a little rain, but not enough. I’m checking the ground and it barely feels damp:
What are you gossiping about, Missy? Let’s listen:
Oh! You say, “Our friend Jake cleaned out the chicks’ coop and put down all new sawdust!” 
Doesn’t it look nice and fresh? 🐴
Blue eggs and yellow squash! 🐴
We added another blue egg to our collection:
On a hot morning like this, there’s nothing like a cold carrot from the refrigerator:
As for the chickens, they are already in the shade:
And everyday there are more squash from the garden:
The chickens will snack on them all day:
I wonder if all that squash will change the flavor of their eggs? 🐴
A subtler shade bluer 😺
Good morning! Nobody here but us chickens:
Nice of you to show up for breakfast, Buttons! The cat-cops haven’t seen you since breakfast 2 days ago!—and they were worried!
Finally, two of these eggs look a little bluer (less turquoise) than the others:
I wonder if a different chicken is laying them? 🐴
Happy duck! 🦆
Good morning! It’s not as hot as it could be, but it’s still better in the shade:
Stormy accidentally (on-purpose) lost his mask last night:
It was nice of him to lose it where it could be easily found (and not way out in the far pasture). 🐴
Finally, let’s watch Danny Fairbrass have a fun splash in the pool:
That water was clean this morning! 🐴
Fresh yellow squash! 🐔
Stormy says, “Good morning! I’m sorry you can’t see my eyes, but I’ve already been masked up and am ready for the far pasture.”
Our friend Jake cut down a lot of weeds this morning. Now we can see the fence!
The garden is getting watered today:
And the chickens are eating some garden-fresh yellow squash:
Yummy-yum! 🐔
Crop-dusters are aerial acrobats! 🐴
Good morning. It’s just me, and a swallow:
We had two blue eggs yesterday. How pretty!
Oh, look! We have a crop-dusting helicopter:
Look at how it “banks” to make a turn:
That looks scary! 🐴
The chickens must be free! 🐴
Let’s watch a video!
The chickens are saying, “Put the camera down and let us out. We’re ready for breakfast! No breakfast—no eggs!” 🐴
They don’t call them Easter-eggers for nothing! 🐔
Yesterday afternoon, we had a wonderful surprise! A beautiful BLUE egg (it’s actually bluer than it looks in the picture)!
And this morning, we’re pretty sure we found out who laid it:
Great job, chick! You’re growing up! 🐴
We need more sawdust! 🐔
I’ll bet these swallows were born just this year:
As you know, the bag of sawdust in the chicks’ coop is a popular place for the grown hens to lay eggs:
So the cat-cops put a bag in their coop, too:
They’re saying, “We like a nest with a view!” 🐔
Go home, Missy! 🐔
Our new water tank is ready to go:
Jewel gets the first drink!
Now, let’s watch Missy hop back in the pen:
It’s still breakfast time, and she was missing out on some fresh cucumbers! 🥒
Movie clips for your Saturday! 🐴
A sunflower is just beginning to spread its petals:
Let’s watch Rose have a carrot!
And let’s watch a chick get her neck scratched!
A happy horse 🐎 and a cheerful chick! 🐥
Busy birds! 🐔
We have 5 chickens on the nest this morning:
They’ve given us 7 eggs already!
It’s a hot, sticky day with lots of flies. . .
But we have clean masks, and there’s a little breeze blowing through the stable:
And the water’s cool!
These baby swallows are ready to fly:
Finally, here’s a jewel-like praying mantis:
What a pretty bug! 🐴
Yummy cucumbers! (video) 🐔
As you recall from yesterday, one of our water tanks sprang a leak. Well, today it’s gone:
A shiny new tank is ready to take its place!
Rose is getting her carrot (I’ve already had mine):
The ducks are getting their mealworms:
And the chickens are getting delicious cucumbers, fresh from the garden:
What lucky birds! 🐔
I think we sprang a leak 🐴
Good morning. I’d like to bring something to your attention:
How did this happen, especially with all the rain? It was filled last night, and none of us are that thirsty:
Oh well, we’ll fill it back up:
But, in case all the water runs out again—until we can buy a new tank. . .
. . .the fish have been moved to our other tank. 🐴
Finally, let’s watch Jewel try to roll, but then she thinks better of it.
It’s very muddy. 🐎
Everybody loves to tell you: “Good morning!” 🐥 And a kitty movie! 😺
This chick says, “Good morning! I hope you’re feeling as good as I am!”
I’m feeling fine, Ms. Chick, thank you. I’m all masked up and ready to start the day:
I see Stormy and Misty are finishing my leftovers:
Waste not, want not!
Now, let’s watch Buttons get dive-bombed by swallows:
Buttons does not seem impressed. 😾
Duck doings 🦆
The coop’s fly traps are full of flies after just one day:
We haven’t checked in on Danny Fairbrass, Patrick, and Aoife in a while. Here’s a video of them sharing mealworms:
And here’s a movie of Ferdinand. Can you believe he turned 9 last April?
Ferdinand is kept by himself in his own big pen. At his age, he’s earned special treatment! 🦆
I made a new friend! 🐴
The goldfish say, “Good morning! It’s a bright cool day!”
Buttons is having breakfast in an unusual place:
And there’s a pile-up at the hens’ favorite nest:
But the best news is that yesterday I met my new friend, Lisa!
I put on my 4th of July crown just for the occasion! 🐴
Oh that Stormy! 🐎
Good morning!
The cats, and their guest, are enjoying breakfast:
Buttons seems bored with her breakfast:
The cat-cops are trying to bribe Stormy: He’ll get a carrot, IF, he tells them where he “lost” his mask last night:
Stormy got his carrot. . .
He took off his mask way out in the far pasture! 🐴
Watch the skies! 🙀
As you can tell, I was in the middle of getting fly-sprayed, when guess who showed up?
The crop duster!
He’s on his way to spray Farmer Rich’s corn:
The chicks ran and hid:
They had never seen such a noisy, scary, BIG bird! 🐥
Maybe the nest is a work in progress? 🐦
Good morning! It’s cooler and drier today!
Schroeder has a guest for breakfast:
And this swallow’s nest looks a little shallow, at least compared to the one on the far left:
You'll need more mud, swallow! Don’t let your eggs fall out! 🙀
Fowl news! 🐔
Let’s look at a movie of the swallows under the hay barn!
And let’s look at the chicks’ coop!
Ann and Jake cleaned it out and added new sawdust! 🐔
A raccoon mother and 5 babies! 🦝🦝🦝🦝🦝🦝
What a suprise I have for you today!
Mother raccoon has her 5 babies at the peanut pile in East Moline!
Let’s watch a video!
Aren’t they cute? But remember, they can bite, so NEVER get too close! 🐴
Firecracker hot! 😾
It’s hot and humid this morning:
But I’m still smiling, to wish you a happy 4th of July!
I’m sparkling without real sparklers! 🐴
We’re seeing “Red!” 😺
Good morning. I think we’ve had enough rain this week, don’t you?
Chezzie’s giving Dukie a good-morning sniff:
And here’s Red:
Don’t be a camera-shy kitty:
Come have some breakfast. 😺
Prairie chickens and new friends! 🐴
The chicks love to forage in the high grass in the pen. Aren’t they getting big?
But inside the pen is the only place with high grass:
Our new friends, Devon and Jake, have been cutting, trimming, and giving us time to tidy up everywhere!
Neat as a pin!
They even help feed us:
And clean up our poopies:
What helpful friends! 🐴