FRANCIS'S BLOG 05/11/2026
I’ll be gone until Tuesday, but today I still have news with a video! 🐴
Good morning! It’s supposed to stay in the 70’s all day! What a relief!
Sophie and Anya are visiting this morning! I think Sophie got one more cheese than Anya. But I think Anya got the larger pieces, so it all evens out. . .
But even if it didn’t, no one at the farm quibbles about trivial quantities of cheese, hay, cat food, meal worms, or anything else. We all share! 🐴
Will it ever stop raining? 🐴
Good morning. It’s raining so hard, the goldfish are in serious danger of getting flushed out. Stay away from that edge, fishies!
It’s a good day to eat inside:
But now, I’m ready to brave the storm!
How do you like my outfit? 🐴
Our eggs are blooming! 🐔
“Good morning! Francis is preoccupied at the moment, so I get to welcome you!”
That’s right, Stormy. I’m supervising the work being done this morning. Apparently they are installing a fiber-optic cable. Maybe we’ll finally get modern high-speed internet!
Hey, Frizzle, I’ve been meaning to ask, aren’t you chickens worried that when you lay your eggs all over the place, they might get disease-carrying germs or other nasty stuff on them?
“Not really, Francis. Our eggs are laid with a natural anti-bacterial coating that also seals in moisture. It keeps our eggs safe to eat no matter where we plop them!” 🐔
“See it glistening on that egg? The coating is called “bloom!” Isn’t that a pretty name for it, Rose?” 🐔
“You chickens are amazing, Frizzle!” 🐎
It’s a clean-mask Monday! 🐴
Good morning! I have a bouquet of radiant black-eyed Susans, just for you!
Tyrus and Tiger are having a peek out the window:
What do you want to show us, Patches?
I see. Dot is exploring the shovel shed:
Don’t worry, I’ll instruct the cat-cops to escort her out. It’s going to be another scorcher, and little kitty Dot might not know how to get out on her own (the big cats know to jump up over the back wall):
And as it says in the title, we all have nice clean masks. Mine’s ready to go on as soon as I finish breakfast:
I still need my morning roll. . .
But I’ll keep my head up, so the mask stays clean (for at least today). 🐴
A video of me 🐴, followed by surprise visitors! 😺
Good morning! It’s hot and very humid! 😾
“Management” wishes I wouldn’t run from the fly spray. In my defense, I don’t run from it that often—it’s just that sometimes I think that they’ve SOAKED me enough:
Luna says, “Look, Francis! Our friend Farmer Rich delivered RC, Rose, Stormy and you a winter’s-worth of fresh, tasty hay!
The chickens were let out of the coop extra early today. Of all the members of our farm family, chickens suffer most from the heat. All those feathers are like a heavy blanket! 😿
Uh-oh, Nikita, don’t sneak up on Buttons like that. She does not like surprises. 😾
Speaking of surprises, Mary, Anya and Sophie are visiting! I can’t tell them apart, now that Anya has grown so big!
(I’ve been told Anya is the borzoi getting the cheese right now. ❤️)
Is it the rain that makes me lazy? 🐴 (and a YouTube video)
Good morning! All the rain last night and this morning has made our water crystal clear and delicious:
I’m so sorry I don’t have more news for you than a weather report. 😾
On the plus side, it makes the grass grow:
I promise I’ll try harder for you tomorrow.
But I do have my latest YouTube video, in case you missed it:
Dot, Luna, Patches, Smudge and Mini are our very own “sugar plum fairies!” ❤️
Chickens have magical eyes! 🐔
Good morning! This smile is for my fresh clean mask. . .
And this smile is for you!
Oh, Gail! Why is your eye cloudy? Are you sick?
“No, Francis. It’s my third eyelid, called a nictitating membrane. It moves sideways across my eye, from front to back, and helps to keep my eye clean and moist.”
“Here I am, a millisecond later, all cleared-eyed and ready to say Good morning!”
That’s amazing, Gail. Changing the subject, what’s not so amazing is why cats like Tails and Betty insist on lounging under our friend Jake’s truck!
Thank goodness all the cat-cops know to honk the horn before driving away. 🐴
This place BUGS me! 🐴
“Good morning! I’m so glad to be at the farm!”
We’re glad you’re here, too, Dukie! It’s a few degrees cooler this morning, but no wind, so it feels about the same. 😾
This is a picture from last night at about 7:30. Mini, Patches and Luna are keeping cool on the damp ashes in the burn pit:
But back to today, here’s a cicada:
He’s a big bug. . !
Amost 3 inches, antenna to wingtip! 🙀
It’s too hot for anything to happen 🐴
Good morning. It’s supposed to be 95℉ today.
Buttons is keeping me company in the shade:
Smart move, Buttons. 😺
Extreme heat, and a video with chickens 🐔 and kitties 😺!
Good morning. It’s already very hot. I can feel the difference just sticking my nose out of the shade:
Smudge is making sure Buttons didn’t leave any leftovers. Waste not, want not! 😺
Oh! In case we didn’t mention it before, do you know how Smudge got her name?
She has that little “smudge” of gray fur by her nose. 😺
Finally, with this nasty heat, it was important that we let the chickens out of the coop as soon as possible, even if the cats hadn’t quite finished eating:
Ok everybody, finish eating, get a drink, and find a place in the shade! 🐴
Tails is on the case! 😺
“Good morning. As a Department of Horsefarm Security deputy, I’ve been tasked with locating Francis and the gang.”
“You would think that with the lower pasture freshly mowed, they’d be chowing down on all the newly uncovered grass.”
“Oh, here they are, out in the far pasture.”
Sorry Tails, and everybody. I hope we didn’t worry you. 🐴
Kitty capers 😺 and a chicken video 🐔
Good morning! I went out to graze before I had my spray and salve put on my fly bite. It’s healing, but the salve will keep the flies from “going back to the well,” so to speak:
Smudge is supervising the cleaning of the duck pools:
Lucy, Junior and Nikita (top to bottom) say, “Good morning! Breakfast was delicious: dry food, topped with a dollop of salmon paté!
Greg and Tyrus are soaking their toys in the drinking water:
And Tiger says. . .
“So? Use the one in the basement.” 🙀
Finally, here are the chickens playing keep-away with some leftover bread:
Yummy-yum! 🐓
Deluge at breakfast time 😾
Good morning. It’s pouring. 
How did you get in the stable this morning, hen? You must have swum!
Hello Luna. What did you want to tell us today?
“Our breakfast was lip-lickin’ good, Francis. Also, I noticed before the storm that our friend Jake mowed the lower pasture. When the rain lets up, you should check it out.” 😺
Finally, here’s my lastest YouTube video, in case you missed it:
One of the goldfish gave me a kiss! 🐴
Bath time interrupted! 🦆(video)🦆
Good morning! I’m shocked! It’s actually pleasantly cool right now.
Smudge is helping herself to Paschal and Ferdinand’s meal worms. Honestly!—cats will eat anything!
If Martha lays an egg back there (in the duck garage, behind the spare lumber and our Bill’s canoe), management won’t be able to reach it:
“Make sure you can get down, Luna.”
“I’ll figure that out later, Dot.”
Anyway, here are the rouens having a bath, until, it seems, the cats move in. . .
But we know better than that, don’t we? We are all friends at the farm! 🐴
We hate flies! They tell lies! 😾
Good morning! I have a smile, just for you!
And, I have sunflowers for you, too! 🌻
I wish those nasty flies would stop biting my leg. I’m still having to get this gooey medicine put on it, twice a day:
It was cool enough this morning for the cat-cops to open a window in the farm house. Here’s Greg to say, “Hello!”
And who’s at the bottom of the farm steps?
Why, it’s Nikita!
Junior says, “Come on up, Nikita. . .”
“Help me finish Buttons’s breakfast! 😺
Bat check 🦇 and frolicking felines 😺!
Good morning! It’s just as hot today, but it’s a little windy, so that helps:
Tiger and Tyrus are having fun in the tub:
That little splotch up there is a bat:
I'm sorry it’s not very clear:
Finally let’s watch the kitties play after the sun went down:
What fun! 😺
I suppose no news is good news (video) 🐴
Good morning! It’s especially humid.
I think the heat has me a little befuddled, as I can’t think of anything to tell you.
I know! Let’s go back to Saturday, when we had a picture of Patches jumping after a firefly. Here’s the video Ann took that night:
Could you see them? 😺
Oh, those nasty flies! 🐴 (and a video)
Good morning! “Dad” is joining us for breakfast.
Mac can’t decide whether she needs to lay an egg now, or if it can wait until after breakfast:
Do you see that spot on my leg?
The flies had a party on poor me! This spot had been red with blood when the cat-cops discovered it on Saturday:
So, twice a day, I get this gooey medicine. It’s antibiotic, antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-bug!
🐴
Anyway, let’s cheer up by watching the chickens!
Time to eat! 🐔
Sunflowers for Sunday (and a video)! 🌻
Good morning! I have lovely sunflowers, just for you!
Oh, I forgot. Here’s a picture from last night. Junior caught his first mouse, just for you, too! 🐭
This morning, I have all five of Tails’s kittens with me:
Here’s a video of them frolicking on the fence:
Pretty pusses at play! 😺
Scary storm, all night 😿
Good morning! I had to sit down for a moment, and figure out if I can slog through all the new mud:
We had an absolute deluge last night, so there’s a mess of puddles, and there was a tornado across the river in Iowa! 🙀
At least the sun has come out.
Anyway, everybody’s accounted for, including the kittens. Baby Nikita says, “This is the first storm I’ve ever been through. It was so windy, and the rain was blowing almost sideways!”
“That said, I think I still would rather be an outside kitty. . .”
“The indoor cats are more comfortable, but they don’t get to chase mice, or birds. . ,”
“Or lightning bugs!” 😺
The bees are buzzing! 🐝
Good morning! After raining all night, I’m surprised that there is not more mud:
Look at this radiant sunflower!
There’s a bee on it, with a leg full of pollen:
One of our Eurasian Collared Doves brought this lost mask to our attention, with its crow-like call:
Thank you, Miss Dove. I’ll ask a cat-cop to retrieve it:
Oh, I forgot—Dukie’s here!
“Good morning, everyone!” ❤️
I’m a free-range donkey! 🐴
The feed truck is here, so I’m outside of the gate:
Here are Eva and her children from last night. Everybody was happy that it had finally started to cool down:
Back to this morning, here we are grazing. You recall that our friend Mike mowed the weeds yesterday:
And here’s Betty, pretending she is Narcissus:
“I’m in love with that beautiful white cat in the water!” 😺
Get us out of this hot hen house! 🐔 (video)
Good morning! I was feeling low because of the heat, but seeing you has brightened me right up!
Yesterday, our friend, Officer Mike, mowed the front pasture. We’re so grateful, because now there’s so much new grass exposed:
We should be out grazing, but it's just too hot!
The kittens are playing in the barn, out of the sun:
Ruth has jumped in, up to her feathers!
Nothing’s more refreshing than meal worms soaked in water, fresh and cold from the well! 🐓
Finally, let’s watch the chickens “busting” out of the coop:
It sure was hot in there! 🙀
Never swim alone 🐭
Good morning! The rain has left mud everywhere, and this beauty has stopped to drink from one of the many teeny-tiny puddles:
Where were you, Tails? We didn’t see you all day yesterday and were so worried!
The cat-cops need you to help manage your five children: 
RC’s heading for the fan. Who’s that on the wire?
Oh, two baby swallows have made their first flight. Good work, birdies! 🐦
Oh, how sad! The duck water claimed another victim:
I think the duck buckets each need a rodent-rated pool ladder. 🐴
Finally, Eva’s kittens get names (and a video)! 😺
Good morning! It’s a little cooler today, supposedly staying in the 80’s.
The cat-cops have finally gotten on the stick and named our all-gray kitten “Nikita.”
This kitten will be “Lucy,” unless she’s a boy, in which case, he will be “Schroeder.”
And here is “Junior.”
But that name might get changed if it turns out he is a she (we’ll get back to you). 🐴
And here’s a sweet video of Dot, gnawing on her favorite weed and bouncing a clover blossom. . .
Dot has Nikita’s undivided attention! 😺
Some much needed rain (and a few short videos) 😺
Good morning! We got our masks back from the wash, smelling “springtime fresh!”
Despite all the rain overnight, it’s still hot. Rose, RC and Stormy are planning to spend the day in front of the fan:
Since we checked in on these baby swallows last Wednesday, they certainly have grown:
Better hurry up, ducks. Smudge is eating your meal worms:
Here’s a quick video of Smudge getting a foot wet. . .
And of the swallows. . .
And finally, Patches and Luna walking the shelves:
Every day there’s something new for kitties to discover! 😺
“Twin” borzoi doggies! 🐴
Good morning! It’s still hot. Our friend Jake put me in a red mask today, while my green one is in the wash:
Patches is roaming the shelves:
So is Luna. Don’t knock anything over, kitties! 🙀
And here’s a picture from our Mary in Mason City ❤️. Which borzoi is Anya and which is Sophie? They both look the same size:
Sophie is the one on your left: she has a slight tan patch on her back. And Anya still has her curly puppy hair:
Finally, indoor cat Greg is helping himself to the cat treats, that he managed to knock off a dresser that was on the other side of the house!
“Don’t blame it all on me. Tyrus and Tiger helped me! Isn’t that right, Tiger?”
“Tyrus and I don’t know what you’re talking about, Greg.”
Don’t worry, Greg, we believe you. 🐴
I want a pool, too! 🐴
“Good morning! Save a spot in the shade for me, Francis.”
There’s room for all of us, Stormy, don’t worry. Will this heat wave ever end?
I see Luna has found some shade, too:
I don’t know what this hen has, but I think it has bird legs (or at least it had bird legs):
Smudge (doing his death-defying rim walk) and Dot have discovered the duck pond:
If I were kitty-sized, I’d dive right in! 🐴
Let’s have a long, cool one. . ! 🐴 (videos)
Good morning! How about a video of me having my after-breakfast drink:
I know it’s not very exciting, but I thought you might like to “commune” with us for a while:
Other than that, baby swallows are on the way:
It look like this proud papa has at least three! 🐦
What helpful chickens (video)! 🐔
Good morning! I’m looking good, if I do say so myself!
Security Deputy Tyrus is keeping an eye on things outside the farm house:
Security Deputy Greg is “on break,” and watching TV.
To be honest, the indoor cats are on “break” more then they are on “the job.” 😹
The hens are busy scratching our poopies into fine soil. . .
But all Bart wants to do is cock-a-doodle-do! 🐓
Someone gets a name! 😺 (and a video)
Good morning! He’s hard to see, but our gray stray has just said hello to us, and is on his way to breakfast:
Here he is, trying Eva and her kitties’ leftovers:
Now he’s checking out what’s in the garage. Eva and two of her babies have followed him:
Since he arrived at the farm just before we were “blessed” with a lot of gray and white kittens, his official name is “Dad.” Since he has a name, he is now officially a “naturalized citizen” of the farm! 😺
Anyway, here is the gray baby checking out a bird:
“Dad” may or may not be his father, we just don’t know. Needless to say, Eva is next in line to get fixed. 🙀