FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/22/2026
Everybody loves duck food 😺
The ducks hate waiting. . .
. . .for the cat to finish with their food!
Not only will the cats eat the meal worms, sometimes they’ll try the corn (though not for very long).
I think I’ve just violated my parole 🐴
I’m in a bit of a pickle this morning:
When the cat-cops left me last night, I was on the other side of this locked gate with everybody else.
I guess I just couldn’t help myself last night, and crawled under a couple of fences, and ended up here (which is infinitely preferable to ending up out on the road, which you can understand if you Click Here).
I think I’ve violated my parole, which means I’ll be spending the next few nights in Stormy’s stall. 🐴
Luigi gets the memorial he deserves 😺
Luigi gets his grave marker:
It’s a pretty piece of Egyptian granite. . .
with its corners pointing North, South, East and West! 😺
Only 59℉ this morning 🐴
Yesterday afternoon, Nimbus followed us all the way up from the creek:
She ate almost three cans of cat food!
We wish you would stay here with us, again, Nimbus. We promise we won’t let the other cats bother you. 🐴
Three’s a crowd in a horse stall 🐎
Poor Henry! Chavez and Charlie won’t get out of his stall.
Hey! Get out of his stall you guys! 🐴
It’s been hot ☀️
It’s hot today and it was hot over the weekend.
Mary and Mara helped Iris and Stormy stay a little cooler by riding them bareback. 🐎
Afternoon is clean water time 😺
When the ducks have been put away, Finn enjoys watching the ponds refill with clean water. 😺
What a contented cat! 🐴
Pumpkin, please 🙀
Oh, no! Has Pumpkin been trampled? 🙀
Of course, not! She’s just rolling around. 😺
Just watch where you’re rolling, Pumpkin! 😾
Dreary, rainy Thursday 😿
I hope it brightens up by this afternoon. . .
I hate eating by incandescent light. 🐴
We have a big bug on our trash can 🐴
Oh, hello there, praying mantis. 🐴
Please stop posing for pictures. 🐴
You’re just one more thing that's delaying my breakfast. 🐴
Our Julia is very talented 🐴
Chezzie’s best friend, Julia, painted all our faces on a rock. Here’s the one she made of me:
I think it captures my essence perfectly!
Don’t you agree? 🐴
Get ready for autumn, bats 🐴
The bats are making their final appearances as the weather changes:
It will soon be time to migrate or hibernate.
Two eggs outside and one egg inside 🐔
We’ve built a nesting box for the ducks.
Security Chief Schrödinger declares it safe for occupation (by ducks only). 😺
Stormy gets a ride 🐎
Mary and Stormy had a nice ride Friday afternoon:
Watch out for those mole holes, you two. 🐴
Stormy’s still a pro! 🐎
We visit Jewel’s boarding school 🐎
Here we are at the farm where we board Jewel:
Here are all of Jewel’s friendly roommates:
And here is Jewel:
Jewel likes to sniff around for a while before she decides to get in the trailer:
There she goes:
Everyone runs up to say hello:
Although, Stormy did try to bite her butt:
Oh, that Stormy! 🐎
Jewel visits! 🐎
Jewel spent the day running around in the front pasture:
That evening, Mary rode her:
And so did Julia!
Everyone had a nice visit! 🐎
Kitties cavorting in cardboard 😺
Schrödinger, Finn and Noodle play in their favorite place: the cardboard box.
Security Chief Schroeder 😺
Schrödinger says the trash can makes a great vantage point for keeping an eye on the house. 😺
Nimbus, come home 🙀
Nimbus has taken to hiding in the weeds down by the creek:
We can’t get her back to the farm. We think it’s because Major Tom chases her and fights with her:
Don’t worry, Nimbus, we’re taking him for “extreme vetting” (getting fixed), very soon. 😺
Waste not, want not 🐴
I’m helping Misty control her figure by eating her leftovers. 🐴
Unfortunately, Charlie is making a similar decision for me. 🐎
We have a border security issue 🐴
Since we don’t want L’Orange, Paschal and Pooter to be confused with the neighbor’s ducks. . .
Presenting the beautiful blue-crested pekin!
Luigi had a nice funeral 🐴
Here is Luigi, lying in repose, just before his blanket was closed:
He was buried with a Blacked-eyed Susan, a feather, soothing mint, food for his journey, and a penny for the Styx Ferryman (cats are pagans). 🐴
Luigi (2003 - 2017) will always be the Alpha Cat 🐴
Last night we lost our beloved Luigi. 😿
This picture is from March, 2005, when he was in his prime. We were so lucky to have had the world’s best kitty for fourteen happy years. ❤️
Poor Luigi 😿
Our Luigi isn’t doing too well this morning.
He’s having trouble eating and walking.
He’s staying inside the farm house with Ann today. 😿
Let’s peek-in on the pekins 🐴
I’ll say one thing for our oldest pekins (Percy, Daisy, and Ferdinand). . .
They spend the day quietly “parked” and out of the way. Not like the “kids”. . .
who zoom around all day like quacking fireworks. 🐴
Cooler weather coming 🐴
Here we are in the far pasture again:
But this time, we’re eating by the road:
Where am I? 🐴
I’m cooling off in front of the fan, and waiting for dinner. 🐴
20,000 Leagues at the bottom of the horse tank 🐟
This is why our water tank is free of mosquito larvae:
What’s Evil Cat been up to lately? 😺
Evil Cat has an after-breakfast drink from the duck pond.
Lickety-lick-lick! 😺