FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/18/2026
No-fly zone 🐴
The sun’s out today:
Schrödinger’s taste-testing the ducks’ water:
Betty wants no pictures today:
And the stable got bug-bombed:
Stormy’s wants these empty bug-bombs cleaned up now! 🐎
Another day, more drizzle 😾
Let’s forget about the weather and watch some movies! 😺
First, the ducks are happy because their fence was moved over high, fresh grass, full of bugs and worms!
Finally, we have Hansel using his “dinosaur” voice!
🐎
Drizzle but no heavy rain 🐎
We’re having hay in the stable again. It’s drizzling this morning.
Jewel and Rose are out in the pasture today. They were inside all day yesterday, which is hard for anybody that likes to run around as much as they do.
We don’t want anybody going “stall crazy.” 🐎
Electrical storm 🐴
It’s a dark morning with rain and spooky lightning:
We’re spending the morning inside:
You’re in my space a little, Iris. 🐎
Kitty capers 😺
The security camera finds Security Chief Schroeder on evening patrol:
Here we have Betty—three buckets of clean water and she’s drinking from a puddle!
Oh well. . .
I guess, anybody that has a sparrow for a snack, isn’t too picky about their water either. 🐴
Iris is 🐎 rooster-sitting 🐓
Hansel and Baldy have taken a shine to Iris:
She’s not that enamored with them,
But she figures, if they eat a fly or two, they’re welcome to hang around. 🐓
I just wish they would lower the volume of their cock-a-doodle-do’s. 🐴
Another lovely morning! 😺
Kitties clean up after breakfast:
Schrödinger grooms while keeping our masks warm:
Hansel has already helped himself to the cats’ food, and he’s suspiciously eyeing mine:
Don’t even think about it, Rooster!
Anyway, Hansel, I doubt if my feed contains chicken, fish, or anything you’d like. 🐴
Finally a sunny crisp morning 🐴
Hansel’s showing us how nice his comb looks in backlighting:
Baldy has a praying mantis for breakfast:
The rest of us are just happy it’s sunny and cool:
Not a cloud in the sky! 🐎
When will it stop storming? 🙀
The cats get the jump on breakfast. First course is dry food:
Second course is chicken or fish:
We’re out in the front pasture, except for Jewel, Rose and Iris, who are still in their stalls.
They’ll have a ride in the nice and dry arena today. 🐎
Rainy Saturday 🐴
It’s rainy this morning. Here we have RC, eyeing an umbrella in desperate need of knocking down in the dirt:
Next, here’s a bat-check from yesterday afternoon:
Three lazy kitties take a siesta under Mary’s car:
And finally. . .
Gretel says Good morning! 🐔
Another storm overnight, as usual 🐴
Ukie and Mary spent the night (in the house, of course):
Schroeder says hello.
As we mentioned, it stormed overnight.
It’s going to be another soggy slog to the pasture. 🐴
Clean fly mask Thursday 🐎
Henry is first in line to say hello.
Baldy is seriously hogging the cat’s breakfast.
Speaking of serious hogging, Chezzie is cleaning up Misty’s leavings.
Oh, and finally—EEK! This big spider was in Jewel’s bucket! 🙀
Don’t worry, Jewel, your water this afternoon will be fresh and arachnid-free! 🕷
Sunny morning! 🐴
The ducks are happy that we finally have a clear day:
Hansel and the cats are finishing breakfast:
Chezzie is “monitoring” the collection of poopies:
And RC. . .
Well. . .RC’s just standing. 🐎
Slow news Tuesday 🐴
It’s cloudy today, and we’re trying to work up the energy to go out to the far pasture. I think breakfast made us sleepy.
At least Baldy’s looking chipper:
He and Hansel are heading out to the stable:
We’ll be serenaded with “Cock-a-doodle-do’s” all day! 🐓
Busy morning 🐴
First, we were paid a visit by Ms. Ann Phibian. She was out from under the shed by the barn (where she enjoys the ducks’ water) because it was nice and foggy this morning:
Betty is keeping an eye on the sparrows:
Evil Cat is helping himself to the Kibbles-n-Bits:
And I’m scratching my butt:
🐴
Another nasty night of rain and lightning! 🙀
The paddock is muddy again this morning. Luckily we have bins to keep our hay off the ground:
Baldy told Betty a joke that was hilarious!
And Pumpkin drinks rain water from a dog’s paw:
How ironic!
😺
Rooster rousting 🐓
Iris and Stormy groom each other:
Baldy likes hanging out in the stable:
Uh-oh, Stormy just chased him out:
That’s ok, he ran around and came in the other door:
🐓
Pony problems 🐎
We’re out in the front pasture this morning, which is fine with us.
It’s because Rose wouldn’t put her hooves in the mud by the gate (we had a deluge overnight). She fussed and fumed, and refused to go.
So she and Jewel have the whole far pasture to themselves:
The squeaky horse gets the field. 🐎
Finally, let’s watch Baldy sound like a dinosaur!
Sticky Thursday 🐴
It’s steamy again today and there’s no breeze. But on the bright side, our masks are just washed and smelling “springtime fresh!”
We owe it to Stormy: he took his off yesterday and tramped it in the mud. So everybody got clean masks!
Oh, and Betty caught another mouse:
It will probably get away like all the others. 🐭
Another hot day 🐴
Betty is wondering what’s holding up breakfast:
Your “server” had to let in the plumber first, Betty. 😾
As for us, we’re heading out to the far pasture. 🐴
Steamy weather is back 😾
The cats are staying in the shade:
And so am I:
It hasn’t been this humid and hot in a while.
At least there’s a breeze through the stable,
Of which the horses are taking advantage. 🐎
Dreary Monday 🐴
It’s a very gray day:
We don’t know what to do with ourselves.
We should be out in the pasture, but we’ve decided to look pitiful until some more hay is brought out to us. 🐎
Cloudy Sunday 🐴
It’s a dreary day, but at least no rain to interfere with breakfast:
Let’s cheer up by watching some movies!
First, here are the security cameras catching Jewel kicking down her door:
Then we have Betty and Onslow playing with a very tough mouse (that got away):
😺
Jewel needs a padded stall 🐎
Who knows how this happened? The metal bar you see was running along the base of the stall. How did it get bent up like this without anyone getting hurt?
On a lighter note, Onslow has a new little friend:
Mouse? What mouse?
Oh, this mouse! 🐭
Jewel is at it again 🐎
Uh-oh, what do we have here?
Jewel kicked down her door, again. 🐎
She gets mad when the other horses wake her up too soon. 🐴
Goodbye to the old well 🐴
They’re capping off the old well today, and moving back the dirt:
Meanwhile, we’re out in the far pasture:
Which is not big news, we know. 🐴
Wednesday is a cool day 🐴
We’re ready to head out to the far pasture:
Except for Iris, she’s trying to chase Baldy out of her stall:
Betty has a mouse between her paws:
And Finn is still snoozing:
You won’t see any mice up there, Finn. 🐭
New grass for everybody! 🐴
The ducks’ pen has been moved over fresh grass (by Mara and Mary):
And the far pasture has been mowed, so all the good grass is easy to reach:
Yummy yum! 🐎
Three not-so-little pigs 🐷
Betty is keeping an eye on Hansel:
These birds have apparently found something to eat in our hay:
And let’s watch Farmer Rich’s piggies eat duck eggs!
Yum! 🐷
Sunday potpourri 🐴
Betty is fast asleep after breakfast:
If you were a fly, this is what the lichen on the white fence would look like to you:
Here is one of our pretty flowers:
And the farm house got a new water filtering system:
🐴