FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/19/2026
Spooky snow on Halloween 🎃
Just look at what I’m dealing with this morning:
About 4 inches of snow:
Betty is well-camouflaged:
Kanna just doesn’t want to look:
As you can guess, snow in general delays our breakfast, but we also had to wait for a garbage truck that slid off the road:
Iris scolded the cat-cop, “That’s no excuse!”
“You should have allowed time for any contingency!” 🐎
Distracted horses 🐴
For some reason, Iris, Stormy and Misty ran out to the far pasture just before breakfast. Come on, guys, we’re waiting!
They were looking at something, but we have no idea what.
What could be more important than hay? 🐎
Oh no, snow! 🐴
First snow of the year, although just a little:
Winter is coming in all its muddy glory:
At least we’ll get more hay for breakfast. This year’s bales are green and tasty. 🐎
Winter’s on the way 🐴
I snuck out to the front pasture this morning:
I got a headstart on the hay before the girls came out:
As you can see, they have on their “turtlenecks.” 🐎
Beautiful fall leaves 🐴
I’m eating breakfast and admiring our brilliant trees:
What striking colors:
And look who’s climbing the “stairway of peril!”
I hope you can get down by yourself, Betty, because no one’s coming up to get you. 😺
Ice on the duck water 🦆
It’s a cool one this morning:
Onslow and Betty are staying snuggly in the igloo.
Chezzie told Rose a joke.
It was hilarious! 🐎
We have entertainment this morning 🐎
They’re trimming the trees away from the powerlines this morning:
We’re keeping an eye on it:
Onslow’s up in the air, too:
He has a good view of them:
And so does Schroeder:
😺
Sick Call List 😾
Oh the bright side, it’s our first sunny morning in a while. The ducks are happy that they have new grass:
Poor Chezzie’s been achy. Don’t worry, we have medicine for you:
And Kanna has had runny eyes for a while. Here she is a few days ago—not looking too happy:
But Ann got her an injection from the vet, and this morning her eyes are drier and she’s happier!
And Iris says, Good Morning! 🐎
She’s not sick. She’s just feeling friendly. 🐎
Onslow’s high wire act 🐴
Good morning:
It’s another dreary morning. However, it’s not without excitement, provided by Onslow:
That’s a long way up, Onslow:
How will you get down? Let’s watch the movie. 🙀
😺
Another cloudy morning 🐴
Charlie wants to be out with Jewel and Rose:
Schrödinger just wants to be out of the wind:
And Betty is checking out Farmer Rich’s hay loader:
We’re grateful he delivered us dozens more bales! 🐴
Drizzly morning 🐴
We have the Monday blues:
It looks like it will be dark all day:
But we are glad Ann is home from England. 😺
Super-duper pea-souper 🐴
It’s very foggy this morning. Even though it’s not cold, steam is rising from the manure. Our poopies are generating a lot of heat:
And for some reason, Stormy is out with Iris, Jewel and Rose:
We don’t know why.
We’d rather he came out with us. 🐴
If only they were made of gold 🐴
Good morning:
Pumpkin and Major Tom have some major breakfast:
And what has Onslow found?
18 eggs!
Let’s take a look at Swinbrook, a village on the River Windrush, on the last day of Ann’s walking tour:
She starts home tomorrow! 😺
Sun-kissed kitties 😺
Stormy has an itchy butt:
Here I am helping Iris and RC with their hay:
Kitties bask in the sun:
And here are some sunny pictures Ann took while hiking through Bourton-on-the-Water, known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds.”
She walked 12 miles that day!
Oh, by the way. . .
We have “Bantams On Loose,” too! 🐴
A change is as good as a rest 🐎
Jewel and Rose have the run of the paddock:
And they've run out to the far pasture several times:
The farrier is coming at noon, so we’re out front:
We’ll be easily retrievable when it’s time to have our hooves done. 🐎
Dreary Wednesday 🐴
It’s cloudy and windy this morning:
I don’t even want to stick out my head:
But the sun is trying to come out:
And we’re already way over the hill.
Let’s look at the pictures Ann sent of yesterday’s walk in England:
Yesterday, I had a little bit of a walk myself:
It wasn’t far, but it was refreshing. 🐴
Kitties can’t wait 😺
The cats love the smell of food from a brand new bag!
Fresh and crunchy! Yum!
Oh, by the way, Ann was right about here yesterday:
She is on a walking tour of the English countryside. Here are some pictures from her first day's walk, between the two towns of Ebrington and Hidcote Bartrim:
She walks over 9 miles a day!
Better her than me! 🐴
Horse habiliments 🐴
Jewel and Iris are discussing their new cold weather wear:
The “showgirls” are sporting neck covers:
Iris’s getup might look a little disheveled, since she just had a nice roll:
And Rose’s “turtleneck” is red to match her pink coat (sort of):
I think coats are too much trouble:
I’d rather just grow out my natural coat and wear a cat. 😺
Sunny Sunday 🐴
There’s no ice this morning, and yesterday afternoon the temperature went into the 50’s—but it was terribly windy. Here’s Betty keeping cozy in the igloo:
She likes the high ceiling:
Now, back to today, I picked up a cat, because it’s only 38:
I have to admit, Finn is nice and warm. 😺
First ice of the season 🐴
Oh no! Ice on the duck water! 😾
The ducks don’t know how to get to their mealworms, until Patrick breaks the ice (watch the movie at the end of the post):
And we’re getting a little hay—what a nice touch to a sunshiny morning!
Not much going on 🐴
You can see how cloudy it is this morning:
It’s only 44 and the rain is moving in. 😾
But last night it was dry and cheery in the arena. Here’s Rose, Jewel and Mary getting ready to teach a riding lesson! 🐎
And lastly, here we are ambling leisurely out to the far pasture:
The clouds are rolling in 🐴
We’re out in the field:
The ducks are settled:
The cats are eating:
Except for Schrödinger:
As Security Chief, he’s on lookout. 😺
Odd duck out 🐴
Danny Fairbrass wouldn’t go into the pen this morning. Then, when he decided he wanted to go in, the other ducks kept trying to run out like feathered maniacs:
You're spending today “out in the wild,” Danny:
“Catering” is already late with our breakfast. 🐎
Oh, and the comedy team of Charlie and Chezzie broke into Misty’s stall:
And then, they went into the other’s stall to eat:
What some people are thinking around here, I just don’t know. 🐴
Careless kitty 🙀
Onslow is busy seeing what he can knock over in the feed shed:
And then, he puts himself in danger by—well, we’ll just let you see for yourself:
You are not a wheel chock, Onslow! 🐴
45 degree morning 🐴
Iris and I are enjoying the crisp cool air:
RC and Chezzie are seeing how close two horses can stand together without being on top of each other:
Stormy brought his own bowl to breakfast:
Finn and Onslow have breakfast in the feed shed:
And we have a woolly bear caterpillar on the concrete:
Autumn is definitely here. 🐴
The DHS never sleeps 🐴
It’s a cool, sunny Sunday:
We now have another security camera, that gives the cat-cops a nice view of the paddock:
You don’t see anybody now because we’re still having breakfast. 🐎
Sunny Saturday 🐴
The ducks are happy with their new grass:
Iris is spending this morning with Jewel and Rose:
And the rest of us are in the far pasture:
Cheyanne, Mara and Mary are here today, so Iris, Jewel and Rose will get ridden. 🐎
44℉ morning! 🐴
Get up, Chezzie, it’s going to be a nice day:
It’s only supposed to get up to 60 today.
The flies will be too chilly to bother us. 🐎
Shocking pink, electric blue, and olive drab 🐎
It was only 56 this morning, so some of us have our blankets on. Always-fashionable Iris is in blue:
And here we have Rose and Jewel in pink and green:
Other than that, we’re starting a conga line out to the pasture:
All we need now is some music! 🐴
Cloudy Wednesday 🐴
It’s only a little misty this morning, and there’s a nice breeze to keep us cool—and it’s a clean mask day! 
Yesterday we refused to leave the stable, but “housekeeping” complained. 🐎
Let’s watch Onslow and Betty groom each other—what a pair of cozy kitties:
October already! 🐴
Oh look, Iris, we’re having chicken for breakfast, again. 🐴
Beat it, Baldy! 🐓
And Stormy!—back out of Henry’s stall and let him out! 🐴
We need to start respecting each other’s space around here. 🐎