FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/18/2026
Slow news day 😾
Not much going on, other than it’s rainy:
Dr. Danielle visited Stormy last night:
We’re keeping an eye on his legs:
Please get better, legs. 🐎
Gray (not black) Friday 🐴
Betty is first in line for breakfast:
And so am I:
A place above Stormy’s rear right hoof still hasn’t healed:
So the vet will visit us again this afternoon. 🐴
Cloudy Thursday 🐴
This year we’re thankful for no wind!
Onslow and Betty are wrestling, as usual:
And Stormy says, “Hello!”
“I’m thankful I’m out of my stall!” 🐎
Kitty capers 😺
Kanna is crashing after breakfast:
Schroeder and Onslow are invading the ducks' space:
As for us. . .
We’re just enjoying the weather (we hear it will rain starting this evening). 🐴
Stormy’s cuts are doing better 🐎
Stormy’s legs are healing:
Here’s Ann and Mary discussing his condition with Dr. Caroline:
Before his bandages go back on, he gets an airing in the yard:
This is his last day on antibiotics. 🐴
Oh, yeah. . .Betty’s up a tree. 🐴
What we’re up to when we’re not being watched 🐴
Here’s a security camera photo of me keeping Stormy company last night:
And early this morning, we catch Charlie and Chavez, still half-asleep:
Now, onto this morning, here we are in the dazzling sun:
And the roosters horn-in on the cats’ breakfast. Hansel and Baldy love canned cat food! 🐓
They know it’s chicken-meat, but they try not to think about it. 🐓
Sleepy Pumpkin 😺
Kitty blends into the leaves, snoozing away in yesterday afternoon’s sun:
But no sun this morning: 😾
Onslow is up an apple tree:
And what would the morning be without a little vandalism?
Rose says, “Feed me now and gripe about it later.” 🐎
It’s movie time! 🐎
Yesterday, it was so muddy that Stormy, Jewel and Rose had to spend the day in their stalls. So last night they were treated to playtime in the bright and dry arena:
Today, it’s still muddy, but this morning it’s only about 30, so it’s easier to walk since the mud’s half-frozen:
It’s of course no problem if you’re a cat, like Betty. . .
There are piles of leaves between you and the ground. 😺
So much mud we can hardly budge 🐴
We had two inches of rain overnight and it’s going to drizzle all day. Just look at all this water around me:
I wish I could dry out under a heat lamp, like Kanna:
I also wish I could help myself to food at any time, like Betty:
Of course, I’d have to first develop a taste for mealworms. 🐴
Cozy kitties 😺
Good morning!
I have chickens in my yard:
And Betty and Onslow snuggle on Mary’s car:
The hood is nice and warm. 😺
Rain all night and mud all day 😾
First off, Baldy would like to remind everyone just how good a 5-and-a-half year old rooster can still look:
Onslow has a dirty look for anyone about to take “his” hay:
And just look at how wet and muddy things are:
Iris enjoys some dry “pan drippings”:
Stormy is still on lock-down:
Keep your chin up, Stormy, the cuts on your legs are almost healed. 🐎
Everybody’s in the dog house except the cats 😺
Kanna says good morning from the surface of Mars:
Jewel and Charlie have no idea how this happened:
After breakfast, Major Tom has a major nap:
Finally, there’s a reason the paddock is juicier than normal this morning:
This pump was found wide open:
These hairs indicate someone’s been scratching themselves:
No one can blame me.
I’m no where near tall enough. 🐎
Slow news Sunday 😾
Not much is going on:
We have a rooster under a heat lamp,
Which was replaced by a cat with a cold:
That’s about it. 🐴
Fowl deeds 🦆
The ducks aren’t too keen on this morning’s special: Scrambled Eggs on Ice!
But they will at least eat the shells and reclaim some calcium.
Let’s watch some slow motion tub time!
The security camera video is out! 🐴
It’s another sunny morning:
Misty and Henry had to be called in to breakfast, it’s just that nice today:
Charlie hasn’t said Hello in a while—so here she is, sporting a weed necklace:
Stormy is still in his stall. Tomorrow Mary will change his ankle bandages:
Security Chief Schroeder has released the video of the accident:
If you study it, you’ll see that poor Stormy was half-asleep with everyone else at about 4AM, when he stretched out his hind leg—sticking it in the handle of the manure cart. He must have thought someone was grabbing him, because he was very spooked! You’ll also notice me trying to stay out of the way. 🐴
🐎
Get well, Stormy! 🐴
Things are pretty quiet compared to last night:
Stormy’s nasty cuts were bandaged up by the vet:
The arena made a dry, bright place to work:
But poor Stormy will have to stay in Chezzie’s stall for 4-5 days:
His Mom, Misty, is keeping him company today:
And Chezzie and Charlie slept by his stall all last night:
We’re all quite concerned! 🐴
Oh no! Poor Stormy! 🐎
This morning finds the manure cart against the fence:
Nobody’s taking credit for it. . .
But Stormy has nasty cuts on his right rear leg:
Oh how awful!
Mary came out right away and wrapped it—and the vet is on her way.
In the meantime, Misty and Iris are keeping him company. 🐴
Single-digit morning 😾
It was only about 8 this morning, but it’s warming up.
Let’s watch Baldy discover the heat lamp:
If he keeps that up, he’s going to singe his comb! 🐓
Winter is here 🐴
It will snow all day and the temperature will drop:
Kanna, who has a cold, has already found a heat lamp:
The ducks were supposed to stay in, but they snuck under the garage door:
After about a minute outside, they snuck right back under it:
Betty says, “Can you find me?”
Evil Cat likes the new cat hideaway:
We of course have an interesting drifting of snow:
The girls are out front:
And we’re of course where we normally are:
I wish we could have put this kind of weather off for a week or two. 🐴
It’s movie time! 🐴
First, a pretty sunset from last night:
And Iris spent last night in Chavez’s stall:
That’s ok. . .
Chezzie’s having breakfast in her stall. 🐴
Now let’s watch cowgirls Mary and Mara help Farmer Rich move his cattle:
🐎
200 bales! 🐴
This truck has 100 bales of hay:
And there’s a 100 bales waiting after that!
It looks great!
We’re lucky we found farmer friends with so much to sell:
Onslow can reach the birds under the roof:
We won’t run out of hay this winter! 🐴
Onslow’s daily routine 😺
Onslow starts his morning with breakfast (naturally):
Then he climbs a tree!
And a security camera catches Iris stretching her neck under the fence, nibbling grass:
Please don’t break the wires, Iris. 🐴
Crown of burrs
The ducks had to break some ice this morning:
We actually had to be called in for breakfast today, which is rare:
And RC picked up a mane-full of burrs:
Don’t worry, RC, Mary will comb them out for you. 🐴
Ding dong dell, Zelda’s in the window well 😺
Here’s our Zelda, keeping an eye on things while waiting for breakfast:
I’m waiting for breakfast, too:
Evil Cat soaks in the sun:
Onslow helps with the hay:
And Security Chief Schrödinger is just waking up:
I think the cats like hay as much as we do—as a mattress. 😺
We’ve had work done 🐴
We’re lucky our friend Todd is an electrician. Thanks to him our yard lights are working again:
Now our security cameras can see a lot further:
Speaking of security cameras, this one caught Charlie laying down this morning, while everyone else was up and about in the stable:
You better watch out, girl, there’s a lot of poopies around there. 🙀 But a little later, here she is, up and out in the sun with the rest of us:
Oh, and here’s Onslow under the roof of the tractor shed:
He’s got to be somewhere, right?😺
It’s a lovely morning! 🐎
All the snow is gone and it’s in the 40’s:
It’s going to be such a beautiful day that. . .
I just have to smile! 🐴
Sunny Friday! 😺
Pumpkin is at her post:
So is Kanna:
And so am I:
Food tastes better when it’s “snuck!”
Henry would say Hi:
But he’s busy. 🐎