FRANCIS'S BLOG 10/06/2025
Watch Dog Dukie 🐺
Dukie’s having her walk in the far pasture, when she sees us on our way out to join her:
Just look at the sun beaming down on us!
Here we come!
Would you believe it? I’m not the one bringing up the rear this time:
That “honor” belongs to RC:
What a handsome horsey. His winter coat is fluffing-up beautifully. 🐎
Done with the old hay; starting the new 🐎
There’s not a lot of grass left:
The pretty gray cat is back for breakfast:
Last night we finished our early shipment of hay, which was getting a little brown (but still edible). Now we’re into some newer hay, which is greener and sweeter:
Here I am in the middle of all this tasty hay goodness, and the horses are heading to the far pasture:
Suit yourselves—more for me! 🐴
Our visitor is back 😺
Jewel and I say “Good morning!”
Here’s Jewel, helping herself to (my favorite) “pan drippings!”
And look who we see again:
He’s making himself at home, with Onslow (giving him a dirty look), Zelda, Schroeder (foreground) and Evil Cat (on the other side of the tractor blade:
One big happy cat family! 😺
Onslow 😾 versus sparrow 🐦
Good morning!
We know we had a heat lamp picture yesterday, but Baldy looked so cozy, we just have to show you another one:
Oh, and a chicken just laid an egg on the floor of the poultry pen—it’s still warm!
Finally, let’s watch Onslow catch a sparrow, which (of course!) gets away:
I’ll bet that sparrow’s been caught-and-released before. 🐴
A Thanksgiving Friday guest! 😺
It was only 19℉ this morning, but it feels better than yesterday, because there’s no wind. But, since wind-chill doesn’t effect water freezing, it’s time for heat lamps:
Baldy loves his heat lamp; so does Betty!
Finally, as the title of this post indicates, we have a guest. Not Dukie, of course, because she is family:
Our new friend is a cat. Well, welcome to Ann’s Horse Farm. Would you care for some breakfast?
Of course you would! My, but you cleaned out that food dish quickly:
Come on in the tractor shed and eat with the Schrödinger and Buttons:
If you choose to become a new citizen, you are welcome. . .
Just don’t be surprised if the cat-cops catch you and take you in for “extreme vetting!” 🙀
Frolic in the far pasture 🐎
It looks like a mouse is helping itself to the corn:
We’re out to the far pasture right after breakfast:
There’s still some grass:
And of course, we’re joined by Duke:
She loves having a good run:
Here she comes! 🐴
Bad pony! 🐎
The ducks don’t want to come out on this chilly morning:
Neither does Petra:
But Nugget, Hansel, and Ingrid know it’s only November, and much colder weather is coming. So they are out all ready, joining Pumpkin for a drink:
Rose is refusing to go in her stall. Doesn’t she know that her breakfast is waiting?
Not only is breakfast waiting. . .
But we’re also having carrots! 🐴
Chilly, sunny morning 🙀
It’s only in the 20’s.
Nugget is finding a cozy place to lay her egg:
Astrid has an egg to lay, too. Evil Cat says, “Don’t let me stop you. I’m just up here sunbathing.”
Onslow has another sparrow:
He doesn’t want to let it go, but he doesn’t want to miss breakfast, either:
He of course let it go. 🐦
Another day, another sparrow (gets away) 🐦
The ducks are enjoying their mealworm breakfast:
Rose and Iris say Good morning!
And so does Dukie!
Finally, Onslow caught a sparrow, which he let fly away:
Our cats are so well feed, why eat a bird, when canned paté is much less feathery! 😺
Slow news Saturday 🐴
Sorry, but there’s not much going on today. We have the chickens by the stable:
And I’m keeping Dukie company until it’s time for her walk:
That’s about it! 🐴
New acquisition! 🐎
It’s 10 degrees cooler today, but it feels warmer than yesterday, because there’s no wind!
The “H” is back on our water tanks:
They are made from bubbles coming from the heating elements below (look under the H):
And Farmer Rich helped us find a new manure cart!
If this one lasts as long as the old one, it will be quite a bargain:
But the only reason the old one lasted so long was that, many times, Farmer Rich repaired it for us:
What a nice manure cart and a nicer friend! 🐎
Movie time! 🐎
Good morning. It’s a good day to stay out of the wind:
Nugget can tell you, most of the bugs are gone:
Percy and Ferdinand have found their resting place for the entire day. Being about 8 years old, they can’t walk around very easily:
And why aren’t these ducks going in Dukie’s old dog house, to stay out of the wind?
Because it still smells too much like Dukie!
Finally, let’s watch a movie of me!
Don’t I make alfalfa pellets sound good! 🐴
Ancient artifact 🐎
Good morning. Everyday I have alfalfa pellets, and everyday they are just as delicious!
Shiny clean bowls. . .
Make for an extra delicious breakfast!
And an old horseshoe was found in the far pasture:
Somebody must have thrown that shoe years ago! 🐴
Did you know chickens eat apples? 🐔
Finn’s squinting in the sun:
Petra is pecking at a farm-grown apple:
And here I am between Jewel and RC:
I’m a rose between two thorns! 🐴
Busy little mouse 🐭
Evil Cat occasionally spends the night in the chicken coop:
Here I am keeping Dukie company. She and Ann had another nice walk in the far pasture this morning:
“Would I like a carrot? Why, of course!”
And here we have a mouse!
It’s not very shy:
It’s getting its burrow tidied up in case we have snow. 🐭
The cows are in the corn (or rather, where the corn used to be) 🐎
What are you looking at, Jewel?
Oh, the cows across the road:
It’s 36, but the windchill factor is 23. The chickens are having none of it:
“We’ll stay inside with the cats today, thank you.” 🐓
Now let’s watch Pumpkin have a nice long drink (on a much nicer morning):
She waits every morning for water fresh from the well! 😺
Buttons up a tree 🙀
I’d love to talk, but I’m tucked into breakfast:
And Buttons is up the tree by the duck garage:
Betty does not like Buttons up in her tree:
Remember, Betty, it’s not nice to be stingy. 😾
First snow and sleet 😾
I’m staying inside:
Just look at this snow and sleet!
Betty has the right idea:
Doesn’t she look cozy? 😺
Finally, let’s watch a video of Ann and Mary riding Jewel and Stormy!
How nice to ride in a bright, windless, dry arena—and on soft white sand, to boot! 🐎
What a clean feed cabinet! 🐎
Our leaves are on the ground:
The chickens and cats are sharing breakfast (Pumpkin is watching the rain):
I’m looking a little pathetic. How my head got wet, I’m not sure:
Get in here, Stormy and Chezzie! You’re holding up breakfast:
And, “Hey, Onslow! Where’s your head?”
Other than that, our Mary did a bang-up job of cleaning our feed cabinet:
She sealed up the space where water was getting in:
And set out some fierce-looking mouse traps:
Look out, Mickey! 🐭
Jewel and Stormy get a ride! 🐎
I’m dog-sitting Dukie while the horses are getting breakfast:
Last night, under the lights, Ann and Mary rode Jewel and Stormy!
Here’s Ann and Jewel deftly stepping over four wooden beams:
And here’s Mary having Stormy step sideways, left hoof over right hoof:
Fancy footwork! 🐎
Dukie is always welcome! 😺
We have brilliant trees:
Schroeder has his paw on Onslow’s shoulder:
The chickens are in with the horses:
And Dukie is here!
Uh-oh! Jewel is giving her a dirty look:
Now, Jewel—you know she’s our friend. She’s just barking because she wants to go for her walk! 😺
“Late” is a four-letter word! 😾
Finn, Pumpkin, and Evil Cat are appreciating the sun:
Jewel is enjoying a drink:
We have to do something while waiting for breakfast. It’s late again. Yesterday’s excuse was the time changing. Today’s excuse is that someone had a Dr.’s appointment:
Don’t make me laugh!
When we need a checkup, the vet comes out to see us! 🐎
Nobody’s happy 😾
Buttons grumbles, “Where’s our breakfast?” 
Iris and I are also discussing this issue:
It’s the old “time change” excuse! You may have gained an hour, but we didn’t! 🐴
Duke visits the farm 😺
It’s a lovely but windy morning:
The trees are full of birds:
Baldy’s plate is full of worms:
And here’s Dukie, looking so happy:
She knows she’ll get a long walk all over the farm! 🐎
Happiness is hot cat food on a chilly day 😺
The ducks’ fresh water is dazzling:
Looks like we have a lineup in the sun. That’s quite a tongue, Chavez:
I think I’ll stay out here for my alfalfa pellets:
This little heater is keeping the cat food nice and hot:
Heated canned food gets soft and juicy:
And that makes for a contented Finn! 😺
Farrier day 🐎
As you can tell by my harness and the truck in the background, our friend Travis is doing our hooves:
Sometimes it’s boring, waiting for Travis to take care of all of us. . .
But we had two bags of carrots to help pass the time. 🐎
The hose is froze! 😾
The leaves are falling:
Chavez is out on the frosty front pasture:
A knocked-over fan makes a great place to sit (it takes you off the cold floor):
And Onslow’s up a tree, again:
Finally, let’s watch RC giving me a grooming:
What a nice horse! 🐴
Ice on the water! 😾
A beautiful swan was at the pond in Silvis:
In good old Geneseo, it’s a sunny morning:
Buttons is threatening to get her own breakfast:
And, oh no!—the goldfish are under ice!
Don’t worry, fishies, we’re plugging in the heater right away! 😺
The electric fence is back! 🙀
Look out horses! After being out of commission for over a year, Mary and Mara installed a new fence energizer:
No more biting the fence wires—they will bite back!
I, of course, don’t have to worry about that. When it want to go through a fence, I just slip under: Only the top wires are electrified! 🐴