FRANCIS'S BLOG 05/13/2026
The fix is in! 😺
The kittens are back from the vet and doing fine. They’re supposed to stay inside but they escaped for a little playtime this morning. Here’s Noodle helping with our hay:
He also wanted to follow Schrödinger down to the creek, but Schroeder gave him a dirty look. . .
and told him to get back to the tac room and rest. 😺
Smart chicken 🐓
Milt says, “You dumb ducks can go outside if you want. . .”
“I’m staying in here with my heat lamp!”
Remember us? 😾
Pumpkin, Luigi and Kanna say, “We can hardly wait for tomorrow.”
”The kittens are going to get fixed!” 😺
Ducks on ice 🐴
The ducks take a quick dip before their pool freezes:
As you can see, the ice is still thin enough to be dumped out. 🐴
It’s the holidays. Everybody eats. 🐦
The security camera catches the sparrows helping themselves to the ducks' and roosters' grain:
Most of them will get trapped overnight at “lockdown.“ But we don’t think they mind:
We bet their fellow sparrows would love spending the night with a ready source of food, water and heat! 🐦
🎄 Hark, the herald Francis brays 🎄
I’ve been told this looked good on paper:
But something happened between the design and execution phase:
And, to be honest, I was being very uncooperative. Especially when it came to the halo:
I couldn’t tell if I was being burned or electrocuted (not that either was happening):
Luigi said, when he saw me, he realized that he got off easy this year:
”All they did was shove me in this box.” 😺
’Twas the night before Christmas, and we have too many cats 🙀
Kitties here. . .
Kitties there. . .
Kitties everywhere. . .
Even in the air!
🎄🎄🎄
How nice! It’s above freezing! 🐴
It was 34℉ this morning, and a lot of the snow is gone. Here we have Henry and Stormy peacefully sharing breakfast:
Peaceful, that is, until Henry decides to take a nip out of Stormy:
Hey! Settle down, you two!
Make up and eat nice!
That’s better! 🐎
Not-so-cold duck 🐴
Even though it was almost 30℉ this morning,
Daisy’s not giving up her spot under the heat lamp.
Kitty up a pole 😺
Katfish makes it all the way up the pole to where the sparrows perch,
but the sparrows just won’t wait! 😾
Look out ducks and small kitties! 🙀
A hawk (or kestrel, or some other bird of prey), enjoys a starling out by the road.
Cold day but sunny 😺
Steve/Noodles tries to reach the sparrows in the garage:
The ladder’s not high enough,
and neither is the refrigerator. 😾
I’ve been paroled 🐴
Last night was my first night outside of Iris’s stall. Since it’s freezing and there’s no longer any grass out along the road, I suppose I’m no longer a threat to public safety.
But I know I’m not totally trusted. As you can see, the security cameras are keeping an eye on me. 🐴
Sunny Monday morning, but only 12℉
L’Orange demonstrates the tried and true method of keeping at least one foot warm:
Snow again, but for the time being, it’s at least 30 🐴
Nothing much happens around here anymore without a kitten sticking its nose in it. 😺
They even taste our food. 🐴
Cold but sunny 🐴
It’s cold, but at least the sun’s out and the wind’s not too bad,
and most of the snow is gone! 🐎
Mildred does his Wicked Witch of the West 🐓
Milt says, “Hey, Baldy, check me out.”
“I’m melting!”
“Melting!”
“Oh, what a world, what a world!” 🐓
The heat lamps are out 🐓
Minnie works on her tan. 🐔
(Not really: Tanning is not good for your skin, this is a lamp for heat, not tanning; and she’s a chicken. 🐴)
Sloppy Sunday night and Monday morning 🐎
We’re all kind of wet and miserable as the snow melts around us:
But the kittens are still fascinated:
First snow 🐴
Well, the front pasture looks nothing like it did yesterday.
If we want grass, we’ll have to dig for it.
Meanwhile, Professor Kanna explains, “Kittens, this is snow.”
”Get used to it."
We won’t be able to do this for long 🐴
Since it just might snow tomorrow, we’re probably getting our last chance to munch down in the front pasture:
Three kitties are greater than the power of evil.
Evil Cat used to have breakfast all to himself. 😺
Not any more. 😾