FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/22/2026
Another icy, slippery day 😾
We can always count on Onslow to run out to the car as soon as it pulls up. He’ll tell those cat-cops to get our breakfast fast!
Just like yesterday, there’s no shortage of ice:
Better move along, hen. It’s hard to clean the coop with you in it:
Anyway, I’m afraid I wasn’t very nice to Rose this morning. Here I am, chasing her away from the hay:
Don’t worry, I apologized, and we’re friends again:
Good donkeys should always share. 🐴
Crunchy snow, everywhere! 😾
Here’s a picture from yesterday. Why are you three standing out in this nasty snow?
Anyway, after it snowed, it rained. So this morning, we woke up to snow under a shell of ice:
It’s so hard, that Ferdinand and Percy’s pools can stand on top of it:
Onslow’s about to pounce on the end of the hose. It had to be pulled up through the ice, which was not easy:
Other than that, it’s nice enough that we can have hay outside. . .
Even though our hooves have to punch through the snow. 🐎
Waiting for more snow 😾
It’s supposed to start snowing sometime today:
Weather like this makes us wish we were as small as Betty:
It must feel like summer under those heat lamps. 🐓😺
Snowy and chilly 😾
Betty is checking out the new water hose:
It’s a dreary morning, but we’ve got plenty to eat:
Speaking of plenty to eat, Iris and I are cleaning up Misty’s leftovers:
We’ve been told we're not supposed to do this:
But if the door’s not locked, then in we’ll go! 🐎
Watch out, Schrödinger! 🙀
Good morning!
Mary and Mara gave us our hay this morning:
They fluffed it up for us, so we have “mile-high” hay:
And look out, Schroeder! Jewel has you in her sights!
You’re about to get chased out of the paddock, cat! 🙀
Sunny Saturday 😺
We expect it to get above freezing today:
But for now, it’s chilly enough to keep Baldy on one leg:
Sophie is visiting today:
Oh—and yesterday, one of the hens left a surprise for us in the hay barn:
3 eggs!
We wish they would only lay eggs in the coop:
Doesn’t this egg look cozier? 🐔
Merry 7℉ Christmas! 🐴
Although we don’t have a picture of it, you can bet we had our Christmas carrots!
🎄
You already know that as long as the ducks’ water is liquid, the ducks will take a bath. See if you can see the steam coming off their water this morning:
🎄
Chilly Christmas Eve 🎄
It’s only 10 degrees this morning, and windy, to boot:
I think I’ll stay inside and clean up Iris’s leavings:
But, no matter how cold. . .
The ducks will always take a bath. 🐴
It’s in the 50’s this morning 😺, but the teens are on their way tomorrow! 😾
Here’s a picture of Jewel from yesterday, doing some serious cow-watching. You can also see that she needs a little brushing around her face:
The ducks are waiting patiently for the last of their tanks to fill up:
It’s so warm this morning, breakfast is quite pleasant:
But, good weather or not, Betty always prefers her food on the tractor:
And what is Hansel doing in the hen house?
Astrid had invited him in to see her new egg. 🥚
The ice is back 😾
It’s colder and cloudy this morning:
A hen laid an egg:
And I had a carrot:
There’s fresh food for the cats. . .
But Finn insists on cleaning up the stale food thrown out to the birds:
Waste not, want not. 😺
There’s work to be done! 😺
Not much happening with us this morning, other than we’re happy it’s already above 40 degrees:
It’s almost too warm to sit under a heatlamp:
What are you supervising, Betty?
Oh! Today we’re cleaning out the duck garage!
Most of it can be scraped into a pile with the snow shovel. But it takes the coal shovel to haul it away:
Why is it so heavy?
It’s a mixture of water, sawdust, and duck-poopie! 🙀
Betty says it smells better in there already. 😺
Finally, let’s watch a quick video of Onslow chicken-sitting!
🐔
Happy horse 🐎
The ice is back, at least for today, but Iris still has a smile for us!
Baldy and Hansel are saying Good morning (don’t worry, Hansel, you’re about to be let out):
Onslow is up a tree:
And I’m getting shaggier every day:
🐴
Melt away, snow! 🐎
It warmed up yesterday and stayed above freezing all night, so the ducks have plenty of water:
RC is cleaning up Iris’s leftovers:
And Iris is cleaning up Chezzie’s leftovers:
As for me? I’m not doing much out of the ordinary, either:
Finn is staring daggers:
She’s waiting to be fed. 😾
Horse crime! 🐎
It’s a little warmer today, but the wind has picked up, too. The ducks are still making do with the “toboggan,” until their big bathtubs thaw:
Like yesterday, Betty is warming up under a heatlamp. Don’t miss the hot canned food again, Betty (she didn’t):
Speaking of hot canned food—here’s Pumpkin, tucking in:
And why is all our hay laid out on the ground?
Why is none of it in the bins?
Someone made a poopie in every bin overnight!
Who is the miscreant?
We’re looking at you, Stormy. 🐎
Egg hunt (and it’s 4 months until Easter)! 🐔
Firstly, have you ever seen a cuter pair of puppies? Phoenix and Sophie are sporting their Christmas hats and sweaters:
Another sign of winter: Betty is under the heatlamp:
Any sunny day is a good day:
Especially when there is no wind:
Finally, we were expecting the hens would continue to lay their eggs in the coop:
But the hens had other plans: Here’s Astrid in the barn. What do you have for us, Astrid?
Two eggs!
Oh, wait—there’s more! An egg was also laid under the stairs!
And it’s still warm! 🐔
Getting ready for winter 🐴
As long as I’m let out first, I’ll put up with being used as a glove-rack:
It’s a tad warmer today, so the ducks are happy outdoors:
But “management” is accepting the fact that much colder weather is on the way. The heatlamps are out:
And the cats have their heated water dish:
It looks like the hens are having a dustbath under the barn:
We hope you aren’t laying your eggs there:
Do that in your cozy coop! 🐔
Another icy day 😾
Good morning!
The ducks (and Baldy) are spending the day in the garage:
The door is open, so they can leave if they want; but, so far, no takers:
Percy, Ferdinand and the cats are grateful for some liquid water:
Don’t worry, the heated water dishes and heat lamps will be fired up tonight! 😺
Meanwhile, let’s watch Percy have a bath:
It’s always fun to watch a duck clean up!
Freezy Monday 😾
We need to get a heater for the new tank:
Don’t worry, there are two other tanks from which we can drink (but right now, we’re eating):
The hens gave us a nice new egg this morning:
They are two-for-two (two eggs for two days)! 🐔
Here is Jewel, yesterday evening, waiting for Mary to ride her:
At the moment Mary was working with Mara and Iris:
We’re lucky to have such a warm, dry, and bright place to work out! 🐎
We have a chicken egg 🐔
I’m sharing breakfast with Jewel:
Percy and Ferdinand are sharing breakfast with Baldy:
And the hens had something to share with us this morning. . .
. . .a small, brown egg!
Which one laid it, we of course don’t know. But, “Good job!” whoever it was! 🐔
Finally, let’s watch Sophie and Phoenix play with their rope:
What fun! 🐺
Only Onslow and Betty have fun in the snow! 😺
Jewel says “Good morning”:
The rain last night filled our new tank:
This morning, we have 2-3 inches of wet snow, so we’re having hay inside:
The hens have never seen snow before; they refuse to go near it!
Come on, girls, be like the ducks, and take it in stride. Here they are waiting for their bathtubs to be filled:
Ferdinand and Percy will wash up as soon as they eat their mealworms off the water:
But no matter what the weather, Betty and Onslow will play:
Here they are, stalking Finn:
Betty is practically invisible, isn’t she? 😺
Rain is on the way 🐴
It’s a dark morning:
Iris says Hi:
A little earlier, she and Stormy were keeping an eye on the children arriving at the preschool across the street:
As you’ve seen before, Onslow is getting a headstart on breakfast:
Percy and Ferdinand are getting nice and clean:
Rain is on the way:
And we’re ready to collect it! 😺
Mice on the move 🐭
Any sunny day is a good day. Here’s Finn, taking in some hazy afternoon rays:
And here I am this morning:
You can’t really tell, but I’m crunching a carrot—yum!
Anyway, let’s watch the mice having a field day in the garage:
When the ducks are asleep, the mice will eat! 🐭
Duck doings and kitty capers 😺
What had Rose, Iris and Jewel’s attention yesterday afternoon?
Why, it’s Mary and Sophie, way out in the far pasture!
This morning, the tree over the feed shed is full of sparrows:
Watch out, sparrows—here comes Finn!
A little later, Finn and Onslow have some eggs—fresh from the duck!
Hey there, little mouse. . .
Do you feel like you’re being watched?
Finally, let’s watch Patrick make a big splash in his bathtub:
😺
Duck discipline 🦆
The hens say good morning from inside their cozy coop:
We’re already out having our hay:
And as you know, we’ve had to keep our 3 anconas and 2 Welsh harlequins (the “Gang of Five”) on lockdown because they keep crossing the road. Well, this morning, the pekins and mallards will also be doing time in “the pen.”
They were spotted too near the road to be trusted. But as long as they have food and water, ducks are pretty much happy anywhere:
So this leaves only Percy and Ferdinand who can be trusted to stay in their own yard:
Lucky ducks! 😺
A dusting of snow 😾
There’s a little snow, here and there:
Jewel has finished breakfast and is already on the job:
What’s the job? Why, cow watching, of course:
I think this snow will be gone by noon:
Why, yes—I am outside the gate, aren’t I? 🐴
Bath time for ducks 🦆
Betty is coming out of the hole in the tree:
We’re are all out in the front pasture having hay:
With the exception of Chezzie:
And all the tubs are full of water:
They were emptied out last night, so they wouldn’t be frozen over this morning:
So what does that mean?
Bath time—of course! 😺
Holy Cows! 🐄
Good morning:
What had Iris and Stormy practically hypnotized last afternoon?
Cows!—in the corn field across the street:
We can’t take our eyes off them. 🐎
Bring on the worms! 🦆
Peek-a-boo!
Look out, ducks—don’t let the hens eat all your food!
All the poultry are getting an extra helping of mealworms. They are a high-energy food that will help them deal with the cold (and they taste great!):
Speaking of food, the senior feed that Misty and RC get is also high-energy, being sweeter and higher in calories. Here I am, after I snuck into Misty’s stall, cleaning up her leftovers (and cheating on my diet):
I am about to get into so much trouble! 🐴
Frosty mornings are here to stay for a while 😾
The ground is white with frost:
Our tree is full of birds:
And Schrödinger has found a nice spot to clean up after breakfast:
His black fur is good at absorbing heat from sunlight. 😺
Tuesday in the teens 😾
There’s a lot of hay waiting for me, but here, out of the wind, the sun feels so good:
The cats’ canned food has been sitting in front of the heater in the tack room all night, so it’s nice and warm:
And the ice on the ducks’ pools was too thick to break, so they’re making due with their indoor buckets:
Oh, and here’s a little video of the hens keeping the cats from their dry food:
Another day as usual! 🐔