FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/18/2026
Goodbye 2022! 🐎
Jewel says, “Good morning!”
I’m trying to lay low today:
I have a feeling someone might try to put a “Happy New Year!” hat on me. 🐴
We had a guest last night 🙀
Hey, who’s that hiding in the back of the garage?
Oh, hello, Mr. Possum. Please try to find another home for the winter.
Schroeder, why are you licking the chickens’ feed block?
Rolling in the mud has left Rose and Iris’s coats quite dirty. . .
But their coats underneath are clean! 🐎
It’s a 50℉ morning! 😺
The weather has us smiling:
The chickens are out in force:
The ducks haven’t been out for over a week:
Doesn’t RC look brilliant?
Oh!—we didn’t see his other side!
Well, the thaw does bring out the mud; and horses love to roll. 🐎
Melt, snow, melt! 🐴
It’s in the 40’s today! The snow is already melting where our friend, Officer Mike, plowed a few days ago, when it was sub-zero:
What are you doing on the hay, Onslow?
Oh! Sunbathing! 😺
Cozy kitties! 😺
Sorry, Misty, I’m afraid I ate all my breakfast this morning, so there are no leftovers:
Onslow and Schrödinger are on the heating pad:
But Buttons won’t sit on it:
Her favorite place is right in front of the space heater. 😺
The weather’s warming up! 😺
It snowed almost 2 inches overnight, but it’s about 17℉:
Schroeder and Betty were on the heating pad this morning:
Although it’s warmer, the chickens still aren't coming out, not even for mealworms:
But they gave us 3 eggs:
It’s alway a good day for eggs! 🐔
A magnificent “Sundog!” 😺
Well, it’s 4℉ this morning and the windchill is “only” -22. We feel like venturing outside today:
The wind is not as fierce as yesterday:
Onslow and Betty are enjoying the heating pad:
Oh no! The cat-cops’ soft drinks exploded, and blew open the refrigerator door! I’m glad I don’t have to clean that up:
Finally, Ann took this amazing picture of a sundog:
What a gorgeous phenomenon! 🐴
The cold is bad enough, but the wind is merciless! 🙀
It’s -9 and the windchill is -33!
I’m doing my best to stay out of the wind:
I’ll be having my hay inside, please:
Onslow ran into the tack room:
The look on his face says, “If you make me leave, the claws are coming out!” 😾
The storm is here 😾
Nobody’s out here:
We’re all in the stable, of course. Iris and Rose are up here, too:
The snow isn’t too deep, now. Let’s hope it doesn’t drift too much:
The ducks look cozy:
Good for them! 🐴
Oh my, snow is coming 🐴
The weather has me worried. . .
I just hope I’m not up to my little donkey tummy in 🌨 snow 🌨 by tomorrow morning. 🐴
Dogs behind bars! 🐺
That horse’s rear-end belongs to Stormy. Please, Stormy, do not make a poopie in our brand-new hay:
All dogs are present and accounted-for: Sophie, Nixie, Calla and Dukie!
They are taking a break from all the frolicking they’ve been doing!
What happy hounds! 🐺
Oh, those cat-cops! 🐴
Chezzie says, “Good morning. It’s only 10℉, but no wind!”
Buttons is settling down to breakfast:
Finally, I wish the cat-cops would remember that I am NOT a convenient place to set things:
Oh well, I’ll forgive them anything as long as breakfast is on time. 🐴
Only 11℉ this morning! 😾
The chickens’ water froze overnight, so they’re lining up for a drink:
I’m the only one, it seems, who can be bothered to turn around and say Hello:
We’re so happy the sun’s out:
It makes up for the temperature (almost). 🐴
A little of this and a little of that 😺
Onslow is having to get chased out of the tack room:
Betty is having to get chased out of the feed shed:
I’m helping Chezzie finish his breakfast:
Now I'm helping RC finish Chezzie’s breakfast:
Iris is staying cozy, under the hay barn, with the ducks:
And the chickens are staying right where they belong. . .
In the coop, making eggs! 🐔
The sun was out 😺, if only for a few minutes 😾
Oh my, look at the snow:
The wind is blowing it inside, through a vent in the roof (but don’t worry, it looks much worse than it is):
I suppose we should go outside, Stormy:
The sun has come out, finally!
Let’s enjoy it while we can. 🐴
Glorious sunset 😺
It’s hard to believe we had 50 degree weather last night. Stormy is looking at a dusting of snow today:
Betty says, “Good morning. I would like my breakfast brought in here, please.”
Isn’t this a lovely sunset? It’s all the sun we’ve seen for a whole week:
Also last night, Onslow supervised a delivery of food and sawdust:
We have nothing to fear with Onslow on guard! 😺
Water, water, everywhere 😾
The kitties are occupied with breakfast (or else they would say Good morning):
It rained yesterday, all day:
Here’s a cat’s-eye view of all the puddles we see:
And the ducks are out with Iris and Rose:
We’re glad somebody’s happy. 🦆
Oh, that Betty! 🙀
Can you see me? I’m staying cozy in the stable. It’s actually not that cold, but the wind has picked up:
Betty is eating “bird seed” today:
It looks like Schrödinger wants to try some, too:
But the ducks are about to chase him off. 😾
That’s a big egg! 🐔
I have a bright-eyed smile, just for you!
Iris and Rose say, “Good morning!” 
The weather may be wet, but the hay is dry:
The cat-cops had to search for Onslow this morning, because he wasn’t at breakfast. Betty found him. We don’t think he’s sick, but we’ll watch him. Maybe he just didn’t feel like getting out of a warm bed:
Anyway, the chickens laid 11 eggs yesterday:
And somebody laid a big one! 🐔
Sunday, muddy, Sunday 🙀
RC is cleaning up after me:
I’m cleaning up after Stormy:
Chavez is helping me clean up after Stormy:
It’s been another gloomy day, just like the rest of this week. We can try to “brighten up,” I suppose, by admiring this morning’s colorful eggs:
Or, how about this. . . ?
😺
Yes, it certainly DOES happen! 🐎
Good morning! It’s still muddy:
Betty is playing coy, refusing to look at the camera:
And one of our wonderful friends gave us this sign:
We agree! 🐴
Overnight rain brings crystal clear water! 😺
Stormy says, “Good morning! It rained all last night.”
I’m having a carrot, by the way:
Our tanks are sparkling clear, due to all the rain:
Onslow has no trouble seeing the goldfish:
Finally, Iris and Rose, make sure you don’t pull any hay out on the ground (like you usually do):
You don’t want it all muddied-up! 🐎
Fowl deeds 🐔
I have a smile just for you this morning:
One of the chickens is out of the pen:
Oh, make that two chickens:
We’ll have to check for eggs all over the farm now. 🐴
My poor feed bucket 🐴
Jewel says, “Good morning. I hope you can see me.”
She means it’s very foggy:
Dukie looks like she wants to go out and play:
Don’t those mealworms look yummy? We can’t get the ducks to eat anything else:
Today the chickens are having green apple slices with their worms:
I don’t mind the other horses eating my leftovers:
I only wish they wouldn’t knock down my dish!
🐎
No news is good news! 😺
Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t have anything for you, other than three cat faces:
And three chicken butts:
I guess they’re not in the mood for pictures today. 🐴
Busy weekend 🐎
It’s a lazy Monday, but a lot was happening over the weekend:
Iris got a new food dish:
And so did Rose:
And, to keep Iris from sneaking through the gate by the creek, and then “forgetting” how to sneak back—Ann, Mary, and Mara installed hog fencing. Iris doesn’t mind having the fence installed, but she wishes it wasn’t called “hog” fencing:
Finally, I’m eating hay in a very precarious place:
Don’t forget I’m back here, Chavez. Don’t kick, and don’t make a poopie! 🐴
Cat 😺 and mouse 🐭!
What are we having for breakfast, chickens?
Oh! Yummy leftover broccoli, served on a pumpkin shell:
And Paschal is having her mealworms served on a platter of ice:
Finally, Betty is visitng with a mouse:
Cats and mice can be friends. . .
Provided the cat’s not too hungry. 😺
Ice on the water 😾
It’s only 17℉. I’m staying inside:
Sophie’s keeping me company for the time being, but I know she’s ready to go back in the farm house:
The chickens are keeping to the coop:
Most of them were just born in April. . .
So if they think it’s cold now, wait until we get to February! 🙀
Kitty Capers! 😺
What’s going on here?
What could interest both Schroeder and Baldy?
Oh! Schrödinger wants a piece of old bread. Cats will eat anything, won’t they?
Other than that, Onslow is supervising a delivery of alfalfa pellets:
What would we do without you, Onslow? 🐴
Accidents will happen 🐎
Rose is still quite sorry for what happened yesterday:
Iris can’t even look at us:
Rose and Iris were playfully chasing each other around, and knocked down a cat-cop, giving him a nasty cut over his eye, and sending him to the emergency room. 🙀
We’re so grateful for our friends at Genesis, Silvis: They stitched up his cut, scanned his brain (they didn’t find anything 😺), and got him back to feeding us! 🐴