FRANCIS'S BLOG 04/11/2026
This morning almost qualified as cool 🐴
We have a shiny new fence:
While I’m not too happy about being in a stall overnight—it’s good to be back to our old routine. . .
Whether it’s being in our own pastures for the day,
Eating our hay,
Scratching our nose on the manure cart,
Or deciding which sawdust bag to rip open:
And Finn is back to being outdoors, after recovering from her tooth extraction:
For a few seconds, Security Deputy Onslow and Chief Schroeder followed her, like she was a new cat:
But they soon recognized her as being our own Finn! 😺
How we spent the night 🐴
Finn spent a very comfortable night on the couch in the house:
And we had to spend the night under the hay barn (as you recall, we’re getting new fence):
But we were rewarded for breakast with fresh, sweet hay that Farmer Rich delivered last night:
Oh, and here’s a picture of Onslow making a play-fort out of our masks:
That’s ok, kitty. We can’t use them today, because it’s raining off-and-on. 🐎
Lots of changes being made 🐎
Yesterday we got a beautiful new fence, suitable for dogs and ducks:
Finn spent last night in the tack room, because she had a tooth removed, and was still recovering from the anesthesia:
She wasn’t too groggy to make a mess:
And this is different: All the horses except Rose and Jewel are in the front pasture:
As you know, it’s usually the other way around. Today, part of the horses’ paddock fence will be replaced, so the front pasture is the only secure place. They will probably have to spend the night out there! 🙀
Rose and Jewel will spend the night in the stalls.
And so will I! 🐴
That’s some hot horse manure! 🙀
Well, even though it’s 80 degrees right now, there is steam coming from the manure cart:
Here are the chicks, in a big hurry to get out:
They’ve been “cooped-up” all night. . .
And are anxious to get on the grass:
Here’s Brunhilda, looking for bugs from the perch:
As for me, I’m waiting for my morning carrot. . .
And staying in the shade! 🐴
Drying out on farrier day 🐎
We had a nasty storm overnight. As a precaution, Mary and Mara moved the chick pen out from under the tree, in case a branch should blow down:
The ground is soft, as a raccoon or possum found out:
Here I am getting my hooves trimmed:
Trimmed hooves keep us healthy! 🐴
Slow news Sunday 🐴
The only thing happening today is that it’s going to be very, very hot:
But we have all our water tanks topped off, and have extra hay, so we don’t have to wander too far from the fans. Of course, I don’t need a fan, because I have a cool spot under the barn:
Oh, and yesterday, Jewel saw a crop dusting helicopter:
🐎
The humid heat is back 😾
We now know why the wire roof of the chicken coop is bowed down:
Unlike the horses, I will walk all the way to my daytime place without a halter or an escort:
And afterwards. . .
I receive a carrot as a reward. 🐴
If it’s not swallows, it’s crop dusters 🐴
A crop duster was buzzing the farm yesterday:
Let’s watch the video:
🐴
Clean masks make for happy horses 🐎
It’s still hot, but the air is nice and dry:
Our masks are fresh from the laundry:
And Iris says, “When you look good; you feel good.”
The chicks are getting bigger every day:
Soon their “peeps” 🐥 will turn to “clucks!” 🐔
More rain brings more toads 🐸
We’re still pretty wet from all the rain yesterday, but the air itself feels a tad drier:
Finn is having a drink. The fountain is full of fresh rain:
Stormy is enjoying (hogging) the floor fan:
RC is joined for breakfast by Mr. and Ms. Toad:
And this fellow wants to be invited in:
Poor toad—no one can hear him knock. 🐴
Very rainy morning 😾
Last night I got the weeds in my paddock cut back:
The rain is pouring off the roof:
It’s looking to be an indoor day:
🐎
Horses helping donkeys 🐎
Charlie was nice enough to break into my stall this morning:
So I had the whole place to myself:
Other than that, we’re soon out finishing breakfast before it gets too hot:
Onslow’s out hunting swallows:
But he’s not leaving the shade to do it. 😺
Clouds are coming 🐴
It’s nice and breezy this morning, and the clouds are keeping it cool:
Stormy is enjoying the floor fan:
And so is Iris. It doesn’t look like much, but it blows a nice blast of air:
And the air is full of swallows:
Onslow is waiting for one of them to get careless. 😺
Breezy Saturday 🐴
Yesterday was such a scorcher. I hope the breeze this morning holds up:
The chicks spent their first night in the new coop:
They love all the places to perch:
Let’s watch them come down the stairs this morning:
🐥
It’s going to be a hot one! 😿
I better get in my morning roll, while the ground is still cool:
Well, what’s this, chickens? 🐥
Christmas came in July! Mary and Mara put together a brand new chicken house:
It has a cozy upstairs apartment!
These cheery chicks 🐥 will soon be happy hens 🐔!
Oh, one more thing. . .
Cats: 2, Swallows: 0! (They’ve got to stop dive-bombing the cats!) 🐦
I wasn’t a good donkey 🐴
This morning, instead of waiting to be led to my little stall under the hay barn, I took off for the far pasture. It was so long since I was out there:
But it wasn’t long until “management” put a halter on me and “escorted” me back. 🐴
Don’t get complacent, swallows 🐦
You remember our videos of the cats getting dive-bombed by swallows:
For all those swallows who think they can annoy our cats with impunity:
Sometimes the cat (in this case, Finn) gets lucky! 😺
We don’t know if Charlie’s hoof is feeling that much better, but we put out plenty of hay so she won’t have to walk out to the far pasture:
I’m still sticking to my hay and alfalfa-pellet diet, for the most part:
But this morning, I couldn’t help sneaking a mouthful of grain. 🐴
Get well, Charlie 🐎
Everybody’s hanging around the gate to the front pasture:
And in general, just bugging each other:
A little hay has settled things down:
We’re a little upset that Charlie is on lockdown. Her left rear leg is sore:
She got some carrots to help cheer her up. 🐎
Movie time 🐥
Stormy has no idea how he got in Iris’s stall:
Here I am scratching my nose:
I wish people would stop using me as a workbench. 🐴
And here are two more movies: The chicks are being fed live crickets and mealworms. 🐥
🐥
Storm damage 😿
A tree lost a big branch:
A piece of siding blew off and broke into pieces:
The chicks’ pen had to be hammered back together, here and there:
But no damage to the horses:
No damage to me. . .
Or anyone else. 😺
Horse high jinks! 🐎
It looks like someone was playing “hit the bucket” last night:
They were more successful with “hit the rakes:”
While I was having my morning roll, Chezzie got into my stall.
You won’t find any food, Chezzie. I’m still on my only-hay diet.
And finally, lucky Henry!
He has the fan all to himself! 🐎
Not as hot today (but hot enough!) 🐴
A big storm passed through last night. Look at all the water:
I’m surprised with that much rain, the ground isn’t more muddy. It must have been drier than I thought:
Anyway, Charlie was found this morning with a new fashion accessory:
The chicks stayed nice and dry in the duck pen:
The rain brought out more lilies:
The lower-right lily has a visitor:
It’s pretty white moth!
Finally, the baby swallows are big enough to fly:
These flew away with the skill of their parents. 🐦
Finally, a little rain 🐴
A small storm blew through last night. It woke up Onslow:
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to help the heat and humidity this morning:
You can see where the ground got some needed moisture:
Get up, Onslow and Betty, we need to move the chicks:
Hansel, we need you on duty today:
Keep that pen “cat free!” 😾
Everybody’s looking for shade 😾
Finn is in with the chicks:
Let me out!
I need a roll. . .
And a scratch:
Stop watching the balloons at the daycare, Rose:
It’s too darn hot just to stand in the sun! 🐴
Oh no, another 90+ day 😾
Zelda and Pumpkin have breakfast, out of way of the ducks:
I decided to pose for my morning photo:
Iris’s fly coat is off this morning, so she and Stormy have a chance to groom each other well:
They scrape their teeth over each others coats. . .
And give each other a deep massage:
Finally, let’s check in on Hansel and his adopted chicks:
🐥
86 and steamy at only 10AM 😾
Baldy is joining me in the shade:
To help keep us cool, Mary and Mara changed the water in the tanks; and last night, like the night before, everyone got a bath:
Since the well water comes from 250 feet below the ground, it’s comfortably cold no matter how hot it gets! 🐎
Hotter and hotter 😾
Onslow cleans up last night’s leftovers before the fresh food is served:
I’m in my usual spot:
It’s already hot and steamy. I don’t think anyone will be out in the far pasture until after sunset:
Hansel and Baldy are keeping an eye on the chicks today:
They keep the cats away:
Look at how small the chicks were just a week ago:
Maybe by next week they’ll be so big, the cats won’t be a danger! 😾
Time for a bat-check! 🦇
It’s the hottest it’s been all year:
That brings out the bats before it gets dark. Here are some from yesterday, around 4PM:
We have more and more pretty flowers:
Let’s finish up by watching 2 chick movies!
Hot as a firecracker 🙀
Time to let me out! 🐴Jewel’s feed door magically disappeared overnight:
Pumpkin likes to have her breakfast balanced on the tractor plow:
The ducks have found their shady spot for the day, under the horse trailer:
How do I beat the heat?
I get treated to ice cold carrots—better than a popsicle! 🐴
It’s Opossom-ble! 🙀
These muggy days are really bringing out the flies—so I’m back to wearing a mask:
But—oh no!—an opossum (or possum, the “informal” term) walks right by the ducks, and Betty, like it owns the place:
You can only see its back, so we’re pointing it out as it goes by:
Stay away from our poultry, possum! If there were only some bait we could put in the live-traps, that won’t also attract the cats:
Betty will never live this down. 😾
What wonderful visitors! 🐎
This morning we have pretty new flowers:
One duck has been laying tiny eggs:
And yesterday, our friends Kellen and Tempi visited the farm!
Lucky Chavez! He had so much fun being ridden:
He got a carrot from Tempi:
And from Kellen:
What a happy day! 😺