Earl’s attack

 Earl seems to be healing after him being attacked. Earl is the most happy go lucky cat I have ever seen. He minds his own business and stays away from most the other animals. Him along with Peanut Butter and Jelly stick to the 3 of them. I started to wonder how he got attacked and by who. I knew it wasn’t the other cats so who was it?? It did not take me long to figure it out. My guess is he got too close to Edith with her baby chicks. They have been living under the horse trailer and you can’t see her under there. I know Earl gets out and wanders around over there, minding his own business but if he got too close then I’m thinking she attacked him. Here is he I came up with that scenario. They other day Ronnie and I were watering the animals. I see Jeb walking toward us. Edith was along the same path with her chicks. I saw her run at him and try to attack him. The poor horse didn’t know what to do, so he turned the other way and left. Yesterday as I was going to feed the pigs, I saw Edith and her chicks close to where I needed to walk but figured I could make a path away from them and be fine. Nope. She charged me and attacked me. Luckily I wasn’t wearing shorts. I was not even close to her but she didn’t want me close so she made sure I wouldn’t be close to her. Earl is looking better and that’s what’s important. He has stayed in the shop for 3 days without leaving so he could heal. This morning he was not in the shop but came home to eat. He is still limping a little and his face is scratched up some, but he is healing well, enough to jump out the window anyway. I think he will stay away from Edith from now on. 

Rough Morning

 I’m going to tell you about my rough morning. I don’t normally have rough mornings like this and before I tell it, I can’t make this stuff up. So, Ronnie left this morning around 6 am. I got up a little while later to go feed all the animals. I walk out into the shop and Jelly is there, no Peanut Butter. That’s how this started. I didn’t panic, I just thought he was running late for breakfast and would be there shortly. Jelly looked so lost. I didn’t see Earl either so I was wondering about him, he is usually at the shop door waiting for breakfast. I start the feeding process and Jeb, the horse is down. That’s when I should have turned around and went back to bed, but I didn’t. I fed the cows and the donkeys and the chickens. Jeb was still down. I go get a lead rope, but who am I kidding, I can’t pull him up. I did try though. As I am walking back to the shop, I see the dogs barking and looking up in the tree, there sits Peanut Butter. So now I have a cat up in a tree to deal with. I go back in the shop and get the pig feed. As I am getting the pig feed, Peanut Butter jumps in the window and announces he is home and then goes to the food bowl with Jelly. He was quite dramatic about his return. Im not sure how he got out of that tree but he did. I go to the pigs and feed them. I throw out some feed to the hens and baby chicks as I walk toward the pigs. Im calling my husband to see what to do about Jeb. As I am on the phone with my husband, I see Earl. He is crouched down and is injured, looks like he was attacked by something. He had some cuts and was limping, otherwise looked okay. He was not bleeding but he did not want to get up. I pick him up and put him in the shop to hang out for the day and feel better. I try once again to get Jeb up with no luck. I start to go in the house, I felt defeated and upset, but I had to go to work. As I look out in the pasture, I see the 4 donkeys and 3 goats over there at the water trough and then I look up and see chickens in the tree. There were literally chickens in the tree above them. At that point I knew it was time to go back to bed but I still needed to get to work. I was concerned about Jeb and Earl so I came home at lunch. Earl was in the same spot he was in when I left him but the other two cats were trying to get him moving. He looked at me like just leave me alone, so I did. He was in a cool spot so I knew he would be okay. I then go check on Jeb. He is down but in a totally different spot. He wouldn’t get up but I knew he could. A few hours later, my friend that works with me went by to check on Jeb and he was up and in the pasture. She even got to pet Noma a little!! As I went home this evening, I fed all of the animals again and they all seemed okay. Earl isn’t himself and acts like he doesn’t feel well but I did watch him eat, so that’s good. Whew, what a day. I think I’m glad that’s over. Tomorrow will be better. Having all of these animals can be tough for sure. 

It’s Happening

 It takes 21 days for chicken eggs to hatch. I did not know these hens had been laying on the eggs that long. I got home and Ronnie said, go look under the trailer. I went to look under the trailer. I had not seen Suzie Q in some time but knew her and Edith were laying on eggs. As I went out there, I kept a distance because, let’s face it, I’ve had some bad luck lately and really didn’t want to go to the doctor and tell him I had been attacked by some laying hens. Anyway. As I went out there, I’m pretty sure the eggs were hatching under Edith. I sat there a minute and saw 2 babies and by the time I stopped watch there were 5. By the sound of it, there are more but I didn’t get to see them. I went to check later and only one was out from underneath Edith. That one will be named Rowdy. He would get underneath Edith and then jump back out and do it again and again. I know some had not hatched yet because I could see the eggs but they moved again. It will be interesting to see how many hatch. I know there were 2 dozen eggs under there when I counted last. Good grief. What am I going to do with all of these chickens. I am excited to see them up and around. 

Tested

 Peanut Butter and Jelly were tested yesterday. This was not done on purpose. I left the door to the shop opened. Since day 1, they will not go out that door. They use the window in the back. I don’t know why they do that but they do. Anyway. I left the door opened and went on to feeding the other animals. As I started back, I realized I didn’t see George the rooster anymore and I just knew he was in the shop with those cats. I didn’t know if the cats would be hurt or if they would hurt the rooster. George is my favorite rooster by the way. As I slowly walked into the shop, Peanut Butter had not moved from his spot but was watching George. Jelly was in a spot that he didn’t even know what was going on and didn’t care. He had the breeze in his fave and was loving it. I ran George out. I guess these cats are going to be fine. We have a bunch of chickens here so I’m glad they left him alone. They passed the test none of us knew was coming. 

Worms

 Well, Waldo came down with some signs of having worms. He is not the easiest to catch, but he has been wormed and the entire pen has been cleaned out. It’s a hot one out today but Ronnie and I got it all cleaned out. Gave them new hay. The other two will be getting wormed also to make sure they are okay. Washing Waldo down wasn’t much fun either, but it got done. You never know what is going to come up, so you have to be ready for anything. 

Exciting News

 I have finally started the nonprofit paperwork, well, actually I have found someone to help me with the paperwork to get this up and running. I have been struggling to do it because I get overwhelmed when I look at all the stuff that needs to be done. Now it is being done!! I’m excited for this and for new things to come. I am hoping things come together well and quickly. Ronnie and I have been getting stuff together so we can have people out here to see the animals. I am hoping this will help others. I’m brainstorming with several people about how to make it a success. Stay tuned for more information. And if you want to know more, read The Wayward Pig and Other Farm Stories. It is on amazon. Book 2 is coming soon. Thank you for your support. 

Independence

 Peanut Butter and Jelly have decided to try independence. I wondered when that would happen. One night I went out right before it got dark and both cats were gone. As I have said before, they can get out at any time. They decided this was the time. Of course I hate that and was a nervous wreck. I’m like an overly protective mom with these animals. I know I can’t do that though. I looked out and saw Peanut Butter in some high weeds. I went over and gave him a little pat on the head and left him there. I learned my lesson with Jelly. I did not see Jelly but figured he was not far from Peanut Butter. I left them outside and went back in. I thought of them several times during the night and prayed for their safety and that they would come back. The next morning I woke up and went out to check on them. Peanut Butter was there, Jelly wasn’t. I was a little crushed but then Ronnie came in and said Jelly was there. He slid in after I had come into the house. Now, every evening they leave. They come back early in the morning to eat and stay in the shop all day. In the mornings now, they both greet me every morning at the door wanting food. I’m glad they are learning where they belong and they do come back when they go wander at night. 

More Thunderstorms

 The last thunderstorm we had didn’t last long but I learned a few things about these animals. I know animals are so smart. Watching them in action was even better. It was raining, thundering and lightning. I watched Earl get up under one of the vehicles. Peanut Butter and Jelly stayed in the shop. The goats and donkeys hurried to the barn. The baby goats, Ethel, and Wheezy went into their shelter. The cows were locked up due to Jeb not doing well that day so he was in the pen also. We locked the cows in to protect them, so they were dry. Cracker Jack and Noma went to their shelter. Jeb was locked in a pen, but went thunder hit, he was acting like he would run through the fence, so he was let out and went right to the shelter with Noma and Cracker Jack. The bigger chickens went into the shelter with the cows and the babies all took shelter under a vehicle. The dogs came into the house. The pigs cooled off with the rain, but then went into their shelter. These animals are smart. They know where to go.

Gardening

 Gardening was a flop at this house this year. I’m not really sure what happened except we had a lot of rain and we did not get the weeds out when we should have. These weeds with all this rain took over everything quickly. What the weeds didn’t ruin, the locusts did. It’s disappointing but we will be able to do better next year. I cannot tell you how fast things went south with the garden this year. Next year we may need to use raised beds. I’m still shocked about it. But, next year will be better. 

Allergies

 Allergies are happening here. We are all having difficulty. No one is sick, even the animals are struggling with allergies. Cracker Jack may be the worst and I’m not sure why. He is the only one that is struggling in the field. He is scratching himself raw on his ears and back. I feel for him. We are using fly spray. He wasn’t like this in Arkansas so I’m not sure what is bothering him so much. Jelly was also having some issues with his eyes for a day or two but he is better. Ronnie and I have had allergy issues also lately. I’m sure it will get better soon. I would have thought since it was the middle of summer we would be over it by now, but I guess not. 

Bonded

 When I decided to adopt Peanut Butter and Jelly, I knew they went to the shelter together and I did not want to separate them. It would be harder for them if they were separated. I just could not do that. Once they got here, I wondered how much they really were bonded. They didn’t seem to like each other so much. Peanut Butter was kind of a bully, still is a bit but not as bad. However, after time, it looks like he was trying to get Jelly to open up. Ronnie told me one morning he went into the shop and he saw Peanut Butter with his arm around Jelly. He said at that moment, he knew they were bonded. Now they do hang out more together and do seem like they needed each other. Jelly took longer to come around than Peanut Butter. I’m glad they are here together. They did need each other. 

New Places

 When you bring an animal home, especially a rescued or adopted one, these guys are nervous. They don’t know their new owners, they don’t understand what is happening or where they fit in. I’m sure it’s scary for them. Most of these animals here have taken about a week to realize they are going to be okay. It takes them a while to learn who you are and what the routine is. I mean, when our whole life changes, it’s overwhelming. It’s the same for animals. They have to learn and that takes time. They have to relearn where the food and water is. They have to learn when they eat. They have to relearn where they sleep. It can be overwhelming for them. So, when you adopt an animal, remember that they are relearn and they are trying. They aren’t sure what is happening to them or why. A lot of them have been given up or some even abandoned. They have to trust again. Trust takes time. Give them time before you give up. These animals will learn and they make the best pets. They know after a while that you love them and they will love you back. There are so many animals that need homes. Please think about adopting. Animals everywhere are in shelters that could not get a second chance unless someone gives them a chance. Give them a chance, you will be glad you did. 

Earl

 Oh Earl. He is such a sweet cat. He has accepted Peanut Butter and Jelly and things are going well. He has decided he does not want to stay in the shop throughout the day and probably most of the night. He has several places he likes to hang out. One of them is on my car, I’m not liking that, but it will be okay. He has also been on Ronnie’s truck lately. He does hang out in the shop some also. He will curl up under vehicles. I have seen him on the back porch while the dogs are inside. He follows me through the yard to go feed the pigs. The one thing he does do daily is eat with Peanut Butter and Jelly in the morning and at night. He does interact with them. I’m so happy Earl has some friends now. I know he misses Rona, but we all do. 

Mud Hole

 Back in Arkansas, the pigs had a different set up. They had the perfect spot under the trees to keep them from getting so much sun. Here, there are no trees for shade. We have 2 shelters to keep them from the sun. They also have a sun shade and we make sure they have plenty of water. I have ordered another sun shade to give them more shade. The biggest thing that has helped them is a big mud hole. They love that thing. They even have fresh water and they still drink out of the mud hole. They take turns in the mud and it helps them to not get sun burned and it helps them to stay cool since pigs have difficulty with regulating their body temps, especially in hot weather. These guys love the mud. They are doing well and the temps here have not been what they normally are from what I have heard. I’m grateful for that also. 

Traumatized

 After Jelly’s rough encounter with being terrified of the dogs and me getting injured, that poor guy has been traumatized. He was very stand offish after the encounter. He stayed hidden much of the time. He would only eat and drink when he thought I wasn’t watching him. It really did break my heart. He didn’t do anything wrong, he was scared and was doing what he could to get away. I was starting to be concerned about him. I didn’t want him to end up up not being okay. He definitely was not going outside the shop anymore. I really didn’t know what to do. However, after about 10 days, all of my checking on him and taking him food to him, he has finally started to break out of his shell. He is coming up to me for love and he is eating with Peanut Butter and Earl. He was traumatized, but he is going to over come it. Jelly is going to be fine. It makes me happy that he is going to be okay. 

Lonely Jeb

 Oh Jeb. I’m not sure if he had interaction with other horses or any other animals before he came here. He is a young stud colt, until we can get him fixed that is. He has been somewhat accident prone since getting here. That horse is something else. In the little time he has been here, he has latched on to Noma and Cracker Jack. Noma is his best friend. He does chase Cracker Jack occasionally and they horse around (pun intended). I don’t want that horse to be lonely ever again. I’m grateful he has found his place here and has bonded with two unlikely donkeys. Jeb protects them. They are fun to watch. You normally don’t see the three of them apart. 

Wheezy’s New Home

 Since Ethel has been injured, she is living with the goats. Those goats will welcome anyone into their home. It doesn’t bother them at all. Another chicken doesn’t take up much room. However, Ethel does not want Wheezy living there. To be fair, Wheezy was there first. The other thing is, Ethel cannot defend herself well at this time and she does need to heal. Wheezy decided to move in with the cows. The cows decided that was fine. The rest of the chickens live there also. The problem there is Wheezy is still young and the older chickens are slow to accept other chickens. Wheezy knows when and where to hide and when to go over to the goat’s home. Ethel has started to accept her, but it’s been a bit of an ordeal. Poor Wheezy. She seems fine though and gets attention with the goats and the cows. My goal here is so that all of these animals are happy, have food, water, shelter and love. That’s it. I know it will work out with time.