Fainting

We got some fainting goats a few months ago. I will be honest and say, I think it might be a little cruel to scare them enough to make them faint. Now, I know people like to make them faint. That’s kinda what the goat is known for. Well, ours won’t faint. Their muscles will seize up but they do not fall over. Enter Jonah. He is a friend of mine’s son. He is so good with all animals. The kid amazes me with them. He is one of the only people Noma will tolerate. I will never forget the first day he was at the house, I look over to see where he had gone and he was using one hand to let a cow and another hand to let a chicken. My chickens don’t like human contact but Jonah was able to do it without them fussing. So, they were at the house and his mom and I are talking and I look over and Cinderella had in fact, fainted. She fell into the food bowl and then out of the food bowl. I could not believe my eyes. He said, I was just going to let her which made me laugh. That kid is going to do great things in life.

Peek A Boo

Athena wants in the house so badly. She was standing on the deck playing peek a boo with the other cats who were going crazy. It was filing to watch them. I do believe she has made it into the house once but was run out by Persia. She is not accepting to new cats. The peek a boo game is new though. 

Stealing Hay

I went out to get some hay for the animals. Normally the cows and donkeys have their own hay bale. However, they had eaten all of their hay so when I went to give the other animals hay, they were stealing the hay right from my hands. I do wonder what they were thinking. I ended up giving them most of the hay and went back and got more for the other animals. 

Chasing Chickens

I went out early while it was still dark. I saw Yeller sitting there in the middle of a bunch of chickens. I thought that was odd, but I didn’t think much more about it. I stood and watched for a second and then I watched Yeller take off like a speed of lightning after a chicken. I guess they all go through that phase when they are younger. Athena went through it also. Luckily for the chicken, Yeller did not catch her this time. 

Castrations

The donkeys were scheduled for castrations and I was a nervous wreck. They did not get castrated though, the vet was sick. I do believe that everything happens for a reason and I may never know what that reason is, but for today, they did not get castrated. It will be rescheduled for a later time. I’m sure the donkeys are thanking me right now. 

In a Corner

I about for myself in a mess. The donkeys and goats were out of hay. I knew Ronnie was getting more. I fed them their feed and then walked over to get the horses their feed. I poured in Chief’s food and turned around and was cornered by the cows. They were not going to let me through. They wanted that feed also. I did finally get past them and Jeb got his feed but that was almost scary for a second. I did say almost and I meant that. They did get their hay bale after that. 

Carlos

Carlos is such a sweet boy. He is an amazing little goat. After all he has been through, he is still a sweet boy. He will still come up to me and let me love on him. He is just an amazing goat. He is proof that animals can come back from traumatic situations. For those of you that don’t know about Carlos, he was attacked by a Bobcat a few years ago and he lost an ear and half of the other one, he is scarred up from the attack. He has a beautiful attitude though and that makes him beautiful. 

Worried

I have been worried about the donkeys. They are supposed to get castrated soon and I know how hard it is on them and the vet. It makes me a nervous wreck to think about it after what happens with Red. I’m just going to try to stay calm and try not to worry about it. It’s so hard to do. 

Heart Noses

Have you ever really looked at an animal? Have you noticed markings on them?? I have noticed hearts lately on my animals. Mostly I have noticed their noses but they look like hearts. Even the pigs have noses that is an upside down heart. When one of the chickens was a small chick, she was covered in hearts. It just shows that animals are good for the heart. 

Not Feeling well

Ursula has not been feeling well the last day or so. She isn’t wanting to eat much and just wants to be cuddled. I soaked in the cuddles. She was feeling better the next day but I was a little worried about her. Her back is almost healed and her spay incision is looking good. I will keep her in the bathroom for a couple more weeks to make sure she is completely healed. 

Crazy cat lady

I came to the realization that I may have become the crazy cat lady. I walk outside and call for Peanut Butter and they all come and surround me. I picked Yeller up and Peanut Butter is trying to knock me over to get my attention. Yep, I have become the crazy cat lady. That cracks me up. I do have 9 cats and most of them are outside. They do love me and I love them. 

Jokes

I was telling some patients about my unfortunate issue with the cow and his horns and him getting me in the leg.  My leg was sore since I was bruised up. I was telling them about my evening since we all talk in the therapy gym. One of the guys in there said well, why are you standing in front of the cow any way? One of the other ladies in the gym laughed so hard she was crying. I just looked at the one that said that and my rebuttal was oh, you have jokes today huh?? It was a good time. 

Who Is That??

I kept hearing a donkey bray. The thing is, it sounded like Mattie. Mattie still sounds like a baby. However, when I heard it, I was looking at Mattie and it was not him. I figured out, the only other donkey I had never heard brag is Pete. I still have not witnessed him doing it, but it had to be him. 

Horns

Those cow horns hurt. Jasper gets a little excited about getting feed in the mornings and the afternoon. He likes to use those horns to get my attention. That does get my attention. It hurts when he gets me with a horn. I’m doing better with watching out for those horns now. 

Have A Good Day

As I was going to my car on another morning, I saw Jelly. He walked over to me and plopped down so I could let him. He then was walking away. He turned to look at me. I told him to have a good day and to stay safe. He then ran across the road at an alarming speed. As I passed where he crossed the road, I looked over and saw him watching me. It’s almost like he was telling me to have a good day also. I sure do love that cat. 

Scary Stares

I have some chickens that are so creepy. I know I have talked about them multiple times. They remind me of clowns and clowns are scary. I went to my car to go to work and they were sitting there staring at me. They just kept staring. I sent the picture I took to my sister and she said that’s what nightmares were made of and she is right. I have never seen a chicken look like that. I know they were hatched here so it may be some new breed that happened by accident here. All I know is I had 3 of them, now I have 4 and looks like maybe a couple more starting to look like that. 

Colder Morning

It was a colder morning around here, well, it has been colder more often here. I walked out to go to my car and look over and see Athena and Onyx cuddled up in the grass. It was so cute to see them like that. I know they have warmer places to go but they were cuddled up watching everything that was going on. 

So Sweet

The cats did something sweet. They never cease to amaze me. Ronnie had let the dogs in already. I had not seen Peanut Butter so I started yelling for Peanut Butter like I do every night and here he comes, running to me up the stairs onto the deck. I guess the other cats think when I call Peanut Butter, I’m calling for them also because here they all come up to the porch to get some petting. I had to laugh about it. 

Daisy and the door

 That Daisy is something else. She has learned when we open the back door, so can push open the screen door and run out. That’s exactly what she does these days. She runs out so fast. I’m not sure how she learned to push open the door but she did. Now she does it daily. 

Pig Pen Water Hose

Ronnie is always saying, make sure you know where the hose is before turning on the hose. Well, I didn’t listen. I turned on the hose and let it run before I went down there to check it. The hose was not where it should have been. I filled up another hole right in front of the gate. It was a mess. It did dry up quickly. I did some slipping and sliding that day. 

Update on Linda

I have been watching Linda closely since her incident. She seems to be doing fine. She is moving around well. She is eating and drinking well. She is hanging out with her friends. Her comb on her head is standing back up the way it is supposed to and her wounds on her back are clearing up. Looks like she is going to pull through. 

Oh Athena

Athena makes me so nervous out in the pasture with the donkeys and goats. It’s like she does not know she is in danger. Maybe she doesn’t know. My guess is she does know but doesn’t seem to let it bother her. She is out there all the time with the donkeys and goats. Good thing she is fast in case she gets into trouble. 

Chickens Are Brutal

Suzie Q is one brutal hen. I put out food for Suzie Q and Edith. I watched Copper come over and stick her head in the coop and into the food bowl. I then watched Suzie Q peck Copper right on the head. Copper decided she should leave and that’s what she did. Suzie Q was not going to let someone else eat her food. 

Curious

We have a hay barn now. We have always had it but it was on its top. We finally had someone come over and put it back over and move it. We are using it for hay. I caught Mattie sticking his head in there trying to get some hay to eat. He was curious on how to get to the hay. He never did get that figured out. 

Peaceful

I came home to feed one evening and I look over and Jasper is laying on the ground. He looked so peaceful laying there. When I looked a second time, Alex was laying next to Jasper and he looked just a peaceful. I love that they find peace here at their home. 

All I Hear

I was laying in bed reading and all I could hear was chickens outside my window. Those are the loudest little things. The young roosters are learning to crow and it cracks me up. The older ones crow all day long. The hens cackle most of the day. It’s something to hear. 

Learning to Play

Ursula is finally learning how to play. Bless her little heart. She has not been able to be a kitten and she is just learning how to be a kitten. She cannot be too old so I’m glad she is able to be a kitten right now. I’m glad Kenzie thought about toys for her. She deserves them. I like watching her play. 

Making Herself at Home

Ursula is making herself at home. I’m afraid she is going to get too used to the house by the time she is healed up. She seems to feel like the bathroom is her safe spot. When she is uncomfortable, that’s where she goes. When I’m reading a book or something, she jumps up on the bed and snuggles in close. She is the sweetest little thing. 

Just a Cat in a Tree

I watched Onyx run up a tree and just hang out on a limb in the tree. She was running from the dogs and went up there. It last about ten minutes and she ran back down. I never know what I’m going to witness around here. 

Gloria

Oh that Gloria. I know chickens are not too smart but Gloria is a smart one. She hides during the day so no one can kick her out of the shop. Once the sun starts to set, she gets up on the shelf and hangs out. I do believe she has kicked out the other chickens except for Annabeth and her chick. She does have a habit of kicking out all the other chickens so she can stay in the shop for the winter alone. 

Figured It Out

I have figured out what Athena is doing with that tree in the mornings. I was out one evening and she was there sitting under that tree again and she was trying to catch butterflies. The butterflies were all over the tree. It was something to see. She did not catch any that I could see. 

Visitors

Kenzie and Sebastian came to stay with us again. I love when they are here. Kenzie helps out so much around here. Sebastian loves the farm and the animals. That kid was chasing chickens, petting on cats, hanging out in the barn. All little kids should experience the farm life. He was even able to play in the sprinklers while he was here. He has so much fun and it brings my heart joy to watch him around here. I’m grateful Kenzie likes to come and hang out of the farm also. 

Incident

I was out feeding and Ronnie starts yelling that he needs my help. That only means one thing, something was wrong. He points me to a small opening between the buildings. As I went around to the back of that where there is a bigger opening and I see two chickens. One chicken was stuck and the other one was keeping the stuck one safe and protecting her. It’s sweet that Linda had a friend keeping her company and keeping her calm. Ronnie pulls the tractor over to move the building enough to get her out. He finally moved it enough and I was able to get her up. I do not know how long that poor girl was stuck in there but she did have difficulty walking. She hid out for a while so the other chickens wouldn’t pick on her. I feel so bad when stuff like that happens. Ronnie did move the building back so there was no room for that to happen again. We should be more like these chickens, one was in trouble and one stayed to make sure she was going to be okay. Wouldn’t life be easier if we had those people to lean on during the hard times?? 

Athena and Pepper

Athena and Pepper I have talked about before, but I want to talk about it again. Pepper is a sweet dog, but she isn’t big on too many other animals. She usually tolerates Maggie, Bubba, and Persia and that has been about it. Athena loves Pepper for some reason. Athena does not like people too much, but she loves Pepper. Athena waits for Pepper on the steps. She is so cute with Pepper. She rubs up against her and follows her around. I’m happy Pepper tolerates her like she does. 

Funny Sight

I went out to my car one morning to go to work. I look up and see four chickens on top of the hay bale in the front yard. I was cracking up. I mean, what are they doing up there? Who knows. They might have been hunting something to eat but they were too busy fighting to be hunting too much. They are young and figuring stuff out. They do make me laugh. 

Might Have Spoken too Soon

I might have spoken too soon on Ursula. She is feeling better and she is bored in the bathroom. I have brought her some toys but she isn’t interested. She has been taking the towels off the rack and she has been tearing up the toilet paper rolls. She is bored. I have started letting her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom some. She will run back and forth until she gets tired and then she goes back to her bed. I’m glad she is getting her energy back. 

Hercules and Athena

Hercules and Athena had a staring contest the other day. I was laughing too hard to figure out who won. They were almost eye to eye. Luckily for Athena, Hercules does not mind having cats around. The donkeys were way off in the pasture so she did not have to worry about them. It was funny watching the two of them. I wonder what they were thinking. Neither of them looked scared of the other one, so that’s good. 

Home Earlier

Jelly has been coming home earlier in the evenings. I’m sure it has to do with the weather changing and it’s getting darker earlier. He is coming home while I’m feeding the animals. He will follow me around the pastures while I am feeding. I am glad he is getting home earlier, so I can spend some time with him. 

Bubba

Bubba has been slowing down the last few months. He is losing weight but he is still eating and he is still running around the house at times. The one thing that is a noticeable difference in Bubba is he is obsessed with Ronnie. He was never like that before. If Ronnie is sitting, Bubba wants to be near him. If Ronnie is standing, Bubba wants to be near him. It’s almost comical. I’m soaking it all in because I know one day, Bubba won’t be here anymore. He is getting older and he does have some medical problems. 

Scary Similarities

I met a cat that looked almost identical to Yeller. If he had been younger and had short hair, they would have been identical. The similarities were scary. Me and the lady with the cat had a laugh over how similar they looked. You don’t see that often with cats. 

Jelly is teaching bad habits

Jelly is trying to teach Athena and Onyx bad habits. I do not really mean that but those two want to follow him. He runs across the street during the day and I really do not want them to follow him. I have no idea how to get him out of that habit. I want them all to find a place here on this side of the street where it is safe but Jelly and Peanut Butter both run off during the day. I keep hoping the other cats will stay here. So far they have. But it’s getting close to them following. 

Ursula Feeling Better

Ursula is feeling better. That makes me so happy. I’m glad she is doing so well. The burn on her back is smaller and should be completely healed soon. She still has stitches from her spay and those won’t dissolve for a couple more weeks. She is such a good cat. She is eating well and has more energy now. 

Onyx and the Water

Onyx was funny watching the water from the hole in the hose. He stopped and stared for what seemed like an hour but was probably just a few minutes. It was like he was mesmerized by the water. I do not know what he found so interesting about it but it was something. 

Bill is Feeling Better

Bill is feeling better. He is running around like there was never anything wrong with him. I’m glad he is better. I do not like when any of the animals are sick. I’m sure it has to do with the weather changing like it has been. It’s cooler at night and in the mornings and then hot in the afternoon. He is better and that’s what matters.