The Barn

The donkeys and goats on the other side of the pasture have decided it is a good idea to go into their barn at night. I like to see them in there when the sun goes down. They usually walk over there when the sun is setting and they stay there until the morning. It warms my heart that they know they have a home. 

Thankful for Shelters

I had not witnessed Mattie and Noma hanging out in the shelter, but tonight I saw them. It was bitterly cold outside and I saw them laying down under the shelter. I am so thankful we got that shelter built before the cold weather hit. The cows act like it’s no big deal but I am glad Mattie and Noma have somewhere to stay out of the wind. 

Created a Monster

I have created a monster but I am so happy I did. Sunny now will get on my shoulder and will not get down. She is so funny. It took me a long time to get her to settle down and back on her roosting spot tonight. I had to laugh about it. I am happy she has decided to love me back. I officially have a chicken friend. 

Happy To Be Home

Yeller is happy to be home. He was excited to get out of that crate and hang out with his friends. They all seemed excited to see him home also. He has been running around the property with the other cats since he got home. He ate a little and drank some water. I will keep an eye on him but he is so happy to be home. 

Picked Up Yeller

I went to pick up Yeller. I was so happy to go get him. When I got there, he looked so depressed. When she saw me, he started crying out. The crate smelled so bad. I was a little distraught. I got him in the car and he cried for part of the drive and then he slept the rest of the time. He just looked so sad. When we got home, I could not even take the crate inside it smelled so bad. I got him out of it and then pulled out the blankets I had put in there for him to be more comfortable. I have to say, I was pretty upset, the blanket was saturated with urine and Yeller smelled so badly. I’m not happy about that but nothing I can do about it. It was too cold outside for me to try to hose him off. I know the vet office is super busy so I’m not going to make a fuss. That has not happened before, so I will let it go. I am glad he is home. 

Blessing in Disguise

I had decided Yeller having to stay at the vet overnight might have been a blessing in disguise. It got down in the 20s that night and he probably would not have appreciated being out in the cold right after surgery, so he got to stay inside at the vet office overnight after surgery. I’m sure he was mad, but maybe it was for the best. 

An Experience

As I was driving to work, I saw a turkey, or was it a goose, or a duck flying over. As I continued to drive there were about five of them flying over my vehicle. It was an incredible sight. I was driving, so I did not get a picture but the experience was unreal. 

Interesting

I looked outside this morning and saw Leroy standing on top of Porky. I laughed so hard. For some reason, that rooster can stand on top of the goats and Cracker Jack. He is the only rooster that is able to do that. He is such a docile creature and the other animals seem to know that. Most roosters are not that easy going, but Leroy is. 

Making Friends

Sunny is making some chicken friends. There are only two chickens who do not pick on her. They don’t pick on her since they are picked on also. They were hatched a few months before Sunny and they were left by their mom too soon but they have survived. I am glad she is making friends. She still roosts by herself in the goat pen but she is surviving and she is doing well. 

Learning A Trick

I have been working so hard at being friends with Sunny. I have made it. We learned a trick. She was able to step up on my hand and was able to balance there. It made my day. She did not try to peck me and seemed to be okay with me petting her and holding her. I was so happy. Sunny is a sweet chicken. 

Another Surgery this month

The time came to take Yeller in to get neutered. He was old enough and it needed to be done. I had such a hard time taking him in. I have no idea where Yeller came from or how he got here but he has not left our property since he got here. He had never been in a crate. He had not been in a car to my knowledge. The fear in his eyes made me so sad. He cried and cried on the way there. When I called to see if Yeller was ready to be picked up, they had not done the surgery yet which stresses me out more. I’m sure he was fine but I was sure stressed. 

No Personal Space

Ursula knows no personal space. She wants to be on me or next to me. As long as she is in close to proximity, she is fine. However, it has to be on her terms. She does not want me cuddling her if she is sitting on the opposite side of the room. She has to walk toward me. It is really a funny relationship with this crazy cat. 

Trails

As Ronnie and I were walking through the field. I was looking at the trails in the ground. I didn’t remember them being there when we moved here. I asked Ronnie if he remembered them being there and he said no. I find it interesting the animals have gone in the same areas for so long they have worn the grass down enough it os now a trail in the ground which they continue to use daily. These animals are pretty smart. 

Follow the Leader

When we found the donkeys while walking out in the pasture, once they saw us, they decided to follow me. They are hilarious. They don’t scare me and they were walking right behind me. They love me as much as I love them. They know to follow the leader and they did. I laugh as I say that. I may not be the leader, but they see me as a leader. I sure do love them. 

I Did It!!

I think I may have done it. I think Sunny has decided I am okay and we can be friends. She has stopped squawking at me and she has stopped trying to get away from me. It makes me happy since she has decided to like me. I have worked hard to gain her trust and it looks like it has paid off. 

Where Are They?

I could not see the donkeys while I was out feeding. I did not see them last night either. Ronnie said he had seen them this morning so I was not extremely concerned. Ronnie decided we needed to go look for them, so we walked the pasture. We didn’t see them until we got to the last few acres. They looked up when we got close like what are y’all doing?? All four of them were fine and they followed us all the way back to the barn. At least they were fine. 

Carlos

When I went to feed, I saw Hercules and Lucky. I did not see Carlos. I walked around a bit to see if he was around and I missed him somehow. Nope, I did not see him. I wondered where he was. I actually did not see any of the donkeys either. I did not freak out which is a plus. If I did not see Carlos by the time I finished feeding, I was going to go look for him, or have Ronnie look for him. As I was walking toward the pigs I saw Carlos running toward the fence. He was fine. He normally does not get too far from the other two goats. 

Knows No Danger

Athena knows no danger around here. She runs all over the pasture. She hangs out in the different barns knowing the donkeys don’t tolerate cats. She makes herself at home regardless. She does not let them bother her. She does what she wants to. So far she has been fine. Maybe the donkeys will get used to her and decide she isn’t worth trying to catch. I’m hoping that’s the case. 

Tinkerbelle

Tinkerbelle is in heat. We only have one goat who is intact. He is on the other side of the property. She can smell him though. She has been hollering out to him. She walks out of the gate when I go in to feed her every day. She went out and had to say hello to the other goats which she normally does not do. I had to pick her up and put her back into her pen this time. Oh the joy. 

More Cuddles

As Sunny was roosting in the goat pen, I went in to cuddle with her. I was able to cuddle with her for a few minutes. I think she has decided I’m okay because when I tried to put her down, she wanted to stay on my hand. I let her for a little while and then put her back on her roost. She is a sweet little thing. 

Sunny

I watched Sunny trying to get food amongst all the other chickens. It did not work out too well for her. Several of the chickens ran her off from the food. I hate that but I know it happens. I saw her go into the shop. I fed her in there. I at least knew she got food that way. I had secretly hoped she would stay in the shop overnight so she could be warmer, but she didn’t. I want to protect her until the other chickens accept her. She has to learn on her own though. 

A Present

I was going through all the Christmas presents I had bought to see what I still needed to buy. Luckily I figured out I was almost finished. I had Christmas presents all over the bed. I was putting them in a different place and I came back into the room and I see Ursula in a bag. She put herself there. I guess she is hoping to be a present to someone this Christmas. What she doesn’t realize is she is a gift to me every day. 

Gebos Calendar

I had submitted some photos to Gebos for their yearly calendar. They chose one of my photos but I wasn’t sure which one they had chosen. I had hopes it was one certain photo. Ronnie got up early on Black Friday to get to Gebos to get a calendar for me. They did not choose the photo I was hoping they would, but I still made it into the calendar. I am happy about that and the photo is a good one. 

Horse Bale

It’s been colder and there is not much to graze on for the horses. We moved a hay bale out there. Those horses are so happy. They are eating that hay bale like there is no tomorrow. Seeing them so happy makes me happy. I am glad the hay bale prices are going down. We have been stocking up for the winter. 

Why Won’t They Move??

I will call them the fence chickens. I have no idea why that chose that spot but they are committed to it. There are so many other places they could roost that would be warmer and more protected. It was pouring down rain and those chickens continued to roost on the fence. If they moved under the carport, that would even be better. I wish they would move. They are going to end up with pneumonia or something. It stresses me out. Why won’t they move to a different spot?? 

Pears

I brought some pears home. I let the goats and the donkeys eat the pears. They loved them. It does crack me up to try to feed them to the goats. Goats do not have top teeth so it’s hard to bite into them. Well, Carlos was sure able to. I find out new things about these animals every day. 

What Now?

Something is always going on around here. If someone would put a camera out here, we would have a number one show. It’s always crazy. I went out to see the animals. I see Pete coming toward me. He still had the halter on, however, the halter is now stuck in his mouth. Maybe not stuck, but he could not get it out. I did not know if he could eat with it like that. I go over and loosen the halter and the he runs off. It turns into this big thing. Ronnie and I ended up having to get them all into the barn and lock the gate. Ronnie tries to rope Pete, well, Pete is too smart for that. He ran right through the rope. This went on for what felt like a long time. It had started misting and it was cold. I finally have to crawl over the gate and come around. I was feeding treats. Pete was too smart. He wouldn’t come near me. I start to crawl back over the gate but Pete and Ned were right there. Ronnie was in a position to where he had them to where they couldn’t get past him. I started petting Pete to calm him down. I finally got him calm enough to tuen toward me and I was able to get the halter off. He looked at me like is that all you wanted. It was funny. We got the hater off though. That’s what was important. 

Seriously Onyx

Onyx has taken some lessons from Athena. I’m in the pig pen and out of the corner of my eye, I see Onyx, in the pig pen. I think she had followed me down there and then she was hiding. I did run her out of there before the pigs saw her. I’m not sure what the pigs would do if they did see a cat in there. They may all be friends and I don’t know it. Regardless, I ran that cat right out of there. 

Harder to get around

It has been raining here. I’m grateful for the rain. It is harder on Noma to get around in the mud. I feel so bad for her. It is time for another foot trim. I have been in contact with the farrier but he is behind since he had broken his arm. I am waiting on him to get us back on the schedule. I hate that Noma is having such a rough time. Hopefully she will get trimmed soon and the mud will dry up. 

Free

Jelly is a free cat. He roams all over the place. We never know where he will turn up. He makes me crazy with his roaming. He is definitely free. I have lost 3 cats who were free and did not make it home. I don’t want that to happen to Jelly. I want to keep him safe, but he doesn’t want to be confined. He wants to stay a free cat. I can’t say I blame him but it makes me concerned about his safety. 

Enjoying the Petting??

I’m still working on getting Sunny to be my friend. She still tries to peck me when I try to start petting her. Once I start petting her she starts to relax and she is okay. She has started to act like she might enjoy being petted. She is Working on it. I’m winning on this friend thing right now. 

Hidden Chicken

We have a chicken here who is so tiny. She isn’t growing as fast I would think she would. She is tiny compared to the other chickens. She is good at staying hidden so she is not picked on as much. I noticed her in the barn the other night and the other chickens are helping her stay hidden even when she is on the roost. I find that interesting. They are all keeping her protected. 

Leading

An interesting thing has been going on around here. Pete had a halter on. We were working on leasing him. Well, the other donkeys decided to take that into their own hands, or mouths. They had been taking Pete’s halter into their mouth and leading him. I watched Ned grab Pete’s halter and lead him into the barn when the sun was going down. I could not believe my eyes. These animals are amazing. 

Spoiled Mattie

Mattie is such a spoiled brat. I know I made him that way and it’s my fault. I sure do love that little guy. He knows how to get what he wants. If I’m petting someone else. He knows how to get my attention. He wants all the attention. I do give him lots of attention but he wants it all. It does make me laugh I need to get a handle on it. 

Love Me Again

The donkeys officially love me again. They are coming up to the fence wanting to be petted. They are walking up to me when I’m in the pasture. I’m guessing they are feeling better and aren’t mad anymore. I was worried about Pete the most, but he has even been coming toward me. I really thought I was back to square one with him, but thankfully I’m not. I’m so glad the donkeys love me again. 

Gorgeous Sunsets

The thing around here that makes a bad day feel better, besides the animals, are the gorgeous sunsets here. They are so beautiful here. I have to stop and watch them. I love to see them. I cannot put into words a description that would do them justice. I usually watch them this time of year until the sun is completely down. I appreciate each on of them. 

Queen Athena

Athena is queen of this place. She is watching over everything that goes on at the farm. She will go from pasture to pasture am she will check on everything and everyone. You never know where she will turn up. She is literally all over the place. It is so interesting to watch her. 

Noma’s Hugs

Noma is getting better at this big thing. She will only let me hug her and let on her when I have a feed bowl with me. It doesn’t matter to me though. I am so happy she is letting me get that close to her. She is trying to be more friendly. She is starting to understand she is okay here. 

Cat Food Funny

I remembered a funny story. When we were on vacation Kenzie and Sebastian stayed at the house. I went to feed the cats since I thought they were out of food. I looked in the automatic feeder and I saw a measuring cup. I laughed so hard. I figured Sebastian put the measuring cup in the food bowl. 

Hasn’t Mastered Claws

Ursula has learned to use her claws. She is funny about it. She hasn’t mastered getting her claws out of what she is digging into. She tries so hard but she can’t do it yet. I know she will learn but she hasn’t yet. It hurts when she gets my socks or something. 

The Debate is Over

The debate is finally over. Sunny is a hen. I was so nervous that chick was going to be a rooster. She was up on the roost and she started clucking like a hen. All I felt was relief. The last few weeks, I had really thought she was a hen with the way she was acting and walking. I’m so happy she is a hen. 

The Calm

The donkeys used to be aggressive in their playing. They would fight. All of them had bite marks all over them from their playing and fighting. They used to be so brutal to each other. After the castrations, the pasture is calm. It is calm with all of them together. It’s amazing to see the difference and I am so grateful it is finally done. 

She Will Learn

I’m trying hard to get Sunny to love me. I have decided she will learn to love me. If I continue to love on her every day, she will learn that I am not a threat. She is still nervous when I come around but she does relax after a few minutes of me petting her. It will work out. She is a sweet chicken and is learning her way in the world. 

Climbing

Athena is the climbing queen. I have seen her on top of the different barns, up in the trees, up on top of the pig pen, on top of the wooden structures. She literally can climb fencing. She is amazing. I don’t want her to fall but she seems to do well and doesn’t act like she is going to fall. Athena definitely is a skilled climber and she is teaching the other cats to climb also. 

Makes Me Laugh

Cracker Jack has always been good with most other animals. He is sweet and caring to those other animals. Recently he has started carrying chickens on his bad. It is the funniest thing. He does not mind them being there at all. He walks around with them on his back while they try to hang on. Sometimes the chickens are able to hang on but other times they can’t. It’s something to see. 

Rojo Look Alike

I came home from work one day and the young rooster who looked like Rojo was found deceased. I hate this part of the farm life. I do okay when it was natural causes but this was a tragic accident. A fence had fallen on him and it looked like he couldn’t get out from underneath it and was trampled. Oh it was awful. It makes me so sad when those things happen. I know things happen but it doesn’t make it easier. 

Find A New Spot

I have several chickens who hang out on the metal fence. They are not roosting in a covered area. Most of the time it is not a big deal but the weather is getting cold and it stresses me out. I do not want them to get sick. There is plenty of room in the barn. For some reason they won’t roost over there. In the barn is fencing they could roost with a cover over them. I feel like that would be warmer and safer since the donkeys are in there also. Why can’t they find a new spot? It’s making me crazy.