Sights from around Crooked Acres.
Last week, it stormed. A bolt of lightning hit close enough to the house to fry the underground fence around the back yard (the little box inside the house that runs the fence, I mean to say – the wire itself was fine). Fred didn’t realize ’til the weekend that it also spot-welded the hook that holds the gate to the chickens’ maternity yard closed.
Happy pups.
The ducks are getting bigger every day.
They always stick together.
“Guys, come back over here! Bob found a bug!”
They seem to prefer this smaller container over the kids’ pool. I hope they like their pond, whenever the guy gets it dug.
“Who, me? Slacking under the chicken coop? Why, no. I’d never!”
“Yes he would!”
Side eyes.
Scratching an itch.
“Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!”
“Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!”
“Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!”
“::puff::puff::puff::gasp::pant:: Someone said there were COOKIES over here?!”
“I would totally get out of this wallow if you gave me a cookie. ::sideeyes::”
Mama hen and her babies.
These are the chicks who were born last week. We had another six hatch yesterday. And the Silkie is sitting on seven eggs. ::sigh::
Almost as much as tomatoes, chickens love watermelon.
That white one there in the middle is all “MINE, ALL MINE.”
“Hey! Y’all get away from my watermelon!”
This gangly teenage rooster grabbed a chunk and ran off with it so he could eat in peace. That’s the smart move!
I just put this poster up in the foster room. I think it’s really neat – I saw one in a vet’s office, and had to get one for myself. I’d kind of like to get a feline internal organs chart to go along with it, but I’m not having any luck finding one.
The walls are getting crowded in there. Over the door to the closet is Fat Cat Capsizing. To the left of that is the Guide to House Cat Coat Color and Patterns, and to the left of that is the picture Katherine gave me several months ago, which I like more every time I look at it.
On the other side, the skeletal poster, a “Keep Cats and Kitty On” print, and a shelf that holds the phone and laser toy. Oh, and though you can’t see it, a gorgeous cross-stitched kitten picture my grandmother cross-stitched for my daughter and which I borrowed for the foster room (she’ll get it back some day!)
I try, at least one dinner a week, to serve nothing but food we grew at Crooked Acres. Sunday, we had pork chops, okra, and butternut squash fries.
And then Monday, pork chops (left over from the night before), roasted acorn squash (the last of the THREE we ended up getting), and tomatoes and mozzarella.
But don’t be too impressed – Tuesday and Wednesday, we had shrimp that we definitely did NOT grow here (but it was oh so good!)
One minute he’s sitting there minding his own business…
And the next!
He’s getting his butt kicked!
By his very own little sister!
Soundly kicked!
I guess she’s not frail and fragile any more, to say the least!
And then they nap.
I’m truly not quite sure how she gets up there. I’m assuming she jumps up? Climbs up? Who knows. Maybe she’s Super Patty and she leaps up there in a single bound!
Never! Give! Up!
“Not sure how I got up here, and not sure how I’m gonna get down.”
I love Everett’s orange eyes.
Sally Peppers is not impressed.
Goofy Lucy Peppers.
Newt, trying to blend in with the leaves.
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Previously
2010: The Many Moods of Martin.
2009: (I suspect they didn’t get the memo that there’s nothing cuter and LESS threatening than a hissing kitten.)
2008: My little peanut is sitting in a cage by herself!
2007: No entry.
2006: She’s so cute it hurts, she really is.
2005: Awww, it’s baby Sugarbutt and baby Tommy (and their brother and sister)!
Frick’n love Patty Peppers! You go girl!!! 🙂
P.S. I’ve been voting for Gracie daily!
Also…..Molly Peppers is just so lovely! Want…WAnt…WANT!!! Loves how she sits up with her little paws out like that! Wanna kiss that belly!
Now I know where the saying comes from! Ducks of a feather…. I am so slow, lol. I want chickens, but I am afraid the cats would eat them! Or coyotes. Ducks are great too, but I am afraid they would float down the creek and not come back! As always, your pics are great!
Hey, I didn’t realize that’s where it came from either ’til I saw the way they stick so closely together. I guess there’s a reason for the saying. 🙂
When we first had chickens, we would let them out of their little yard (which was then in a corner of the back yard) into the back yard, and the cats were freaked out at first, but then ignored them. We did, later, lose a couple of chicks to Maxi (evil thing), but once the chickens are grown, they’re about the size (if not the weight) of cats, and they can defend themselves pretty nicely.
I need to dig out some of the pictures of cats and chickens from back then. Maybe that’ll be next week’s post! 🙂
Such wonderful pictures today! loveing the chicks and Patty Peppers is just too adorable for words 🙂
Wish I could vote for gracie, I would do it every day too but cant register outside US/Canada.
Well done for the local food initiative! have you heard of the 5 mile rule?
I’ve heard of the 100 mile rule, but not the 5 mile rule! 🙂
That wicker cat bed thing is so.cool. Where did you find that?
I love it when little kittens sleep on big surfaces like that.
A friend gave it to me about a year ago (her cat wouldn’t use it). Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find it anywhere online – she said she thinks she got it at Costco several years ago.
They have very similar ones at PetSmart! 🙂
Is wee but powerful Patty getting more relaxed around you and Fred? I, too, am a charter member of the Molly Peppers fan club. Alas, my grown kitties are not. Love Newt in camo soldier-of-fortune mode, and of course am impressed by your single-minded interior decorating!
I can’t vote for Gracie cos I’m in the UK – I’ve tried to register and can’t get past the Canada or US or zip code bit! 🙁 SORRY!!!
Go Gracie!!! And gorgeous George too!!
Hugs to all your most wonderful animals!!! Glad you’re all ok after the storms!!
Big wave to the Peppers Gang and Newt too! Take care
x
running pigs.. that has got to be the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while.
I have kittens sleep on top of cubes quite often. They get annoyed when they get too big to do it and it collapses. Mostly they climb up there.
Our mommy got our wicker cat cave/bed at PetSmart. We love it!
Such a beautiful variety of chickens!
Lightning strike close to the house — well, that can be scary enough. Did your cats actually notice that the electric fence was out?
robyn, do you think cats at petsmart or cats at the shelter need our help more?
J, do you mean the shelter as in Challenger’s House or the shelter as in your local shelter? And do you mean help as in adoption or as in financial help/ donations? Sorry to be a pain, but I want to make sure I understand the question. 🙂
I mean any local animal shelter and help as in adoptions. We may want to adopt another cat and i see them at petsmart but do the cats at the shelter, since they aren’t out in public, really the ones who would need help?
I think the cats who need you the most would be the ones at your local kill shelter if you have any in your area. The cats at Petsmart generally come from no-kill shelters (at least around here, they do and I think that holds true across the country) and if they aren’t adopted, they still have homes until they are adopted, whether that’s at a foster home or at the shelter itself. Cats in kill shelters – especially this time of year – are on a schedule, and if they aren’t adopted, they’re euthanized.
Other than that, probably the cats who are at the shelter (at least for Challenger’s House, I can’t speak definitely for other shelters) are the ones who have gone unadopted for a long time and maybe don’t “show” as well – the scaredy cats and the older cats. Still very adoptable and great cats, but of course the kittens and the “pretty” cats are adopted more quickly, so the ones that end up with the shelter for a longer period of time tend to be overlooked even though they are great cats.
Let me know if any of that doesn’t make sense; I need a nap, and I’m not sure how clear any of that is. 🙂
That poster is so familiar to me, but with negative associations–the only place I’ve seen it is at our local emergency vet, where I’ve spent many worried hours over the years! :O
That’s exactly where I saw it, at the vet where we only go when there’s a problem on the weekend (most of the vets around here aren’t open on Saturday). Only been there twice, and both times I was like “::worry::worry::worry:: Oh, that’s a neat poster! ::worry::worry::worry!”
My vet has the same poster in one (or more) of the exam rooms (they also have the dog one, which is equally cool). I also find their poster depicting proper body shape for cats and dogs fascinating, but troubling since from above my cats appear to be in optimal shape, but from the side, not so much. Hmmm.
I hate that poster! I always think “Who are you calling fat? She’s fine! Just big-boned!”
Patty Pepper packs a punch! (Say that 5 times fast!) 🙂
where’s newt? what? newt? Man, he’s the king of camouflage…
ha-ha-ha Patty Peppers is a cutie and don’t you love it when they sleep on top of the kitty cube? Aww…
and the ‘ohmygod ohmygod’ piggy shots sure are funny! but no cookie after all that running? N-aawww…
Did the special collar wearers realise the fence was down? mass breakout? look out Alabama!
I didn’t know you had a daughter!! How many children do you have?! Do tell!
I will answer this in Monday’s post, Catherine! 🙂
Hooray!!!!