Tuesday, January 27, 2015

A few more pics from the barnyard!

Here are some more pics taken about a week ago in and around the barnyard.

I LOVE this one! And yes, the cats got up on the posts themselves!


Buttercup, Pip, Daisy, Gordon and Honey. :)



Gordon was a popular guy in the chicken run. That's our oldest chicken Charlotte at the front.


She turns six this summer and is looking amazing!


But she's not as old as...


...this guy! Lenny the 27-year-old rescue Mallard. 



Honey is the prettiest little cat!


Pip doesn't know what to think of Buttercup's acrobatics.


Pip is a gorgeous tabby girl. She has amazing bat ears!


Not just a real beauty, but an excellent mouser!



I'm no sure if that's Honey or Emerson behind her!



Meanwhile, there's a meeting of the Ornj Cat Society on the palette!



The meeting broke up early. I think someone heard a rodent!


That's Emerson, hunkered down in the snow.


Lovely Honey having a bath.


And the Cat Man of Apple Hill!






Buttercup.


Daisy (with Buttercup in the background)


Testosterone without a name. We have a few new roosters that hatched out this summer after Speedy hid a nest in the barn. Sigh. Actually, Testosterone sounds like a pretty good rooster name!


And one of our original three roosters, the magnificent Beaker. He turns five this year!


Honey wanted to give Gordon a hand (a paw?) with bucket scrubbing.


More of Speedy's offspring. Hen on the left, roo no the right. I'm pretty sure Errol Flynn the Barred rock is their daddy!!



And we're still getting quite a lot of eggs through the winter...


The quails are laying well too!


Oh yeah, remember the "barn cat", Honey?


Yeah, that's her. She wore me down and now is allowed in the house during the day. Eventually she seems to miss her sisters and I take her back to the barn! She gets along with everybody, but particularly with Emerson. They are often running around together outside.

My whole "I only have indoor cats" thing fell to pieces this past summer after the rat explosion in the barn. I have to say, the barn cats are doing an amazing job. In one week, they did in at least three rats, and I never see a rat running around anymore (I presume the cats are nailing them when they venture out at night!) The cats are doing a much better job than traps, and are far safer and environmentally than  rat poison. Julius, Alex, Naomi, Louise and Emily are still indoor cats. Emerson spends most of the day outside and comes in at suppertime. The barn cats are all locked in the barn at suppertime, in hopes of keeping them safe from predators. Fingers crossed things continue to work well, as they have been, and no one gets the urge to wander!

It has been awfully cold this January and as much as I love winter, I am getting a little tired of bitterly cold windchills. When we woke up the other day, the actual temperature was -32C. We always get some days like that in January, but it feels like it has been colder than usual than this year. I would just like it to warm up a little bit so that doing barn chores is a bit less painful! :) 

17 comments:

  1. What a troop of performers! I'm sure you could get some movie contracts with these guys.

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  2. Hi Natalie - I really love these photos. Wow! Pip looks so well and happy. Is she still fighting a bit with the others? I noticed a scratch on Honey's nose. It could be her age and hopefully she will grow out of that. It has been miserably cold but at least we aren't getting too much snow but lots of sun-shine. That makes it all the more tolerable. I'm looking forward to Spring, too, though. There's so much to do outside and I just want to get at it. Let's hope for a nice Feb. Stay warm and hug the kitties. Deb

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  3. Love your pics! Especially the cats on the posts! And I can't believe that Emerson likes the snow. One of our cats ventured out in snow here years ago (before we had all inside cats) and dipped his paw in once and came back inside. And I love chickens! Please keep posting more chicken pics (not that I don't love seeing all your critters). My daughter has some chickens over in the hill country around San Antonio. My favorite are the Frizzles.

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  4. Anonymous10:53 pm

    Wow! You have your own Cats du Soleil acrobatic troop!

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  5. You didn't mention Redford, but I'm sure that was an oversight. I just love seeing all of your critters! Loving all those barn cats.

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  6. Well, well, well you are a little sucker, Nat. Sue and I had bet running's, how much longer it will take for the cats to wear you down. Love all the pics and I still miss pics of the piglets.

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  7. GORGEOUS!! (and you two aren't too bad, either).
    Is Buttercup going on tour with Cirque du Soleil?
    Jane x
    PS Thanks for your kind words...they meant a lot. x

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  8. All is looking well and beautiful, save the cold and snow. Actually, it looks pretty, too. However...

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  9. I found your blog not long ago (I think through Katnip Lounge) and enjoy it immensely. I have to laugh in a couple of photos there are two cats on fence posts and many, many more fence posts stretching out behind them--just waiting for more cats! ha. I wish all my kitties could be indoor, but they just keep showing up and am over my limit on house kitties now. My latest foundling is Tang (ornj of course) who has to be an outside kitty, even though he was mess when I found him as a kitten (seriously injured), but he also has to go up at night in his kitty condo! I think your kitties are living the dream--what a lovely place to live and what lovely people to care for them.
    Tammy

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  10. Wonderful photos ! Oh I know it has been bitterly cold here to but we have had sunshine here almost every day so far but yes I am getting tired of the frigid cold to . I love your farm and animals , thanks for sharing , Have a good weekend !

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  11. your photos are just amazing. Your farm looks like a story book!

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  12. Great photots- I wish I could hug every one of those kitties.

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  13. The kitties on the posts are so gorgeous! Surveying their kingdom...and out of the snow, smart cats..

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  14. Your photos yet again are incredible. Your life looks so beautiful to me that I'm grateful when you tell me the temperature. Otherwise, I might want to pack up and move again. (By the way, 18C here right now.)

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  15. I do love seeing your pictures. All the cats on the posts...that's so cute. It really looks cold there! You have such a beautiful place.

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  16. I always love seeing more farm photos! I'm especially fond of your cats and although my three new additions are a handful, they have grown in my heart. One day, I'm venturing up to visit your menagerie. Susan

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  17. I'm so glad I found your blog! I live vicariously through people living on farms and I hope one day to have a little farm of my own. Your property is beautiful and the cats are simply gorgeous!

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!