Animal Crackers - Cold January!

Howdy - 

 It has been a bit chilly here in South Texas for me! Lol.... I'm not a winter person. Ok so I'm not a heat of summer person either. Give me Spring and Fall! But COLD WET Winter is just HORRIBLE!! Right now we are preparing for some really cold weather this coming week. And with all the fur children that means a lot of work for Hubby. Got to pull out all the water heaters to keep them from freezing, ready to go out and break ice on smaller water buckets and haul water to ones that do freeze. Bring in extra round bales for the larger pens, be ready to feed extra square bales to the smaller pens. He is a real hard worker in normal weather but the cold is rough and freezing weather is even tougher! We don't get it too much here but when we do it is A LOT of Work!! 

 He really works to make sure the older "family members" are good for the weather. Darlene was getting normal feed plus extra alfalfa to keep her body extra warm.

 

She has grown in some really thick fur like everyone else, but she doesn't have the meat on her like she use too. So some extra greens keeps her body working and heats her up. I just wish she wasn't so picky and didn't leave the stems!! She picks off the leaves and leaves the stems... that stuff is really expensive Darlene! LOL But as long as she is eating good and staying warm!

Chipmunk was trying hard to convince me that he needed some of the extra alfalfa that Dad was giving to old lady Darlene. Maybe those stems could be sent his way? LOL

 Heard some banging in the girl Goat pen. Penelope had dragged over a branch that had fallen into their pen. They have been really enjoying it this week since it fell over the weekend. GREAT scratching stick! She was going to town on that stick, back and forth and moving it all over the place. Of course the other end was banging all over the fence and the huts. Ha! But it was feeling good to her!

 

I called out and asked her if she was enjoying her new branch. She stopped right away and ran over to chat! 

She has really become such a friendly sweet girl. Loves her head scratches and our little talks! Me too Penelope!! She is such a good listener!

Another timid family member that is now totally a sweetheart is our once feral outside cat Greybeard. This guy is a total love. A total Tom Cat yes, but still comes running as soon as he knows anyone is outside. Needs the rubs and attention. No matter if it is Hubby, Me or Chica... He Adores Chica BTW... Chica puts up with him but no where near adores him. LOL Hubby comes next on his love list... I come in a far third as in...  well you will do since no one else is here to rub my head.

I love that he is getting so good at posing for his photos! Here he had just came out from his heated porch bed for some mid morning breakfast. See our fur children are not spoiled at all.... 

Snapped a photo through the window of Hubby's Greenhouse... The house is pretty much up and in use now. Not 100% done. Still needs to be stained and a few finishing things done. Like inside floor. But hey the cold came and it was needed to be put in use now the finishing items can be done when it warms back up again.

You can see through the steamed up window things are very happy in there! His Citrus and other flowering plants are thriving and growing very well while it is below freezing outside and I was shivering!! 

Hope you are warm where you are! And I hope you enjoyed this week with my fur kids, and have a smile on your face! 

Have a blessed weekend! 

HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - End of the Year

Howdy - 

 Well time to say Goodbye to 2024 - It has been a year hasn't it. Wow. Normally on the last Saturday of the year I do a review and show off all the favorites of the year. Normally showing off babies... but pout pout no babies this year. We have had some great photos and wonderful times with our fur children. And we have had to say goodbye to some of our fur family this past year - But we will try and not focus on that and show off a few photo favorites from the year... 

Patti... shouting lets go!

Momma loving living her new life inside with us!

Miguel.. handsome and loving his attention! 

Macie knowing she is a super model... even with that grass belly in the photo! 

Juliet.. oh my she always keeps me laughing! I still remember how she was running towards me while I snapped this one!!

Juliet's BFF Hannah and her gorgeous big ears pushing through the fence nipping at my shoes to get her attention!

The Girls ... taking turns at the water... yeah right! 

 Bubba... gunna rest this weekend but ready for the new year to start!

 

Chipmunk - how about a little head banging party on the 31st and then we will rest on the 1st?

 

And Cocoa.... We hope you will continue to visit us and come back in 2025 to see what we are up to!

Happy New Year!!

HUGS and!

Animal Crackers - Simply Blessed, Merry Christmas!

Howdy - 

I always like sharing our "family" Christmas Card with all of you - our Animal Crackers family! I do hope that each of you have a very Blessed and a Very Merry Christmas from all of us! 

 As always - HUGS!

Animal Crackers - What a Look!

Howdy - 

I don't think Ferrari was ready to wake up this morning! It was a chilly morning and she was cuddled up in her quilt at the end of the bed warm and that light did not make her happy! Is that an unhappy look or what?? LOL

 

That Kitty is not a morning kitty at all! I'm with you baby! No worries - she got happy as soon as she heard her bowl clink in the kitchen! 

But as soon as we went out side it was like a repeat of last weekends photo... but this time it was Cocoa screaming out! FEED ME!!! I'm STARVING!!! UH If you could see her belly you would know that was not true... hungry maybe.. starving no. But she was fed right away not a moment wasted old girl!

Shame you couldn't hear her... she has that old long hee haw that is just so heart wrenching. You have to stop and pay attention to her when she calls out! 

I then had to pay attention to Chipmunk He was head banging a bit on the fence to get his attention. I asked him why he has to do that... may not hurt his head but watching it makes mine hurt!!

Such a handsome man! Love that long flowing black beard! And yes it has hay flowing stuck in it.... that is a good place to store your hay for later, didn't you know that??  

I tried to find some of the girl donkeys to photo this week. But it has been windy and cold for the last few days and they were hunkered down in the back of their pasture in the bushes grazing and honestly it was too cold to walk back to photo them so early in the morning. I am so over cold already... and yes I know it hasn't even really started yet. yuck! 

Thought I would show this weeks Greenhouse update since there was lots of changes this week.  You can't tell by this photo but most of the roof is on. all the windows and the door... and now all the siding is going on next! So it should be able to be heated up and have the plants in it before the first freeze! Oh he will still have trim and pretty stuff to do to it, but it will be usable!

 

Can't wait until next Spring! Then he will start doing the planting around it and putting in gardens around it! Then it will look like the photos in the books he has been showing me forever! 

Hope you have enjoyed! Have a blessed weekend!

HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - Early Morning

Howdy - 

Went out early this morning to take photos. Had to... only way to make sure and get those faces before breakfast time! 

I'm not sure why this photo make me smile each time I take this same photo! But today it really make me grin. Josie wanted so bad to come to me. But I think Mom was giving look... "Girl... Eyes this way... Breakfast is coming soon!" LOL 

As "Dad" came by and was loading up breakfast and they were trying to be patient. I got a sweet photo of Mom and Daughter. Jolene and Josie. 

Fanci Pants was stomping and snorting she was seeing the hay being loaded up... oh it was so exciting! BREAKFAST!!!

And the Patti was giving me that side glancing look... it is so much better to look mature and stand calm. LOL  But I could tell she was ready to run as soon as the hay hit the ground!

Now Lizzy she was calling out to "Dad" to make sure he knew she was here. I really hated to break it to her.... but she didn't finish yesterday's hay. No wasting hay... Don't finish what you have you don't get more.

Came inside to find Momma laying upside down in the window bed. She does love living inside. Very happy - Very comfortable - That makes me Very happy!

 Hope you enjoyed! And have your Animal Crackers Smile! 

Have a Blessed Weekend! 

HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Round Bales

Howdy -

It's that time of year - We brought in round bales for the ladies pen in the back. There is nothing for them to eat back there now. It is all pretty much dead now. And they eat our square bales way to fast, so round bales as much as they cost are better for the larger group of ladies. All though I do wish they would step away from the buffet for a bit now and then! Sigh... 

They stick those head in and chow down! I finally got Patti to turn and look at me for a photo. She snorted at me then went right back to her hole and started eating again.

Found Chipmunk snorting as well... He was really in a mood! Flirting big time with the girl goats! Who didn't give a care at all that he was working so hard to get their attention. Was really kind of sad... Poor guy. Snorting, Rolling his Lip, Banging his horns on the fence... and then finally giving up and going to lay in the shade. Dumb Girls....

Went to see the Chickens. Our neighbors have LOTS of chickens, and LOTS of Roosters. Who "visit" quite often and make lots of noise. My girls try and ignore them. But you know how hard that can be with obnoxious young boys ... especially for the older ladies like Spec. 

 

We really don't now how old she is.. she was full grown when we got her and we have had her for years now. We love her, she is such a sweet friendly chicken. 

The other chickens are great - but none are sweet as Spec... ;0)

 

Now Hubby and I needed our little cooler this last week. Pulled it out and left it on the kitchen floor. Um..... I think Bubba likes it and decided it was a very soft bed! But then again he will sleep nearly anywhere!

 Hope you enjoyed this week and have another Animal Cracker Smiles! 

HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Sitting out with Hubby

Howdy - 

Was sitting out with Hubby while he was working the other day - the three stooges came to see what was going on. They are so curious you know. Teddy bear came up closest first and I said boy come here! What is all over you!!

Oh my Big Guy! Where have you stuck you nose! Heck your entire Face!

Poor Guy has tiny little stickers all over his face!! And neck!! I sat there and picked off as many as I could as long as he would let me. Got about 1/2 of them and then he saw that "Dad" was coming with a bit of hay for the three of them so he said "Thank you" but food was more important than the troubling stickers. And he took off to the feed rack. Lol Funny man! 

I went over to chat with Jorge for a bit. He was being very very vocal. And very loud! So I gave him some attention. And then we chatted some about his very impressive whiskers. He really does have the most impressive whiskers!! hehe

Next I headed over to check on the goats. Only three lady goats now. Penelope and Lizzy were chillin' in the shade of the tree. But then I heard Jackie banging her horns on the hut. And doing some damage as well! I explained that she knocks another roof off before winter she is going to regret it! Yea right... She knows Dad will go in and fix it...

Then a quick look to check on the lady donkeys. Couldn't find Vickie for a bit... Then I saw her white head pop out. She was hiding deep in the shade of the brush to stay cool! 

 

Smart Vickie! I called out to her to get her to come out and see me. Nope she was just fine where she was, especially since I had no snacks for her. Snacks make the world move you know. 

Hope you have your Saturday Animal Crackers Smile! Have a wonderful Weekend - 

Hugs and -

Animal Crackers - Early Morning

Howdy - 

Didn't make it out yesterday to get photos. Worked to late and then it just got to dark. So I got up early this morning and went out to get some photos before breakfast. You know if they get fed I get no faces at all! LOL 

Lacey came up first this morning. Such a sweet girl and my is she getting grey!

Love her personality and her long long ears! So sweet. But watch out charging up behind her is Juliet!!! 

Full speed this big girl loves to front and center for the attention. Ears back is get out of my way I'm coming through... seriously.... I snapped quick cuz I knew what the next view would be - 

EXTREME CLOSE UP!

This girl cracks me up! She loves to her nose scratches and to have 110% of the attention that is for sure! I gave her lots of scratches and then tried to move on to Macey ... but oh my look out Macey... Juliet is coming up behind you!!
 

I got one photo of Macey and about 10 seconds of ear scratches and Juliet was front and center again. LOL It takes two to get photos some days... one to take the photos and one to entertain Juliet!

So moving on to the goat pen was next. I found Lizzy doing some early morning back scratches... must have felt pretty good she was really doing a dance against that hut base! 

 

 But Surprisingly after that she walked towards me and then let me love on her. She is so moody most of the time but this morning was a good morning and I got her good side! 

Thought I would show off the tomatoes 

 

... Now the plants are not the prettiest, but hey these are Hubby's Spring Tomatoes.... he cut back and brought back through the summer. And man the tomatoes have been coming on strong!! And really that is all that matters right! YUM YUM!!!

Hope you have wonderful weekend plans - And that you enjoyed Animal Crackers and have a smile on your face! If not... go back and take a look at Juliet again! 

HUGS and