Abel

Sunday afternoon nap time for barn kitties Hannes, Clytie, Ilsa, and Elke.

I scored really good deals on a couple of chairs for our back porch. $45.00 for this old, hickory chair that has aged to a nice driftwood color, and $35.00 for this red-painted & distressed Adirondack chair. They go nicely with the porch’s color scheme and style.

As I sat by the fire watching the moon and stars, @clarkrogers.bsky.social brought out a couple of his synthesizers to work on a new song.

The inaugural fire in the new campfire ring.

Bought some stones last weekend to make a campfire ring in the backyard. Just finished it today and I’m looking forward to sitting around a warm fire this Fall and Winter.

Took some selfies with Hector while waiting for the vet to arrive to administer yearly 5-Way and West Nile Virus vaccinations. I recently had my updated flu and Covid shots as well!

Me with a cream pie

I’m already looking forward to adding to our flock of laying hens in the Spring of 2027. The three breeds I believe I’ve decided upon are; the Salmon Favorelle, the Black Jersey Giant, and the Blue Laced Red Wyandotte.

Another beautiful October sunset. I love the pinkish/orange linear band on the edge of the dark cloud.

Took a little break this afternoon sitting in an Adirondack chair watching the hens roam about the back yard.

Earlier in the year I started making a list of things that I’ve accomplished during the year. They range from home & barn improvements, landscaping and arts & crafts projects. I’m up to 25 things. My husband helped with many. It will be good to look back and see all that we accomplished this year !

These mild, sunny October days are perfect for outdoor projects like painting fences.

Just in time for horror/sci-fi movie season, a little green alien invaded my back porch. This praying mantis deposited her egg sac on a cast iron, log cabin, candle holder. I learned that the sac is called an ootheca and hardens to protect her eggs through the winter.

On Saturday, I groomed Hector, trimmed his bridle path and put conditioner in his mane and tail. He’s such a handsome little fella.

Midwest October sunset.

There is a single chicory plant growing in the middle of the horse paddock, so I picked one bloom to give to my handsome husband, @clarkrogers.bsky.social .

Me with squirmy “twin” barn kittens, Inga and Elke

Me with kittens, Ilsa and Hannes

music.apple.com/us/album/goo... Late afternoon, 74 degrees, sunny. Sitting on the backporch swing listening to Kathleen Edwards.

Looking back at some photos that I used as profile pics on Scruff around a decade or so ago!

I’m lucky to have found Stephen to be the trainer for my Hackney pony, Hector. When Stephen was 16 y.o., he trained one of my neighbor’s horses to pull a carriage for weddings & parades. There is an advantage to having a trainer who from birth, their daily mode of transportation was horse & buggy!

My husband, @clarkrogers.bsky.social & I get on watching old movies binges. Recently; “Baby Doll” with Carroll Baker, “ Suddenly Last Summer” & “A Place In The Sun” with Elizabeth Taylor & Montgomery Clift , and “Eva” with Jeanne Moreau. Also watched “The Maltese Falcon” and Hitchcock’s “The Birds”.

Yesterday I made my version of Creole (Red) Jambalaya which has tomatoes, unlike Cajun (Brown) Jambalaya. This one has Andouille sausage, shredded chicken and shrimp.

I’ve always loved dapple grey horses although I’ve only owned one once when I was a teenager. This was one of my favorites at the All American Horse Classic show.

This past Friday I attended the All American Horse Classic. I specifically went to see the Hackney pony competitions, but also enjoyed seeing the Dutch Harness horses and the three gaited Standardbreds.

A couple of cuties; @clarkrogers.bsky.social and Atlas, our Boxer/Pitt Bull mix. Atlas is so loving,sweet & gentle.

Ullr is happy that is other dad is back home.

My Hackney pony Hector with Stephen, his trainer. Hector has been trained by pulling a pallet over gravel & grass, then pulling a small wooden wagon. Today was first day to be harnessed to my road cart. Progress is being made!

My trainer, Stephen, is such a kind man. Today he attached the slow moving vehicle triangle to my cart for me and hooked Hector up to it for the first time. Stephen is very patient and calm and has a methodical training process. He will shoe Hector and start taking his training out on the roads.

Barn powers restored! Lol

Earlier this week when I was thinking about doing some repairs out in the barn.

I made dinner.Golden potatoes, green beans, onions,and smoked sausage cooking all day in the slow cooker.

Good morning from Cecilia.

Work on the barn continues. When I bought my farm, I was told an old red barn stood where the metal pole barn is. Years ago I installed two horse stalls and am now finishing cladding the walls with plank wainscot to give it some warmth and a more traditional barn feel. Maybe I’ll add a loft one day?

In my religious/faith tradition, men are to be masculine yet humble and passive. How about you go ahead and take advantage of my submissive inclination.

Kitten twins want to try goat food, but Fifi ain’t sharing.

Our rooster, Big Al, has a new girlfriend.

We’re taking a break from some yard work. Enjoying a nice breeze.

I’m going to have to plant some more varieties of twice blooming German Bearded Irises. I planted this white one in the Spring and these late Summer ( almost Autumn ) blooms are a welcome surprise.

Getting ready for the road; put some reflectors on my pony cart. Still need to install a “slow moving vehicle” triangle.

Our 15 y.o. house cat, Bode Miller, patiently waiting for his tiny bowl of Greek yogurt treat.

Getting all hot & sweaty working out here on the farm. The corn sure has dried out in the past few days.

Here are some of Hector’s barn mates; a pony that is almost his twin, one of several piggies, a Standardbred horse waiting to be hitched to a buggy, and some of the children’s ponies.