Animal Crackers - Beautiful Faces

Howdy -

That Beautiful Face - 

The weather late this week was sunny... and VERY breezy and got cold. I went out yesterday afternoon and all though it was sunny and gorgeous. It was cold. But I got a few really beautiful faces. Chica is such a sweetheart. And those eyes warm your heart. Right?

And then I called out to Autie... and then that face warmed me too...

Seriously aren't they just too cute for words. Nothing more gorgeous than my Autie boy with his freshly bathed fur blowing in the breeze... Love... sigh.

Speaking of Love... uh... not so much in Alvin's pen. This week there has been a lot of "talking" or "yelling" going on. The girls have had a few escape plans and none that worked out. But things are calming down. Well a little bit.

The girls have now told Alvin that they are in control and as often as they can then take ownership of his hut. He steals it back now and then, but sharing and living together in the hut hasn't quite happened yet.... But they are starting to learn to live together.

All though while I was out there... Alvin was at the fence calling out to the other girls...

 "rolling eyes here"... always wanting what they can't have. I give him three girls and he wants the others.... but soon these girls will be in the right season for him and he will have more interest in the girls he has... men... sigh. LOL

Funny photo... I found the Guinea with her wings out in the wind... must have felt like flying?

With the safety of never leaving the ground sounds good to me. LOL Really it was really windy!

And how beautiful does Victoria look? All in her puffy fur from the cold air.

She is so beautiful. Most of the girls were not interested in leaving their hay bale, but I got a couple to come for some lovin'. They are so fuzzy and soft right now. Beautiful - Faces and all!

Hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend -
HUGS and 

Animal Crackers - Feast or Famine

Howdy -

 That is how we roll with rain around here... Feast or Famine. Now we send our prayers to all of those dealing with Hurricane Florence - that is a lot of rain. Here in Texas we are just dealing with a tropical wave after a week of rainy weather. It was time for Hubby to do a little refurbishing on the goat huts and this week it was the dog igloos... Goats are really hard their housing... even indestructible dog igloos. We wanted to get them up off the ground, it makes them less likely to fill up with water in heavy rains. So Hubby brought in some reclaimed wood and built a few more decks for them to attach their igloos to. And then he really brought out the smarts... we have two plastic spools we got a while ago and guess what the igloos are the same size around! So they are now attached up on the spools and the goats LOVE them. They are a bit like living in the penthouse.

Here Lucy is enjoying the concrete steps in front of the huts... a nice patio of sorts.  She is relaxed and all stretched out.....

Now Frankie and Paintbrush their deck has been in their pen for a while and they love it... Paintbrush loves to stomp on it and stretch out... Frankie finds it that perfect height to scratch those places that are so hard to reach. Love that happy face on Frankie!

 I had to snap a close up of Paintbrush...  Is this what you would call a level headed goat?
It seemed as if she was balancing her ears perfectly... LOL

Uh oh... shower moving through!... run for cover!!!

Whew... Olive got in one of the new huts up on the new deck before the drizzle had turned to rain! LOL She loves this hut it has a private deck.

Then I heard Black Jack coming up behind me... to see me... now at this time it is starting to rain... but how can I not stay and wait for some loving from this wet muddy guy?

 So I scratched that greying nose and forehead and between those sweet ears and chatted for a while while getting wet... He's worth standing in the rain for.  Such a sweet loving old man.

And before running towards the house I found Guinea Girl running up and down her pen in the rain. She was one of the few that seemed to really be enjoying the rain.. me not so much as I was getting soaked and as soon as I snapped this photo I had to put my camera under my shirt to protect it... but I got her photo first...

 I had planned a walk out to the far back pen to talk to the Lady donkeys... but the rain came and they all went for cover and then so did I.

No more photos for me... and lots more rain this weekend. Wish we could stack it up somewhere and save it for when needed. But for now we feel blessed we have gotten it and thankful to see some green growing again.

Hope you have a safe and blessed weekend!
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Nice Weather

Howdy -

Oh my the weather has been so nice here this week! Everyone has loved the cool mornings, and nice afternoons. So lots of laying around and enjoying the absolutely perfect weather.

Jill was chewing her cud and just chillin'. Such a sweet lady and so laid back - in relaxing and in her personality.

Her 1/2 sister Sandy - she was on top of one of the huts. Same condition. Eyes closed, chewing her cud. Beautiful coloring on her. And again sweet personality.

Crissy is Jill's baby.. all grown up now and she is SO much like her Momma. She came over for some head scratches. Sometimes Head scratches are better than afternoon naps. And you cannot say no to those big brown eyes!

Black Jack seemed to be snoozing as well.

As much as I have seen donkeys sleep standing up I still don't get it. Doesn't look easy to do -  I would fall over for sure! But they seem to be pros at it. I called out to my old man, but he was in the zone and sleeping pretty good. Not interested.

I know this is probably the only way I show you photographs of Spartacus... but seriously he totally cracks me up. This was late yesterday afternoon.

He found a small pile of hay left over from breakfast and decided that wearing it was better than eating it. So fashionable isn't he. All he needs is a runway and some lights and it would become high fashion I am sure!

Some really sad news. All our wonderful Guineas... this is all that we have not. One Guinea.

 One night last week something got to them. Including Old Lady Guinea. No tracks just piles of feathers. We have come to the conclusion that it was an owl. We have been so depressed. Hubby especially crushed as he is so attached to his birds. So after loosing so many the last Guinea is now living in the chicken hut. Not to happy about it, but safe. Odd thing is that we have had Guineas in with the goats for over 4 years and never had one issue. And now all at once - gone. So Lonesome Charlie as Hubby and named this little one is now in the chicken coop and has found that she or he can get up on the roof of the hut away from those silly chickens. We are looking for some new guinea keets to raise and he has plans of a larger hut that he will train them to go into at night so they can roam with the goats during the day. May have to wait until Spring as we aren't finding any available this time of year. So very sad.

I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend, hug something furry or feathered and enjoy them!

HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Healthy and Healthy Kids

Howdy -

Now with as many "children" as we have someone always has me worrying about them. This week it was our old lady goat "Paintbrush" She is over 12 now. And that may not sound old, but if she gets a sniffle I worry. But this week..... well lets just say I spent an entire day this week out moving her around massaging her tummy and trying to get her to drink water. She has a bad tummy ache.

Ok, maybe multiple bad tummy aches. And with a goat this can go down hill really fast, especially a very young or older goat. Sorry Paint... But you are older than all our other goats. So in order to make sure that things started working right and didn't sit and get worse, I had to keep making her get up walk around and massage her tummy. If a goats tummy isn't talking... it isn't working right! Poor think wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink and really was not happy with me that I kept getting her up every 30 minutes. But after about 12 hours she started making a few noises in her belly and actually was grazing on a little alfalfa. Frankie was such a help all day! NOT! He kept raring up and trying (and a couple of times succeeding) to ram his hard head into me. I was bothering his lady. That is his current girlfriend. (yes he still does not know that he no longer is "doing" anything) She is his pen-mate and without his permission I was not welcome to bothering her at all. So stressful. Soooo.... Throw some leaves one way for him... then run over to Paintbrush and move her around...uh oh here he comes... head scratches for him nice boy you are so handsome.... good boy... here look more leaves! It was probably pretty funny to watch. Then next 30 minutes his little brain was busy watching a butterfly and he didn't even notice I was in the pen. (insert shaking head here) It took a few days before Paintbrush was back to her normal self. But happy to report she is doing really great. This photo is late yesterday... she was calling out for "Dad" to bring her something good to eat. Sorry ole' gal... no treats right now. Only hay and alfalfa... boring, but best for you now. Frank looks like he is looking at me in this photo.. "Hey Mom... More leaves Please?" LOL

Went out to see the ladies at sunset last night. Love my ladies.

Oh please let that slight little bump on this girl be a baby in there! Pepita just has to be bred! I am going nuts waiting on seeing her first baby. I have baby on the brain... fur baby that is FUR BABY. Last few months I have been wanting a puppy... I know last thing we need right now with busy schedules and so many other children... but I want one! LOL So I am really going nuts waiting for my three hopefully bred donkeys to have their babies. THREE! It will be so wonderful to have three babies running and playing together!! Man spring is going to take forever to get here! sigh...

Juliet says.. uh hello.. forget about all of that and all the other girls. You need to pay 100% attention to me now.

 Yes Juliet - you are so sweet I will pet only on you right now. Such a funny girl. Those eyes melt me. How can that face not make you smile!

And then about that time I hear my boy Sergio calling out from across the yard. LOUDLY calling out.

Forget taking photographs... I would like a girlfriend too please! That old goat Frankie even has a girlfriend! I would like one too please!! One day boy I hope. Love this guy. He is so talkative when he can see the ladies.

As I was walking back to the house I saw this. And giggled. Thelma and Guinea?

That Guinea was telling Thelma some long drawn out story. Really chattering and talking to her. I think Thelma was looking at her with no clue what she was saying, or what she even is. Ha! As I put the camera down Thelma looked over at me as if to say "Mom... you understand anything this loud mouth is saying?" No sweetie, not a clue... and boy do these Guineas have lots of long chatty stories too!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. So much going on around here, coming going coming going. But now that all my kids are healthy at the moment I am happy!!

HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Stop and enjoy it all!

Howdy -

What a busy month September was, and looks like October is going to be just as busy around here... but sometimes you just have to take a moment to enjoy things...

Enjoying My Miss Libbie -

I love this little lady so much. Oh she drives me nuts sometimes with her high pitch make you want to slam your head in the wall bark. But no matter what I wouldn't trade her for the world. I love her to pieces. I worry about her, she is getting "older" but most of that is just her eyes and not getting around like she use to. Here she is a mess!! Bath time this weekend - she is not going to be happy.... until it is over and she is all dry. Then she prances like she is the Queen she knows she is.

Enjoying the laundry? Now I have to really work to make sure the laundry is folded and put away quick or Gato claims it for her very own warm toasty bed.

But here.. I am not understanding how laying on "Dad's" dirty laundry I was gathering was the best place to curl up. Is it just me or do men just not get the entire hamper thing on purpose? Clothes everywhere... oh well that is a different subject. Here Gato was laying on his clothes, practically upside down hanging to one side. Couldn't have her move to put that load on... so I just moved on to the towels and it gave me more time to find more dirty clothes around...

The Guineas... you have to take time to stop enjoy and watch them. You just must. They are a scream to watch. Always so busy, always chattering, always in movement. And I love to watch Old Lady Guinea with her new "followers".

Oh she will sneak off from time to time for her personal goat time, but they find her. She was looking at me like "Can you make them stay somewhere else?"

She turned to the left and took a few steps... and there they all go with her!

All chattering and talking and her sighing and just accepting it. Ha! It is tough to be the one they all look up too.

Taking time to enjoy a little silence in the afternoon. Silence???

Now I will admit around this place... silence is not something you get to enjoy often. Olive Oyl was trying to get in a little afternoon nap and was looking a little upset that those "birds" were talking so much. And if it isn't the Guineas it is the Chickens, and if it isn't the Chickens it is the other Goats, and if it isn't the Goats it is the Donkeys then we get back around to the high pitch makes you want to slam your head in the wall bark from little Libbie... yea we have lots of "talking" around here. Sorry Olive hope you get a little nap in sweetheart...

Taking time to enjoy the afternoon with his girls.

That was the nice way to say Leon loves being the man in his coop. Doesn't he look proud of his group of girls? He is such a handsome rooster and likes to puff up and show off just how good looking he actually is. Well he is a looker isn't he?

And of course we have to always take time to enjoy the flowers...

Now I know this is what many call a weed. But when leaving down our dirt road the other morning these were blooming on all the old fence post and barbed wire on our neighbors fence. But this weed is so pretty... and is actually called Purple Bindweed or Ipomea Cordatotriloba. Smart huh? I can use Google.. LOL - It is a member of the morning glory family. And although it is a "weed" sometimes you just have to accept that a weed is still a beauty from God and enjoy the blossoms - And in the early morning sun that is what we did slow down and enjoy...

Have a blessed day - Slow down and enjoy the day -

Hugs and

Animal Crackers - Munch Munch Munch

Howdy -

I went out to snap photographs... Hubby says... I threw out some hay to gather the girls up for your photographs. Wasn't that sweet? Uh but now I can't get any faces! They could care less about me and my photos... Dad put out hay!!

Wish I could add sound for you... munch munch munch... crunch crunch crunch. It was good hay...

Even Juliet wouldn't give me any attention! Now that is good hay! This girl is obnoxious friendly for attention.. usually.

Oh wait!!! Sonia is coming for some head rubs! Yea Sonia!!

Such a petite sweet little thing. Very cautious but when she loves and trust you her loving is perfect. Love this girl.

Goats were exactly the same... eating all faces down, but then I caught Abigail watching me!

Ok she was chewing at the same time, but she was looking at me too. A skittish goat for sure, but gorgeous! Love her fur -

The Guineas are doing pretty good. They seem happy and getting use to the pen. Ok so every morning Hubby has to put a couple back into the pen. They sleep up on the fence and then forget which way they are suppose to fly down.

 We all have mornings like that, right? They now are moving all around the pen, even around the goats! Doing good right?

Love this photo... Fraidy and Scaredy Cats.

A little Artsy huh? Almost like a shadow cat. They are nearly exact carbon copy brothers. Funny we still call them the boys... they have become old men though. That is a good thing for rescue outdoor kitties I would say. Their Momma is still with us too... although I don't think she is really much older than they are... Life as a stray, glad they have homes with us now. They think they are still "wild" cats but are protected here.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend - a blessed weekend!
HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - Movin' Out

Howdy -

Well this last week was the Guineas big move! Yep our Guineas have grown up and are now living in the goat pen with Old Lady Guinea.

Ok... mental image here.. it took us a little time and I mean "US" by Hubby, but I did hold gates and such for him, it took a little time to capture them from the small chicken coop and then move them across the yard to the goat pen. They were very loud in their discussing the move. But finally they were all in the goat pen! Whew. Hubby built them a special section of the pen that only they can get into. This was needed since they were not to sure about getting anywhere near the goats and they wouldn't come to eat their feed before the goats ate it! So now they have small little gates into their own private yard. They seem to have figured it out after a few tries and all is good. Ok.... good, but very chatty! OH and I forgot to say - Old Lady Guinea has no interest the the young guineas and they really have not wanted anything to do with her. Old Lady Guinea is sticking to her goat friends. Maybe she thinks she is a goat?

This week has also been a little worry about our home grown chick Bitsy -

She seemed to not be feeling well at all and got some special time in our private chicken get well pen. Some meds in her water, extra feed and some yogurt and we think she is feeling much better. Personally I think some of it was living with those loud Guineas! But now she is living quietly with her sister Isty in their own private pen. Hoping she is feeling much much better.

Snapped this one of the chickens, it amazes me how beautiful their feathers are. And the photo does not do it justice when shining in the light

Now I will say this chicken was looking at me like ... "IF she takes one more photograph of me....... " I snapped and moved on quickly.

Found Frankie enjoying a little of tree above his pen.

 I think he was on his tippy toes and stretched out as far as he could. But mmmmm it was so worth those yummy green leaves!

On my way through the goat pen Mallory said something to me.

Mallory is not the sweetest goat we have. Heck she is probably on the list of the most unfriendly. She wants to be like her 1/2 sisters and get head rubs and attention, but nope, has to be what she is I guess. But for some reason she said hello to me. I snapped the photo and then took a step towards her and bam - she was gone! Oh well at least she said hello -

Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend - Stay safe those in all the many weather related dangers going on -

HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Whatcha You Lookin' At?

Howdy -

Now this photo made me laugh out loud!

This is one of our young Guineas - And I am thinking with this look she has a bit of attitude! LOL Their feathers are coming in nicely and they are growing big. I am going to hate to release them into the goat pen when it is time. I hate too loose any of them. But our old girls have lived long lives in with the lady goats. We lost one of the last two Old Guineas this last week, so we only have one old lady left. I think it was simply old age and the heat.

Here is our last old lady taking an afternoon break with Bell and Gracie. That is the prime spot in the goat pen in the afternoon. They all line up and claim spots as soon as it starts getting hot. Ok, the goats line up... the Guinea always has a spot there, if not she runs off one of the goats.

Bell is one of the pets... she is my girl that had the semi-stroke during a very rough birth. She is fine and gets along good. But no more babies. So we only got one baby from her ever. Miss Sweet Pea.

Sweet Pea gave a beautiful baby boy for her first baby, and look forward to breeding her again this fall. She has her Grandma's Pop Eyes.  Lillie was one of our original 4 goats, and we lost her a couple of years ago.. simply old age. We loved her so much she was so friendly and those eyes just melted me. 

We talk about thinning out some of the goats and bringing in some new blood lines. But Sweet Pea, will always stay here, simply because I see that heart of her Grandma Lillie.

Now the heat has been pretty brutal here. Over 100 many days, the chickens have to have their misters to keep them cooled off. Love how this chicken is just standing in front of it staring it down.

Guess I would too... LOL

Found a bird, that didn't seem to mind me moving all around her. Not sure what kind, as it seems she is molting a bit. She was hanging around the back yard around the goat pen. Making sure to stay in the shade. But then I realized she had to if she was going to perch on the fencing...

 I leaned on the pipe fence top to take the photograph of Sweet Pea. I still have a red mark on my arm! OUCH can you say HOT! Smart bird... stay in the shade there!

Hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend and make sure to enjoy a furry fuzzy or feathered friend!

HUGS...