We're feeding the cats too much

Here's a sure fire way to find out if you are feeding the cats too much Cat Chow.  If you set a trap in the feed room in the barn and catch one almost immediately followed by another... and another... and another and so on and so forth, you're feeding them too much.  The body count is at 9 now since Thanksgiving and counting, and I continue to bait the traps and catch one more each day.  This is not a catch and release program.  Those boogers love pecans - that's what I bait the traps with.  The rat death toll rises in inverse proportion to my satisfaction level with our farm cats.  Doggonit.  This is their job.  They've become fat, lazy, and dependent and have allowed the rat population in the barn to grow while they slept on the job.  That ends today.  I've scheduled a performance appraisal with both of the cats.  They are going to have to step it up!


"You disgust me."  " Prove it!"  Okay!  (You've seen that commercial, right?)

This morning we were awakened by Magnolia mooing loudly - intermittently but frequently.  Tricia checked the calendar and sure enough, she's in heat, proving that the broken fence 21 days ago during her last cycle did not result in Maggie's pregnancy by Stryker, the Jersey bull.  This is a good thing.  We want to space out our milk cows' calf deliveries so as not to have 3 cows in milk at the same time.  We don't have enough farm hands around our house for that much activity!


Stryker, the amorous Jersey Bull

 Over the Thanksgiving Holidays, Tricia's mom came in from South Texas for a visit along with one of her brothers from Houston.  We had a nice time visiting, eating, relaxing, etc.  My parents gave me a fire pit for my birthday and I took it out of the box for its inaugural burning.  It was really relaxing to start a nice fire going.  We arranged the patio chairs around it.  Russ pulled out his guitar and strummed a few chords and Tricia's brother, David, played some tunes for us.  Of course we roasted marshmallows and sang and talked until the fire burned out.  I like the new fire pit!



Anyone know any campfire songs?

The weather was just perfect for sitting out by a fire - not too hot, but not too cold.  We burned a lot of the pecan branches from the yard.  A good time was had by all.

I have to show you the camellias.  They are in full bloom right now with a gazillion more buds about to open as you can see in the photo below.


Camellia Sasanqua

I primarily like to grow things that you can eat, but these plants are stunning in their color and beauty that a picture just can't do justice to.  To me, camellias remind me of the South, even though they originated in the Far East.  Their blooms stand out as lots of times, they are the only colorful thing blooming in the Fall.

I'll leave you with a smile, literally.  A breakfast consisting of fresh raw milk, fresh scrambled eggs from the hens topped off with Tabasco sauce, homemade blueberry biscuits topped with homemade seedless blackberry jelly and a slice of bacon (store bought) brings a smile to my face - and my plate smiled back at me!


A happy plate