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Farm Boss Patchy Cat Knows How To Get His Point AcrossSo that crazy weather forecast I wrote about the other day? We got it. All of it. And then some. I don't think I've ever seen so much weather happen in one day. We had freezing rain, we had sleet, we had ice, we had ice pellets (which I'd never even heard of before moving to Missouri). We had huge bursts of echoing thunder while it was snowing huge, soppy flakes. And then we got several inches of what I can only figure was 'no accumulation.' Which then froze solid last night.
This morning Joe was watching through the living room window as Bear walked around on the no accumulation. "The ground is so hard Bear isn't making any footprints," he reported. Then we suited up and he walked out the front door ahead of me. "The ground is so hard I'm not making any footprints!"
Every single thing outside is totally encased in ice. We've gone into a sort of hibernation mode. I made a batch of Chocolate Babycakes With Mocha Buttercream. Joe calculated how many feet of oak door casing we'll need in the new building (a lot!). We bottled a bunch of beer.
During times like this, things around the farm are reduced to the bare minimum: making sure everybody has food, water, warmth - and that we say upright while we're slipping around out there on the ice.
It feels very isolated, but in a good way. It's doubtful anyone could get down here unless they hiked - and even that treacherous undertaking probably wouldn't be possible. Meanwhile we have no desire to see if we can get out.
We're thankful that the only damage so far appears to be several broken trees, and we're very glad we still have power, especially after hearing on the radio down at the barn (the only place we can get reception) that thousands of people around us are without it.
A big ice storm like this happens at least once a year here but I usually forget about it - or else I mentally block it out. The landscape actually looks really cool. I took all kinds of photos, but I think this picture of Patchy Cat standing in his water dish pretty much sums things up.
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Snow Photos & Snowstorms
Farm Landscape Photos
Patchy Cat Photos
Cat Photos
© 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Joe is in the kitchen frying up a big cast iron skillet of wild venison in homemade lard for dinner, and we're really glad we cut all that firewood on Sunday.
Leave It To Patchy Cat
Many of you know that last June our beloved New Cat died suddenly, most likely from a poisonous snake bite. And while my heart still aches for him, no one was more brokenhearted by New Cat's death than J2, who was his constant companion. I've never known two cats who were better friends. The two of them lived together in The Cat Cabin, and each night they curled up on their pink wool bed.
It was over a week after New Cat's death before I finally saw J2 come out of The Cat Cabin, and I was worried about him. In this June 16th update I wrote:
I explained to J2 that I understand how lonely he is and assured him that a new feline friend would be bunking with him soon. I have no doubt that another cat in need of a home will find us. They always do.
In the meantime, the height of snake season is not when you want to bring a new cat onto a farm. Enter Patchy Cat. Leave it to our efficient Farm Boss to spot not only a fellow feline in desperate need of a pal, but an available spot on a cozy wool bed as well. In seven years, The Cat Cabin is about the only place on the farm I hadn't ever seen Patchy Cat. J2 is thrilled that he's moved in.
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© 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the feline loving foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote acres—and you can never have too many cats.
Spycat
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© 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares photos & stories of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.
Even Farm Bosses Have To Sleep Some Time
Our houseguests have arrived for their working vacation, and inbetween some fantastic meals, great progress is being made on the artisan bread bakery we're slowly building here on the farm. As I type this, a wonderful picture window is being installed above the spot where my 3-compartment stainless sink will go. I'll be able to wash dishes and gaze out at my favorite view.
The good news is that it doesn't look like I'll have to bring a couple of bouncing baby lambs into the living room to distract our guests from the dust--the food thing is working just fine. And silly me, I didn't even take into consideration the distracting effect just the smell of stuff cooking and baking has on hungry visitors.
There are three freshly baked loaves of pain au levain cooling on the counter, and the dutch oven I'm lovin' has been put back in the oven for another couple of hours. It's filled to the brim with short ribs from our own grass-fed beef, several pounds of sliced organic onions, two heads of chopped garlic, Italian heirloom tomatoes and sweet red peppers from the kitchen garden (via the freezer), and half a bottle of good red wine. The tummy-rumbling scent of dinner has wafted halfway to the barn.
Lamb Report:
The latest lamb arrived just minutes before our houseguests did. Both mother (a yearling ewe who still needs a food related 'C' name--click here to see all the choices or to suggest a name of your own) and baby (a healthy boy with some of the longest legs I've ever seen) are doing just fine. We finally have some vacancies at The Bonding Suite Inn, and the end of lambing season 2007 is in sight. What a wild spring it's been so far. Current Lamb Count: 38.
Nothing Slows Farm Boss Patchy Cat Down
Meanwhile, I am out sick (but hope to be back in fine form soon). The animals, however, have no tolerance for disruptions of any kind in their normal routine. Joe has temporarily taken over my morning farm chores, and they all keep telling him he's doing it wrong. The latest report is that Donkey Doodle Dandy is pushing for open access to the farmyard (where the hundreds of bales of hay are stored) so he and the sheep can simply eat "free choice" for the rest of the winter. Yes, I will definitely be back out and about soon.
A year of Farm Photos ago:
1/21/06: Another Heart Rock For My Collection
WCB #33: One Cat. . . Or Two?
1/20/06: Doll Face Will Be Ten Years Old This Spring
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Cat Fishing?
Attention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #49!
See fun feline photos & discover yummy new food blogs. Visit my pal Clare & her crazy Cat Kiri at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties. (Note: Clare has temporarily posted a "WCB placeholder" over at Eat Stuff--but she has an awfully good--and very romantic--reason.) For more frolicking felines, catch the traveling Carnival Of The Cats each Sunday night. And the weekly Friday Ark boards everything from cats to cattle dogs.
Patchy Cat Chilling Out To Non-Stop Classic Rock
Oh, you knew it had to be him, didn't you? The blasting radio is literally about two feet from his head. Like I said, at least somebody is enjoying the "coyote away" music.
Attention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #46!
See fun feline photos & discover yummy new food blogs. Visit my pal Clare & her crazy Cat Kiri at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties. For more friendly felines, catch the traveling Carnival Of The Cats each Sunday night. And the weekly Friday Ark boards everything from cats to cocoons.
Patchy Cat Keeps An Eye On Everything Around The FarmAttention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #39!
See fun feline photos & discover yummy new food blogs. Visit my pal Clare & her dashing cat Kiri at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties. We'd love to have you join us. Just leave your permalink in a comment at Eat Stuff. For even more pussycat pics, be sure to catch the traveling Carnival Of The Cats each Sunday night. And the weekly Friday Ark features everything from cats to condors.
Now There's A Switch--Usually The Cat Watches The Birds
Yes, those are Joe's (now infamous) 'thrifty' egg layers keeping an eye on Patchy Cat. And yes, they laid two more eggs yesterday. Two. That makes five in less than a week (after months of nothing--which is what my two chickens are still laying). Oh, the humiliation. Oh, the fabulous Christmas breakfast Joe has planned for himself and those eggs. But that's okay. I'm having scones (made with eggs I had to buy).
Attention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #29!
Visit my pal Clare & her beloved cat Kiri at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties--and to see why this is Clare's very best Christmas ever.
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