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 - Crazy Start to a New Year!

Howdy - 

Happy 2025 Everyone! Sorry I was MIA last week. It has already been a insanely crazy month - We started off the new year with pretty nice weather so Chica and I spent a day or so watching Hubby work on his Green House. Chica loved being outside with us so long... sat next to my chair and every once in a while would make a circle around then entire yard checking things out. The yard is now much larger than it use to be so she really is loving sniffing things and learning just where she can now go. 

This last week though the weather has been horrible!! Very COLD for us in South Texas! And I do not like COLD! And then the one day I thought I would have some time to get out and snap a few photos... uh it was raining and near freezing temps! UH sorry... NOPE! Not for me and most all the animals were in there huts out of the weather! So instead this week I thought I would do something different and show you our booth at our first antique show of the year. 

It has been quite a while since I have shown photos of one of our booths on my blog I think... so why not, right? It is better than rain photos out my window... 

So here are some shots of our booth.... :0) 

 I would like to tell you it was a huge show and we sold most everything... but at the time of writing this it hasn't happened yet.... but hopefully by now it is true.. wink wink!! 

Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend. Looking forward to some normal temperatures and Furry kid photos next week! 

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 - Demanding!

Howdy - 

Not only blocking the gate out of the backyard, but very demanding that his breakfast is first!! That is our Teddy! 

 

Now trying to explain to this enormous fellow that in order to get him his breakfast he has to get out of the way of the gate so we can open the gate is not easy! The very LOUD hee haws and the banging on the gate makes his point but he still has to MOVE!! LOL... such a funny big boy! 

After the children had been fed we took off to feed us! Then coming back into our front gate the men in the front pen were up front so we pulled over to visit. Love getting to love on my guys. My very first baby donkey Diego... such a sweet baby! All though now not a baby, but always my baby boy... 

He came straight to me and I had a chance to love all over him before the other guys made it to me. They all get so pushy. And Diego is not as pushy so he moves to the back of the group. So I LOVE when I get private time with him. My first sweet little baby boy!

Miguel made his way to "Dad" first and was pushing his way over the fence for loving. When did all my fur children all start getting so gray? Again ... getting older but still my babies! 

And standing off to the side handsome man Patricio "Pat Man" - I got a slight little head scratch before he moved off. Handsome just like his Daddy Black Jack.

Came around the corner into the kitchen and found Bubba asleep in the middle of floor... yep in the position. Exact position. Just as I snapped the photo one eye opened. LOL I think I woke the sleeping giant... ha!

One more photo... The first stages of Hubby's Greenhouse... We moved the ladies goat pen back now that there are as many of them and Hubby is going to have a bigger garden and greenhouse in the backyard. Started his Antique Roses and other plants a few months ago and now he needs a close place to keep them warm in the winter. I think this is going to be great - and look great. He is using old windows in it so I think it will look "cute" as well as being practical!

Will show more photos as it moves forward! 

Hope You have a Animal Crackers Smiles ! 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