Saturday, December 5, 2009

December Daily - Day 5 09- Bad Cats!

The week before Thanksgiving we got 100 new chicks
Barred Rock (excuse the dirty box!)

Our Summer Kitten Crop
You know where this is going, don't you???


See that guy looking right at you?
That's Tommy
You want to remember that little scoundrel


So, if I did a December Daily Album.. this is the type of stuff I would have to write...

(Here, Let's pretend it's a daily journal..I'll share the entire day with you!)

December Daily - Day 5

Morning Temp: 20 degrees! Yeah! 15 degrees warmer than yesterday! But the outside faucets are still frozen.. rats... It's also breezy.. which makes it really minus 5. Brrrrrr...

Jake and I had a date today.. Jake being my 10 year old son. What type of date, you ask? Well, he helped me run to town and go to the Livestock Supply Store to get - lacerators... Uh huh.. The things to make bull calves into he/she calves - or steers.

Then, we did meat inventory... It was VERY cold in the deep freeze! I had to come out about 3 times to warm up my frozen fingers... and yes I was wearing insulated gloves! Good ones!

Then, the date really began! We went to our favorite bookstore, followed by Chinese Food for lunch, then grocery shopping... The bookstore was the best part. We love it there. We know the owner - and Jake said he wanted to stay all day! She said he could!! It was cute... she told me if I wanted to go grocery shopping alone Jake could stay.. but I made him come anyway...


But.. before all that...
We had one of those 'what on earth can happen next' mornings...

You see.. our sweet kitty Pumpkin gave birth to 6 sweet kittens over the summer... Adorable little buggers.. and it was planned... yes, planned kittens - only on a ranch! We need barn cats. They 'disappear' due to predator owls, coyotes, who knows...

So, now we have 6. One was given to our hired hand, Ramon, to keep mice away at his house. And, the kids informed me that that kitty, Boots, ran a way. Humf. Perhaps Boots wasn't getting food/love/attention? Crazy...

Then, 2 other kitties are to go to our Hay Barn down at the headquarters, and two are to go to a neighbor who has the same problem - keeping kitties...

Which, leaves 1 or 2 kittens... I count 1. The kids for some reason thought we would be keeping two kitties... We have to work on some math figures..

So, recently the kitties learned to hunt. Oh they are good little mousers! I could see them from my big windows. They go out in the fields - pouncing. Super good little carnivores.

We don't want to move them to the barns until they are big enough to fend for themselves. Be bigger kitties.

Well, apparently, that day is today. It's the 'so you think you're a big kitty' move day...

Why?

Well this morning when Dick went out to the Brown Shed to do his chores... where the bunnies, kitties, chicks and chickens have been living in harmony - the harmonious living arrangements had come to an end.

Dick found feathers in each Chick Box! These are big boxes... With about 25 or so chicks each.. We HAD 125 chicks....

And he found one of the kittens - a favorite -Tommy - with feathers in his mouth - in one of the boxes.

AND, apparently one of the kittens had decided the boxes also made great um - potty rooms...

Math: We are now missing 9 chicks.

I cant help but visualize one of the Sylvester and Tweety cartoon episodes where that darn cat has the chick in his mouth and a puff of feathers is in the air - before Granny whops him on his putty tat head.

Not sure what Dick did, but I do know that Tommy is going to the barn.

MATH: Started with 6 kittens - Ramons - Tommy = 4

MATH: 2 more are leaving tomorrow - to our neighbors.

Hmm.. That does leave 2 kittens!

Sigh... This new math really gets to me...

And there you have it. Just another day in ranch land - and math 101.

6 comments:

Suzanne C said...

I tawt I saw a putty cat... :O I can't believe you are that cold already. I do know your summer seems to be so much shorter than mine. Brrr... And then to have to go into the freezer. So glad you had a nice day out with your son. :) Bookstores are always an attraction for us too. (Haven't seen any stamping going on?)

Tami B. said...

Who says we don't use math in real life. Great story, sorry about the chicks.

Sweet Blessings said...

OH I just can't help but smile as I invision the whole story! Aren't you glad there is always some kind of "adventure" happening on your ranch :D (Okay, I know..not so much...but, it does make for great stories)!!! Good luck with your lacerators!!! And...praying today finds some time for you to stay inside in your cozies for awhile! Sweet blessings!

Anne said...

Oooooooh! Baaaadddddd kitttttttiiiiieeee! :-)

Lauren said...

Awwwwwwwww... bad kitties!!! I LOVE that you shared your version of a "december dailY." It's SO real life (well, on a ranch... lol).

And thanks so much for the sympathies.

dustypenny said...

Oh my goodness. You are a great storyteller. Makes me miss the farm where I grew up! Sorry about the chicks.

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