Two Men and a Little Farm

GOOD FOOD AND DARWIN SUNDAY

2026-11-08T11:45:50.760-06:00

For those who missed it, check out yesterday's post for a bonus Darwin picture, ha. We have used the arils from our lone, homegrown pomegranate a few times.

Made some grilled salmon over couscous and veggies and just scattered some on top. It was a nice pop of sweet/tart flavor.

I work from home on Wednesdays and Darwin just had to be up on the desk to see what was going on. So I lifted him up and he roamed around a bit. Look at that face. Sigh.

OK this was just too cute. He was sleeping under a blanket and buried himself down in there but left his legs sticking out. He is definitely...

#livinghisbestlife

SATURDAY HELLO AND BONUS DARWIN

2026-11-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

Sunrise out here at the farm.

We love a fiery sky (morning or evening).

Babygirl didn't get her visit yesterday. Since we're taking her to SNAP (a local spay and neuter program that works with feral cats), we had to make an appointment but it's kind of a lotto of getting in. We got in but then one of the vets on duty was out and they had to reschedule appointments for people that were scheduled for Friday morning drop offs. It will be next week, probably Friday again.

Today is just a relaxing day. We've had some things to do least week, our first year warranty check up for the house, a few things they had to check and people in and out checking things.

I like to do some preparing for us in September (National Preparedness Month) but missed it this year because of, well, Darwin, ha. Now that we have the space for it, whether it is some medicine to have back up for, or paper towels/toilet paper, or food for the pantry, we just want to be ready for both hurricane season and now, Winter freezes, where our power might be out for a period of days. More on that in an upcoming post. Might go get some stuff out of the barn and sort through it and/or I'm toying with the idea of a final mow of the season. Might put that off a bit longer.

We know y'all like to see kitty pics so here's a bonus...

Darwin hopes your weekend is off to a great start because his sure is!

WHOLE FRUIT MARGARITA

2026-11-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

We've received a few emails asking about our margaritas that we make. We LOVE them.

They were originally done by the Vitamix company. We would seem them demonstrated on TV when they were selling the mixers. We've had our Vitamix for years and we love it. How we have never tried this before I don't know, but we are glad we finally did.

It couldn't be any simpler. Tequila (a good brand), Cointreau (the orange liquor), a sweetener (you can use honey, we use agave syrup since the agave plant also makes the tequila, somehow seems appropriate, ha), and then a single lemon, lime, and orange, all peeled. Oh, and ice of course!

Whole Fruit Margarita:

(the smaller container version)

1/2 orange, peel removed

1/2 lemon, peel removed

1/2 lime, peel removed

1/3 cup Tequila

1/4 cup Cointreau (orange liqueur)

3 Tbsp honey or agave

3 cups ice cubes (fill pitcher to top).

Now our Vitamix has the smaller pitcher so this version is the smaller batch. The larger Vitamix container is made for the whole fruit, just double everything.

Pour in the liquids and drop in the fruit.

Add three (or four, just up to the top) cups of ice...

Give it all a whiz for about 45 seconds, or until it looks thick and done. On a Vitamix, it will have the signature swirl look like this and make a different sound once it reaches the point.

Pour it into some salt rimmed margarita glasses...

And enjoy!

We love a good margarita and this is a good one.

GOOD FOOD AND BABYGIRL AND DARWIN SUNDAY

2026-11-01T10:31:35.199-06:00

Recently when it was a bit chilly, we decided to have one of our favorite cool/cold weather meals...

Pozole! This was pozole verde (green). It's a Mexican pork stew made with tomatillos and poblano peppers and hominy. It's simmered for a couple of hours and then you ladle it into bowls and it is topped with the traditional toppings of onions, cilantro, cabbage and radish. Oh and our whole fruit margaritas!

Many of you have asked about Babygirl and here she is!! She was helping me in the garage when I was putting stuff up in the attic because it was so cool. At one point, she climbed two steps of the ladder. I wish I had my phone handy it was so cute.

Here's a closeup! She's still our sweet outdoor girl. And this week, Friday if we can get an appointment for then, she is going in to be spayed. We will keep her on the back screened in porch for a few days so that she can recover. Have already bought a disposable litter pan and we already have her food. We'll make sure she is taken care of and she'll get better and never have to worry about going through pregnancy again. Once Darwin is a little bigger and he is vaccinated (she will get vaccinated as well), we might let them meet and see how she is with him.

Speaking of..

Look at this face. Gosh he's so cute. This was him on my chest, passed out, not a care in the world.

And when he's not on us sleeping, he's curled up on a blanket. It's funny, when he curls up, he looks so tiny. But he's getting bigger by the day.

Here's a bonus picture:

Sigh. We're attached, no turning back now!*

*as if that was ever an option, HA!

#livinghisbestlife

WE HAVE A POMEGRANATE

2026-10-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

You might remember when we posted about a lone pomegranate that we had on our tree/bush. I've been babying it for a few months and recently, I checked on it and realized...

...it was time to harvest it!

As I went to get it, it fell off. It was definitely time, ha. I read that you cut off the blossom end and from what else I learned, you can keep them like this in the fridge for a month or so.

So excited to have a pomegranate tree that might actually produce them. Of course, we'll need more than one a season, LOL!

And at almost $5 for four ounces of them, it would definitely be worth it. We haven't split ours open yet, waiting to figure out how we want to use it. I know with a bunch we could make juice or something but for one, with probably about 5 or 6 ounces of seeds inside, we want to find just the right dish for it.

GUEST ROOM TOUR

2026-10-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Thought we'd share some inside pics from time to time (warning, lots of pics ahead!).

Today, the guest room.

Now with what might be perceived as the masculine energy/vibe of the rest of the house has (though we try to soften where we can), we figured the guest room could be softer and comforting in its decor.

It also honors our moms and grandmothers. My mom loved pinks, 2nd Man's mom loved yellows, and our grandmothers all loved flowers. Even "Ma", who we bought the land and old house from, had a room in her first house she called the "Spring room" because it was decorated with flowers and soft colors to be welcoming like the first flowers of Spring.

We figured this could all be a great inspiration...

Here's the door in the hallway.

What lies behind?

The guest room!

We were able to use a lot of the furniture from the old farmhouse and move some other stuff we've had into here. The bedframe was perfect here. We love it. A vintage yellow chenille bedspread, a wonderful afghan and the two bears made of quilt pieces. It all just seems like home and it's always belonged together.

Regular readers have seen these pieces: this artificial rose bush my Mom found somewhere once upon a time, it's SO pretty and realistic. Also a favorite really old music box and a vintage department store display head that my mom loved. By the way, that box with the flowers has notes sent to us by blog friends.

Random thing, these beaded chain pulls on the ceiling fan are such a great sparkly touch in the room as they pick up on the colors from various items in the room and when the sun hits just right, they sparkle. Just noticed how the purple one mimics the painting.

On the other side some more neat items, retro clock, a vintage bunny and a French book and then the focal point: this wonderful and very old lamp that belonged to a great great aunt in the family. It's called a "parlor lamp" or also a "boudoir lamp" (we like the latter, ha).

The closet doors.

Next to the closet and right as you come in, is this spot. Beneath my grandmother's favorite painting is this cabinet, a new addition. We needed something that fit that space and had the same distressed look.

Bonus points for new added storage space in the drawer & cabinet.

To top it off, some old books, this wonderful vintage rooster/hen set that we use as bookends, a vase with flowers for some color and a bowl given to us for a housewarming at our first house by a very dear former coworker who has since passed away.

At the foot of the bed is the Cedar Hope Chest you all have seen before, given to my parents for their 25th anniversary. More storage AND a place to sit!

As you turn to the other side, we hung a mirror and this item that some of you may know about. It's a rug/blanket beater. We thought it would be fun to hang there as a conversation piece. Oh, and a cane with a pink depression glass topper.

This cabinet was in our apartment, and we used it to store our enameled cast iron cookware. It wouldn't fit in our new kitchen, but it DOES fit perfectly in the guest room. Right now, it's not very organized (just unloading things into there that will belong) but eventually it will contain my herbal items and dried flowers and supplies for making all sorts of fun things. Think of it as a 'future apothecary cabinet'.

On top, we created this vignette of items. Flowers we had at the old house, a vase that has dried roses from my dad's funeral, a vintage needlepoint sewing case from 2nd Man's family, a candle (LED of course for safety) and a vintage suitcase that is decoupaged with all sorts of Victorian images. Bonus points for storage since it's still a functioning suitcase.

Had this strand of funky fabric chickens with small bells on each end that we found at a store several years ago. It just somehow seemed appropriate and adds some more lively pops of color.

In the last corner, some more prints and the last piece of furniture we were waiting for...

...this chair. We wanted a comfy chair that fit in the corner to sit in and read a book or just have a 'moment of Zen', ha. We found it online after much searching for exactly what we wanted; an off-white background with a floral pattern in pinks and yellows and greens. It's perfect. We draped a crocheted afghan over it and called it complete.

Little details, like this rise and shine reminder on a bedpost corner...

...and behind the door, we put this as a surprise when the door is closed. We found it at a thrift store a few years ago. It is a very detailed needlepoint that someone put a lot of love and time into. We couldn't let it disappear forever. We have no idea who did it, most likely they have long since passed, but their work will live on in our house. "To love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth..." We couldn't agree more.

Come and sit a spell...life is good and peaceful out here... 😊

GOOD FOOD AND DARWIN SUNDAY

2026-10-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hey hey! Another week has gone by. Can't believe we're almost in November.

Sometimes, when we just want a lite lunch or dinner, we have our own little charcuterie tray with whatever we have on hand. I know at two of the grocery stores I frequent, they have a basket in their cheese department with the bits and small pieces for "$5.00 and under". We figure it's a great way for a) portion control and b) to explore different cheeses without paying the expensive price (good if we don't like one).

I bought three on this day and put it together with some crackers, sunflower seeds, dates, pickles, jam and turkey bacon. So yummy! In this case, we loved all three of these, 2nd Man said the lemon/honey would be amazing with a lemon shrimp pasta dish.

And time for DARWIN!

Look at that face. Yeah, we're hooked.

He's growing up fast! 6 weeks old now. Still on the bottle but we're trying to transition. We still remind ourselves that being a preemie, he's about a week behind normal development. We like to say that he's thinking "but I'm just a baby....."

#livinghisbestlife

PUTTING UP MEATLOAF

2026-10-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, we posted about our meatloaf and that we had cooked it a while ago and put up for future use. Thought we'd share that.

2nd Man made his meatloaf recipe, we use ground turkey, chicken and pork mixed with a lot of minced veggies and seasonings. So yummy. In this case he made four. We shaped them and put them on the sheet pans and topped them with turkey bacon.

We love that we decided to have the double ovens and this is another win. We had both going, two in each. Original plan was microwave at the top and oven at the bottom, but we moved the microwave into the island so we could go ahead and get double ovens.

Watch out Thanksgiving!

We cooked them for about 40 minutes to get the bacon crispy and then we coated it with ketchup and popped them back in until a temp probe showed the meat was fully cooked and done.

After they were done, we took them out and let them cool. All that was left at that point was to slice them up and portion them out.

We did some packages with four slices and some with two. Lastly, we put what we call the "butt ends" into separate packages. This gives us meals (four slices two each), sandwiches (two slices for a couple of sandwiches) and a couple of "we're hungry but don't want to eat a lot before dinner" snacks (the butt ends).

Then we popped them in the freezer and have ready to go food for a few months.

FINALLY A PERFECT WEEKEND

2026-10-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

It was an amazing weekend. We finally had cool "Autumn" weather. It actually got down to 49 early Saturday morning!

The skies were beautiful too. I was able to do a lot in the garage and emptied some of the remaining boxes and moved boxes to the barn, trying to get the garage finally cleared out so we can park both cars in there. It's almost there. Right now, all that's preventing that now is just getting rid of the empty boxes and trash, should have that done this weekend.

We opened the windows and the sliding doors in the living room to the screened in porch and the breeze was amazing. It aired out the house and kept things nice and cool. We checked our app and found out the air conditioner had not run since Friday!

I also got outside and filled the bird feeders and re-hung them around the yard. Really enjoying watching and learning about the wildlife out here. We used to wonder why people birdwatched and now I think we understand. There is just something so enjoyable about being in nature and learning something new.

Plus, it's nice to do something good for the wildlife.

GOOD FOOD AND DARWIN SUNDAY

2026-10-18T15:18:49.187-05:00

This weekend has been amazing! Windows open, working in the garage and attic, it's cool and beautiful. Getting a lot done we have put off because of the heat.

Time for some good food and some Darwin pics.

2nd Man made his Piccadillo the other night. Ground turkey, potatoes and veggies in a tomato base with Mexican rice on the side and corn tortillas. So yummy and always good and healthy comfort food.

After we eat, 2nd Man bottle feeds Darwin and then I take him to weigh him and clean him up.

Here he is taking his post bottle bath on my arm while watching TV!

It wasn't long before he fell asleep...

...and then fell over into a deep sleep, dreaming of more bottles and snuggles.

By the way, he has crossed 500g which is a pound!

Five weeks old and 1 lb.

#livinghisbestlife

GRANDMOTHERS QUILT

2026-10-16T10:00:21.666-05:00

Getting things set up in the house. We were going through quilts we had saved and stored away and found this one. My grandmother (on my mom's side) made most of them and when she passed, we found some that had been made but never used.

With the guest room being pink and yellow in its color palette, we figured this one would be perfect on the bed in there. Bought some new sheets and put them on and then put on this quilt.

Here is a closeup. I remember when we my mom pulled it out of the linen closet at my grandparents' house, she looked at the star shapes and recognized some of the fabric from dresses she had as a child. Most of it was from old flour sacks that doubled as extra fabric for creating things around the house, including dresses and/or quilts.

I took this picture before we put the bedspread on so you all could see it. Not sure what this pattern/detail is called but I bet some of you out there know, ha. It fits the bed just enough, though it doesn't go down the sides much; it was probably made for a full-size bed instead of a queen, but it still looks awesome on there.

We are waiting on one piece of furniture for the room and it will be finished. Once it's done, we will be sure and post pictures. We love how it's coming together.

AWESOME DEAL ON NEW TREES

2026-10-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, when we went to Tractor Supply for kitten supplies, I noticed they had really nice looking fruit trees. This was end of September. They were $40 each (till a good deal for the size) and I asked if they go on sale and a guy said that usually sometime in October, they can go down to $20 each.

Saturday, I fired up Bill the Farm Truck bright and early (we were already up at 6am feeding Darwin, I just stayed up, ha) and headed to Tractor Supply. Sure enough, most of their trees were on sale for $20 each down from $40.

I dug around and found the ones we needed, bought them and loaded them in the truck. Side note, this truck has been so awesome to have, but I digress, ha. Drove home (a little slower than normal and off the freeway) with a backend full of trees.

I picked up three fruit trees to replace ones we have lost. They are huge, two of them (apple and plum) are taller than the garage roof, so about 8 or 9 feet high.

Anna Apple

Santa Rosa Plum

Florida King Peach

So excited to have found these, as they are perfect for our zone. They had other varieties but they are varieties that need many more chill hours, much more than we get here. These are the actual varieties recommended for our county. Always remember when fruit tree shopping (or any plant really) to check your zone. Stores often just get a random selection and you need to buy according to your area's climate.

And while I was there...

I found PECAN trees!!

Caddo

Kiowa

Creek

I did some checking and of all the varieties they had, three of them are perfect for our area. Our original plan was just one, but two of them do best with each other for wind pollination, they will produce much better, and then I figured they were such a good deal, lets just get the third one.

The fruit trees will be planted as soon as weather cools down, the pecans will have to wait for something special we are working on.

GOOD FOOD AND DARWIN SUNDAY

2026-10-11T12:26:46.534-05:00

Sunday has rolled around again. It's been a good weekend. We have a nice burst of cooler weather, mornings have been in the mid 60's. That's nice weather for us after our Summer of heat. It's not completely Fall yet but getting there.

Had this yesterday. We made some meatloaf a couple of months ago and vacuum sealed and froze packages of slices for just this moment. There's no beef (turkey and pork) and LOADED with almost invisible minced veggies (onions, mushrooms, carrots, herbs, etc) and topped with turkey bacon! 2nd Man put in some boiled eggs. He said his mom used to make them like this. It was really good. Add some mashed potatoes (using non-fat dry milk, you'd never know the difference) and asparagus spears on the side. It was oh so good!

Now it's time for guess who...

Darwin! I left my laptop on a pillow on the floor yesterday while we were about to feed him and he decided to try to log in. We think he was going to do his own blog post but he doesn't know the passcode! 🤣

He's growing and getting bigger every day. Still on the smaller side. He's a few days over 4 weeks old and weighs 368g as of this morning. The guides say that a 4 week old kitten should weigh between 350g and 450g. So he's a good weight, but just on the small end of that scale. Not sure if he'll stay small or get bigger.

We shall see.

#livinghisbestlife

DARWIN SAYS HELLO

2026-10-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

We thought we'd surprise everyone with a new picture of Darwin.

He is 4 weeks old today. Still a tiny thing but growing every day. He had his first vet appointment (non-emergency, ha) and he is doing great. We have charts of his progress, every time we feed him, how much he eats, how much he weighs, etc and we showed the vet. She said "wow, you guys are all in and doing an amazing job. For him to have started at 70g as a preemie, and now he's 300g, you have done an amazing job of saving this little guy. I'm impressed!"

Darwin, once again, was the star of the clinic as everyone had to come kiss him or snuggle him and he was happy. Even the vet said he was a very sweet and calm kitty.

And we were happy.

#livinghisbestlife

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FINALLY

2026-10-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

You know, after we moved into our brand new home and realized we didn't have fire extinguishers. Everyone should have at LEAST one in their home.

We decided on three. We found this double set and then a larger "primary use" version. They had a sale for the month for home safety awareness, so we got a great deal on them.

Once I get the barn organized (cooler weather this Fall), we will get another one for out there.

The big one (the primary use one) is mounted on the wall here in the utility room so it is close to the kitchen AND the garage.

We put another one in the master bedroom closet so we have it at that end of the house and the last one is in the study/office so it's at the other end of the house.

Never can be too safe. We have a volunteer fire department out here at the house so it is important to at least have the chance for a head start if, God forbid, something happened. 2nd Man is curious about one of those blankets that you can throw over a fire on the stove. We might look into one of those too.

GOOD FOOD AND DARWIN

2026-10-04T13:58:03.689-05:00

It's a rainy weekend...time for some good food and, now, some Darwin!

Lest you all wonder if we still eat fish and salads, ha, yes, regularly. Here is a wonderful salad topped with some pan-seared Mahi-Mahi. On weekends we usually splurge and eat something else, of course always swapping out meats, adding grains, using greek yogurt instead of sour cream, low fat cheeses etc.

Darwin is sleeping at the moment. In fact, as tiny kittens do, he sleeps most of the time. After 2nd Man fed him, I cleaned him up and he fell asleep on my chest. I couldn't resist getting a picture.

#livinghisbestlife

RAINY RAINY

2026-10-03T10:13:24.680-05:00

After weeks of no rain, we're catching up...

We're having a break right now, after about 3 days of heavy, albeit on and off, rain.

So far, no flooding but lots of standing water. No yard work for a while, ha. How much rain have we had?

We found this app called "RainDrop" that is used by farmers, gardeners and forecasters alike to determine rainfall amounts in certain areas. Independent analysis as well as user reviews say it is accurate to within .10 to .25 when compared to actual rain gauges on the property.

We have had 6.26" of rain in the last 72 hours!

That's quite the rainfall. Plants and tress are nice and watered and the aquifer is getting refilled as well.

Win/win

But alas, more rainfall is on the way.

So this weekend we'll stay inside and snuggle with Darwin.

INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST KITTY

2026-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

HELLO WORLD!!

Introducing...

DARWIN!!

We decided to keep our Australian naming theme.

Sydney...

Brisbane...

Hobart...

and now...Darwin joins the family line.

We also chose that because, just like Charles Darwin and the whole survival of the fittest, Darwin was the only one of his litter to survive. He's a fighter for sure.

He's only three weeks old and not out of the woods of course, but growing every day. We are not sure yet if he will be a tiny cat, he is so small, but the Vet said he seems to be healthy, just small for his age.

This is just after his eyes opened.

He's tiny but loud, ha.

There has been drama...we had to make an ER run when he hadn't pooped in three days. He got a tiny enema and he was good to go. They also gave him a micro dose of dewormer just to be safe since his mother is a feral cat. He was the star of the ER clinic, everyone wanted to say hi. They were calling him "little nugget".

He's eating well and loves his bottle. He stretches out his ~~legs~~ arms and holds on as much as he can.

He's got fleece blankets and four stuffed animal companions.

He's a sweet baby boy.

We are giving him his best shot at a great life.

Hang in there Darwin and welcome home!

ON THE ZEN MACHINE FINALLY

2026-09-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

FINALLY got to mow. Have had to put it off the last few weekends because of so much else going on and also just SO hot. This weekend it was warm but very low humidity, so it actually didn't seem "as hot" as it has been lately. On Saturday, I spent some time doing the edging and trimming.

I did the orchard area around the beds and inside each one (the empty beds will have some Fall plantings once the weather cooperates). I worked there first and then did all around the house, the well shed and other outbuildings, driveway, sidewalk etc.

Had to call it a day Saturday after that.

Then on Sunday I broke out the Zen Machine and since it's been so dry (no rain in about three weeks), it was super easy even though it was VERY tall.

This is looking back toward the house.

From the porch toward the barn and shed and the front yard.

I even had some time and energy to clear some extra areas. That clump of weeds in the foreground has rocks and pieces of concrete in there left from the build so I'll have to manually clear that...when cooler weather arrives of course, ha.

Also got into a spot and cleared an area that hasn't been cleared before. Always enjoy doing that. It opens up areas that we haven't been able to see before and just adds to the view. Not much to see right now of course, but it will be nice eventually.

One of the longer mows this year but as I said, got some good stuff done and when we look out the windows, instead of seeing a jungle, it's neat once again. It's amazing how much of a relief it is once it's done. Like something hanging over me that feels unfinished and somewhat overwhelming, only to find it was easy to remedy and now it looks great.

We are just hoping that the weather starts its inevitable cool down soon and everything starts to go dormant! I checked my app and over the last few years September has been the next to the last mow...either once in October or November.

5 GALLON BUCKET SEAT

2026-09-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

We can't be all kitten all the time...or can we? Ha. So back to a few regular posts for a bit, interspersed with kitten adventures.

Speaking of adventures, with our recent 5-gallon bucket adventure, though it was a too hot Summer fail, Fall still awaits. So when I was at the store looking for more buckets, I found this:

It's a "Spin Seat". It snaps on just like a lid that would go on a 5-gallon bucket. In addition to it rotating as you sit (if needed) ...

...it's also nicely padded! You can pop the seat off as needed to store something inside and best of all...

...the bucket handle will still flip up to make it easy to carry around. I've found myself using it all over the house and garage. It's a great thing to just have when you are putting a piece of furniture together or sorting through a box, 2nd Man has even used it when cleaning the glass doors in the shower.

And recently, we've also used it to sit down when feeding the kitten.

Just thought we'd pass the info along in case anyone is looking for something like this. I bought ours at Home Depot while looking for the buckets but they sell them HERE on Amazon.

A HAPPY AND HOPEFUL POST

2026-09-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

After the sadness of the previous post, we have to show you the good that is remaining.

This was the day after we lost the last of the four.

The vet recommended that we continue to bottle feed him since he has taken to it so well. Babygirl has now shown complete disinterest. She was good for a few times but we think she was so confused, she will just look at him, sniff him and then want back outside for her food. He has at least nursed a little in the beginning and gotten some of her antibodies but the vet agreed that this was safest way for him to have the best chance.

He has settled in well. This is him at 7 days old.

We brush him with a toothbrush (supposed to remind them of mama's tongue) after he eats and gets cleaned up and he will fall asleep in your hand...making little purring noises and kneading his paws.

He's starting to move around and working his legs.

So cute.

He's a wiggly worm when you hold him. Hard to get a clear picture, ha.

Our neighbor "J" said he looks like a little old man in this picture!

We have him set up in a cardboard box (to retain heat), with a heating pad underneath and towels and fleece blankets on top of that which are swapped out daily while the used ones are being washed.

How cute is this? Sleeping kitten!

But we saved the best for last (click to enlarge):

Look at that little freshly fed tummy, all cleaned up and warm in his nest, back legs drawn up, not a care in the world. Trying hard not to get too attached.

We have a nickname we call him but no formal name though we are leaning toward something specific if we end up keeping him...stay tuned.

He lost four of his siblings but now he is apparently getting two grown men wrapped around his little paw.

#livinghisbestlife

A SAD POST

2026-09-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for the kind words. We are doing OK but it has been rough.

So a week ago yesterday, we went out on the porch to feed Babygirl and found a litter of five newborn kittens. New in the sense of just maybe an hour or two before. You can read about that HERE if you missed it.

We brought them all in and tried to get them settled. The kittens were small. The first thing we did was weigh them. They ranged from 68g to 74g.

According to the vet, the average weight of a healthy newborn kitten is 85-115g. They were tiny.

We put a heating pad, blankets and everything else to get them all comfortable. Babygirl came in and would try to feed them but she was so distracted and/or they couldn't latch on as often as they should/could.

The vet said to bottle feed them and we did, every few hours, day and night. They gained a little weight but not much. Mama's milk wasn't helping either.

Then Sunday night we lost the littlest one. We wrapped him a clean white washcloth so he would be warm and safe. He was at peace.

We were very sad but thought he was the smallest of them all and we knew we had tried our best. We had to focus on the others.

Then, suddenly, we lost another the next day.

And then we lost two more at the same time a couple of days later. We woke up for their feeding and they were gone. To say we were devastated would be an understatement.

We had been talking with the vet and he said based on their weight and size, they were most likely very premature, maybe as much as a week or two.

We showed them that picture of Babygirl from the Monday before and he said that would explain why she did not look pregnant and why she just suddenly gave birth on the concrete porch without any nesting set up. She may not have even realized she was pregnant. After some research, kittens this small have an extremely high mortality rate, even with round the clock care. They told us they were underdeveloped and most likely their organs weren't fully formed and probably were not able to digest properly.

It was a very long week...

We are sad for Babygirl but she seems to have not really missed them like we have. She is her usual self. Maybe she didn't really understand the sudden birth and have that connection, but we got lots of pictures for the memories in the years to come. This is one of our favorites.

There were five and we lost four. We have one left...and he now has our full attention.

More on him in the next post and teaser, he's doing great so far!

He is getting us through the hard parts...

IT HAS NOT BEEN GOOD

2026-09-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

More coming soon when we have more news, but long story short, we have lost some of the kittens.

To say we are heartbroken is an understatement.

More of an update coming as we try to keep the rest alive. Vet is assisting us.

It is sad out here on the farm...

CAT SUNDAY SURPRISE

2026-09-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Are you sitting down?

Let me preface this by saying that this coming Wednesday, Babygirl had an appointment at the Vet clinic for a spaying at 8am.

This picture was taken on Labor Day evening. In fact, this picture was going to be today's picture. Does anything look different about her? She looks normal right? Maybe gained a little weight and maybe we overfed her a bit but she looked healthy. Went out to feed her Friday morning and this greeted us:

A litter of newborn kittens!

WHAT THE HECK? Did she LOOK pregnant in that other picture? It's the weirdest thing. We've seen pregnant cats before and it's usually pretty obvious. She did NOT look pregnant.

This picture was after we picked them up and put them in a box with a towel. I didn't take a picture of the graphic moment we saw the pile of kittens as there was some blood and birth remnants. Don't need to photograph that, seeing it was enough, ha. Babygirl was sitting on the rocking chair cleaning herself. The kittens were already clean too (though the porch was a bit of a mess, ha).

We immediately brought them inside along with her.

Here they are.

Five little kittens. Four of them look healthy and have fat little tummies. One (actually, #1 in this pic) is a bit weaker and had some blood around his mouth when we brought them in. We think she might have started giving birth on the rocking chair or table and this one might have fallen off. Then she moved to the corner behind a pillow on the porch floor and had them there.

At first, we put them all on the screened in porch. She went crazy being inside and decided that the screens might be an easy way out. We stopped that right away (no damage, thank goodness) and moved the family inside. We set up a cardboard box and some towels. She fed them and we tried keeping her inside but she is not meant to be inside right now. She will stay and feed them and clean them and then starts running around wanting out in a panic. Per the vet, we don't want her to get so stressed that she abandons them or stops producing milk entirely. We decided the best move is to let her in and out: she goes out on the porch and sleeps on the chair or table and stays outside...

...and we open the door, she comes in, feeds them, cleans them and then gets restless again and wants back out. We are NOT letting the kittens be outside for their safety, so this will have to work. After some more consultation with the vet, we decided to get bottles and formula so we can supplement them when she is not around or at 3am in the morning, etc.

It was off to Tractor Supply (love that store now) on my lunch break to get some supplies.

We got a can of KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) and two bottle sets (one for each of us to use). We figured the full set with cleaning brush and different nipples was better to have around instead of just a bottle, in case some other baby animals make their appearance out here someday, ha.

We also bought a jumbo plastic litter pan (to keep them contained, for now anyway, ha) and some pee pad liners and extra blankets and towels.

So, this will be our life for the next few weeks. Already have one adopted out when they are of age. Vet has graciously agreed to check out all the kittens for free and once she is at the right point after initial nursing, she will be spayed so she does not have to go through this anymore. Vet said they will reach out to us in a few weeks.

Never a dull moment!

CRAZY WEEK AND EVEN CRAZIER SURPRISE

2026-09-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

This week, short as it may be, has been crazy. At my office, our A/C was out in the building and when we left on Tuesday midday, it was almost 90 in the office. A six story building with no air conditioning in the middle of Houston heat/humidity. Yeah, we weren't doing that, ha. Our awesome boss told us all to work from home. That is great but it has thrown off my routine.

Then the even crazier surprise happened yesterday morning.

I threw this post together suddenly yesterday to get it ready to post today but had to go get some things. Don't worry, it's not bad. It happened fast and it's fun, though as we said, very unexpected. It will keep us busy for the next few weeks.

Will have a post about it tomorrow with pictures. Lots of pictures tomorrow and lots of pictures coming in the days and weeks ahead.

I hope to get some yard work done this weekend and 2nd Man will cook some good food, that's for sure!

Hope you all have a great weekend started!

CHECK IN TOMORROW.