Here are a couple of my favorite moments at the sanctuary this last week.
Seeing George always makes me happy. Seeing him munching on greens makes me happier.
The cats often find the best places to perch. That doesn’t mean they want their photo taken though.
No more photos, thanks.
Filed under cats, tortoise, winslow farm
I can’t believe that my last post was in 2014. A lot has happened since then. I’m coming up on eight years at Winslow in a few weeks and I now have 6 cats and a dog. (I know, right?!) I plan on posting regularly again, for real this time. I also plan on diving into the experience of living with so many animals.
In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite recent photos. Enjoy!
Archer soaking up the sun with his best buddy, Roscoe, in the back.
Scamp showing off her beautiful smile.
Biff in a blanket.
A smile from George.
Have a great week!
Filed under animals, archer, cat menagerie, cats, dogs, donkeys, tortoise, winslow farm
My job is so busy and so wonderful but coming home at night to write has fallen away from me, I’m sad to report. My last post was about sweet Pandy’s passing and I still feel a pang for her each time I visit the farm.
I miss her so.
It’s all part of the bittersweet moments that make up being part of a rescue or having any animal in your life, really. The probability that you will experience their death is always there. So, take all the moments that you can with them.
Here are some photos of other friends at the farm that I’ve taken while my has sat waiting.
Athena was shorn along with the rest of the sheep at the beginning of May. Her face wasn’t entirely done so as she’s gotten more comfortable with me touching her (I’ve gotten to where I can pet her without needing to give her treats! Full body pets!), I’ve pulled off what I could. I happen to really like the look though, so mostly I just go for the pieces that are really loose.
And if you don’t like it, this is what Athena thinks of you!
The alpacas were shorn in the middle of June. This was actually a somewhat scary situation because there aren’t a lot of people willing to shear alpacas. It’s a dangerous undertaking for both the animals and the people involved, so unless the animals belong to the shearer, many won’t undertake the risk. Deb sent out pleas nationwide and finally someone came forward to do it. (Thank you!) Alpacas need to be shorn each summer so that they don’t overheat, which they can do very easily and it can be fatal. So, while they remained furry, we kept a special eye on them for signs of distress. I was thrilled to arrive a few weeks ago and see them sans fur!
First up, Pisca and Karolina. I especially love the patch of white that runs down Karolina’s back legs.
Ms. Noelle!
A cat nap is pretty glorious…
…any way you look at it!
Niko is going to have eye surgery soon and I am very happy about that. I haven’t posted about her in a long time, but she’s one of the cats who lives in Mooney’s barn (the name of the barn where Spirit, Lunar, Athena and Gully live) and she’s as sweet as ever, even when in terrible pain.
Willow and Spirit becoming friends!
There is a new structure near the big barn that was built for the goats. They’re kind of terrified of it though so it’s rare to actually see a goat on it. One afternoon, while feeding treats to Mervin at the end of my visit, I decided that he and I should go on an adventure.
Here he is checking out the structure. “I don’t think so…”
His opinion stayed on the “no, thank you” track until I pulled the treats back out. And climb it we did! He discovered that there was tasty hay on the top, too. He even climbed around on the lower levels and followed me back up for a second trip.
My plan, when it’s not a million degrees out, is to do this with a bunch of goats.
Last week, my friends came to the farm so I spent time all over the farm with them. I haven’t seen my turkey love in forever! He was just as affectionate as always and I plan to get into the bird house again soon.
Noelle, mid-bite!
I haven’t seen the donkeys in forever. Jezebel is such a beauty and has the sweetest disposition. And she’s soooo soft.
They got to meet Gully and that’s always the greatest experience ever. (For me. He’s actually pretty standoffish with strangers.) Oh, Gully, my Gull. I love you endlessly.
And since it’s July, there are tons and tons of dragonflies around, so I’ll end this catch-up post with another one of my favorite creatures on this earth.
Have a happy week!
Follow me on Twitter (@mindingtheminis) or Instagram (mindingtheminis) if you want to see live tweets from the farm on Sunday afternoons!
What a joy it was this week to be there as late as 6:15 and it was still light out! I love spring so much. No more snow storms, please! I’ve already broken the top off of two plastic shovels at home since I haven’t gotten it into my head that you can’t step on the top of them.
I spent most of the time enjoying the great weather and hanging out with the animals. Dan, an amazing kid who’s essentially Deb’s number two, witnessed Athena rush me for treats. “Wow, she really comes right up to you,” he commented. I was proud of both Athena and myself at that moment.
Here are my favorite photographs of the day:
The always elegant Spirit
Delilah looking super innocent perched on a fence post.
And this snorty snout belongs to Miss Willow!
I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Don’t forget to follow on me on Twitter (twitter.com/mindingtheminis) if you’d like to experience Winslow with me on Sunday afternoons.
Meet Cookie!
I’d never met him before Sunday. Never even seen him in fact, but Deb said that he’s been there for a while. He popped out of the woodwork while I was hanging out with Pandy and hung out with me (he was pretty hissy at her) for a while. I’ve never seen a cat willing to roll around in the snow so I was happy that I caught this little guy on tape doing just that.
I also discovered quickly that he’s the type to be SUPER affectionate and then give you a hearty swipe to let you know who’s in charge. So, we kept our friendship at arm’s length. I’m always happy when I make new kitty friends at the farm and Cookie was no exception.
Filed under cats, photography, videos, winslow farm
Somehow I moved right past fall and into winter without writing a real post. For the most part, it’s the sounds that change the most for me. While summer is filled with the buzzing of bugs and heavy air, fall creeps in silently leaving behind the noisy insects (I do miss the dragonflies, of course) and I’m able to focus on the quiet munching sounds that my friends in the barn make. I could sit in that barn listening forever.
Very little changes with the animals themselves. They go about their business and days must feel pretty similar to them. I tend to my chores and relish the time that I spend with them. I spend a great deal of time cuddling with Gully, who’s back to his affectionate self, his super huggy, head butting, best goat friend of mine self.
One thing that’s new and really exciting for me is that my relationship with Athena has really developed. I’ve looked back in posts and realized that the recent stories about her are stuck in my brain and not on the blog yet. Where to begin? Well, first off, after Athena finishes eating, she sits on the ground. I started to use this time as an opportunity to give her head rubs which she immediately HATED but was unable to jump up and run away from me and then a second later LOVED because they feel awesome. Who doesn’t love head scratches? Not Athena! So, every time I’d do this, it would terrify her at first until she remembered that she likes the feeling and she’d close her eyes and lean into them. So that’s pretty huge news on the Athena front and I could stop right there and be perfectly happy, but it gets even better! Treats have become a new line of communication for us, allowing her to interact with me on her own terms. I’ve always given them to her but used to just break them up and add them to her bowl. One time, I put one in front of her nose and she sniffed cautiously and took a bite. Interesting. We continued that dance for a while until recently when she became bold about asking for them. She’d lift her head with sniffs to see if I had one in my hand and if I did, she’d make it clear that she’d like one. Today, however, she walked right up to me, almost cornering me against the barn door and ate the treat with such oomph that my finger actually touched her teeth. Twice! Unbelievable! Perhaps soon she’ll let me pet her while she’s standing up…
Yesterday was the first real snowfall of winter here and the snow had finished its journey to the ground by the time I woke up this morning but everything was still covered in fluffy powder. Best of both worlds when tromping out to the farm. I brought my camera along since it’s been dark by the time I’ve gotten there for the last month and here are some of the images that I captured.
One of the many entrances to the enchanting world.
Part of the snowy landscape.
One of the rabbit houses, glowing with lights.
Beautiful Athena basking in the sun.
Spirit begged for the treats in my pocket and started to eat snow off of the gate to distract me from his real motive.
After I wouldn’t give into his request though, he stole some from the back of the tractor!
The mallards have been much calmer, as of late, but still pretty awesome.
Little Miss Zoey, who has gotten super fat lately, squishing herself under the fence to see me.
Levi acts like a dog so he gets to wear a doggie coat!
And last, but certainly not least, these two guys are perched on the fence like this every time I leave now. They wait until all of the animals have gone into their barns and cozy places and they get hunker down.
I’d like to introduce you to my sweet friend.
Mrs. Turtle lost her leg after being hit by a car (before she came to Winslow). She gets along just fine without it and is a super loud purrer and extremely affectionate. I make sure to visit with her every week and most of the time she finds me before I can seek her out. Ah, friendship.
What a pretty lady!
Filed under cats, photography, winslow farm
I like that Pandy chose this spot to watch Deb.
The girls had their greatest greatest haircuts yet. A little New Wave? Perhaps a bit Tina Turner?
Nothing exciting to report about Levi, except that he’s still adorable. Look at that ear! He still hasn’t graduated out of the cat house…
I haven’t mentioned my turkey friend in FOREVER!!! I was stalking the peacocks this week (photos to come) and he tracked my movements from inside the bird house. I love that little guy so much.
Zoey, here, hitched a ride on my back while I took photos. She purred like a crazy person and head-butted me. Super distracting!
And then she took a well deserved nap on top of a pile of wool. It’s tough work being so cute!
Filed under alpacas, cats, dogs, goats, photography, turkey, winslow farm
Where to begin?
Cubby was waiting to go inside when I arrived at the farm. He only has one eye now and the remaining one sees very little, but he plugs along. Such a little trooper!
“Who opens gates? Amateurs.”
Lunar, hamming it up at the fence!
“Uh, we’re waiting!”
Gully takes a scratching break.
Messy, messy girl!
Traffic jam…
I know they look like regular roosters, but these guys are about a foot long. Their INCREDIBLY LOUD voices certainly make up for their pint size, though.
“Yes, I am a gentleman. Why do you ask?”
Look for my post later in the week that’s all about the baby!
I’m adding a new feature on my blog. Every Wednesday, I’ll upload a video from the farm.
This week’s pick is of this awesome bunny (who let me pet him!!! I think!) and his crush on one of the many gorgeous cats on the farm.
Filed under bunnies, cats, humor, winslow farm
Minding the Minis 