additions
This is why I haven’t been around for the last week or so:
Also this: 
And then there is this:
I wrote about losing my sweet girl Gigi last summer. I didn’t write about how almost exactly a month later, Dune also died from a tumor in his lung. It was just too sad. So now, after living for seven months with no cats in our house, we brought home two new babies. Officially, they are Mr. Lucy’s Birthday/Christmas presents, although, honestly, I was ready for a new kitty myself. So up there at the top is Petey, and the little calico/bengal mix is Lucy. We decided that we really ought to have someone in our house actually named Lucy. Now that I think about it, I’m going to have to come up with a new nickname for Mr. Lucy, because otherwise that would imply that he is married to our cat, which is just weird. As he is a very private person, he doesn’t like his actual real name to be used on the internet. Maybe someone in my family will have a better suggestion?
So, anyway, Petey and Lucy are 8 months and 9 months old, respectively. We got them from the Helen Woodward Animal Center, which is such a nice facility. They had been there for about 6 months, and were living together in the same kennel. It’s completely different having two kittens, we didn’t realize how used we were to our old cats. These two are either bouncing off the walls, or doing this: 
There doesn’t seem to be an in-between state for them. Although this morning it was so warm we had the back door open and they discovered the chickens:
One or both of them were at the door until I left for work. As far as I know, they could still be there. It’s like television for cats!
Expect to see more of this little buggers, although it’s taken me all week to get any decent pictures of them, they move so fast. I still have to get a good picture of Lucy with her golden tiger eyes open.
As for the chickens, remember how I had 19 hens, and had given 4 to one co-worker and 3 to another? Well, the three hens turned out to be 2 hens and a rooster. And since that co-worker lives in a residential area, the rooster was kind of a problem. So we agreed to trade one of my hens for the rooster, and now the lucky devil gets to live here with 18 hens. Oddly enough, they had named him General Tso, before they realized she was a he. How’s that for foreshadowing? Here is another picture of him:
He’s quite the looker. He’s an Araucana, and he crows. A lot. This morning at 4:30 our neighbor started up his Harley. This woke up the General and he started crowing. We didn’t hear the Harley, but we sure did hear the General. If nothing wakes him up during the night, he starts to crow at about 6:30, which is alright during the week, because I should really be up by then myself. On Saturday? Not so much. We’re getting used to the sound though, and I think it will eventually just be another background noise here on the farm.
Okay, so it’s almost that time of year to start thinking baby chicks at our house and I’m so excited because I think we are going to get an Araucana this year and also a Buff Orpington and a Barred Rock. We will probably add at least 6 more chicks to our little flock. Excited for spring!
Meant to tell you that our grown up chickens have taken to standing out on the back porch and clucking and pecking on the dog door until I come out and give them a morsel of something. Spoiled children.
Your cats are really cute. I almost want one myself. I don’t think Mr. P will go for it though. As for the new name for Mr. Lucy, that’s a tough one. Maybe something associated with where he works? I’ll keep on thinking, but I don’t give any garauntees that I’ll actually come up with anything useful.
Love the kittens, adorable, and in a way I’m a little jealous of your having a rooster. Our first lot of chicks grew into two hens and a rooster, well actually we call them cockerils in England. Ours was very beautiful and thw whole neighbourhood loved to hear him crow, honestly evryone commented on how nice it was! He was always very gentle with the children although he did spur Stuart once or twice!
Sorry to hear about Dune. We found out yesterday that our #1 cat, Cassius, has a tumor and won’t be with us much longer, so we share your pain and your joy at the new arrivals.
We were shocked that one of our 3 Aracaunas was a rooster!He is pure white, tho. The crowing doesn’t bother us at all, as the hen house sits far enough away from our house that we really can’t hear him. Also, we insulated their house really well, with all the cold we get here. Now when he is outside, it’s another matter! He crows a lot! So far, he has been a good rooster. The Aracaunas are a shy breed, so I think possibly that is why he is not aggressive toward us.