Update on Willow and Sunshine

Willow is ... well ... a bit, shall I say ... shy with the other cats at this point yet. They all don't seem to mind her, but she gets a little miffed if they get closer than a foot away.

She comes to visit us at the sliding door in the morning and at night. Just like the others do. When we call out: "Here kitty kitty food food" she is right there with everyone else - all the way up to the oak trees where everyone gets fed. However, we are still reserving a bit to take to the barn for Willow and she follows us there for her portion. We don't think she is quite ready to integrate at the regular feeding station at this point.

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We had some exciting news from Dell, our Personal Ponies representative, yesterday.

Sunshine is lead line ride-able!

That was great news! As no one was sure about that. He hasn't been ridden for the past few years at the equine therapy and riding center in Kansas City (interesting note here... it's name is Jakes ~ hmmmm).

Sunshine is a palomino UK Shetland Pony.

She thinks he might be 42". Isn't he a cutie!

This is Sunshine sporting his winter coat a few years ago.

This is Smokey.

He is a bit shorter than Sunshine.

Oh so Handsome!

Isn't his coloring just beautiful! And Sunshine!

Aren't they both just so hug-ably sweet!

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I think we have made a decision about the barn now.

It gets pretty mucky in there when it rains due to the fact that it is down hill from a pretty good slope and runoff generally runs right down the center of it. We would have to put in a drainage system in order to get it to work so-so at best. Instead, we have decided to put up a small 3 or 4 stall shed on the east side of the oak trees. That way it will stay cooler in the heat of the summer, it won't take up any paddock space and we can put a man door on the west side of it to enter. I am going to try to work up a plan that would incorporate a space for Red and his lady friend to be. As well as the bunnies with a small run area for them off the barn so the children can play with them outside as well as in the sheep's stall area.

I have a feeling that when we can't see Miranda anywhere ... she will be in there.

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On another very happy note:

Congratulations! to our friends, Kristi & Dave and their children: Josiah, Benjamin, Isaiah, Clare, Regina,
Dominic, Jeremiah, and Maggie Rose of MN.

They have a new baby boy in their house.

William Peter was born July 8th.

What a handsome wee one... just feast your eyes on those soft Rosy cheeks.

Oh how precious!

Congratulations!

Willow

Willow

Isn't there a rule or something that if you have a farm named "Willow..." something or another that you should have a pet with that name?

Introducing Willow ~ the newest addition to Jacob's Friends:

I had a Dr. appointment today in Houston. (The one in Texas County, MO.)

On our way home we decided to check out a place on the map in the Mark Twain National Forest named Nobkin Lake. It has probably the smallest concrete dam I have ever seen and is just beautiful. The problem is that it doesn't look like the rangers have taken any action in it for quite some time and there are no trash cans and beer bottles and refuse are on the tables. All in all it still looks like a great place to catch some blue gill!

Anyway, on our way back into the car I spotted something on a picnic table in the distance. And we all started wondering aloud what it was. Robert got there first ~ of course. And found a grey cat. She was so friendly and rubbed right up against his hand.

Well, we brought her home and with much debate on her name decided on Willow.

She was a trooper in the car. Very curious of what was going on outside. And investigated everything in the car. But, when offered some people food she did not take it. I'm sure she was a bit nervous. We are sure that the last time she took a car ride she was left at the park. She sat alternately in Miranda and Robert's laps on the way home. As Miranda was petting her she was kneading.

Her first meal is being served in the front hallway with de-wormer on it right now. She started purring within minutes!

She is enjoying the attention and would probably be outside already... but you wouldn't believe the downpour we are getting here right now! What a storm! Well, at least she is getting a comfortable welcome with Miranda and hopefully the outside kitties will welcome her when she gets out there.

She is quite skinny and jumped on her bowl of food when I gave it to her. When I came back to take pictures she came over to me and walked around me rubbing up against me as if to say "Thank You". She looks to be a young thing and was definitely a pet until recently. I bet her former "kid owner" really misses her.

OK so this brings our cat total to ..... ten .... yes, that is what I wrote... can't believe it myself. There are 9 outside though so that makes things a LOT different. And the eight black ones are great mousers! The only thing is that we now have two to get spayed (don't forget Molly the puppy). At least we have a little time with Molly, but I think we have to get Willow done within a few months. I would like to see her put on some weight before we take her in. She is all skin and bone. We don't think she would have made it much longer

Addendum: When we took Willow outside a couple of our cats came to see what was up. Beguerra and Ivy were greeted with a cougar like loud hissing noise out of wee Willow. Amazing that a sound that loud could come out of such a tiny cat! Well, they jumped back and off the sidewalk quite a distance and stayed that way. She was then taken back inside, but we had to make a decision as to what to do with her. In the end we took her out to the barn with her food and water and gave her a spot in the trays so she could "hide" from the others and hopefully settle in.