Happy 2016!

Meet the critter crew at Fitzgerald's Family Farm: 

Some of the old crew:

Petey.  Making a silly face.

Daisy.  Pitiful as ever. 

Tigger.  Breakfast time.

Violet.  No the camera is not sideways.  Her head is!

Rosie.  She didn't want to stand still for a photo.  

Flower.  Digging into breakfast and, hopefully, bred!

Candy Cane.  She doesn't like to leave her spot by the wood stove. 

Boots.  Serene as ever. 

and Hobbes.  The great hunter.  

Now meet some of the new crew!

Do you remember Lady?  She was in the pasture near our house and has finally moved to our barn!

Sassy.  Our 27-year-old formerly wild mustang.  

Bandit.  The only boy of the horse bunch. 

Of course, as a gelding, he has to get up close to see what's going on.  

Willow.  Formerly known as, Ever, she's still getting used to things and did not like the look of my camera!

Oops.  An old face.  Ducky, and two of his three girls.  

A new rooster.  I raised all buff orpington's last year.  He is a replacement rooster for Foghorn Leghorn - who was off eating somewhere.  He is as yet unnamed because if he's a mean rooster his name will become chicken soup!

Rooster number two.  This guy was one of the little fluff bundles that came walking out of the weeds this summer.  So far he doesn't have a name, but he seems to be pretty mellow.  

William,  who we suspect may be Willhelmina.  My friend gave him/her to me as a rooster, but if he/she is a hen she'll go back to live with them.  It is a beautiful lavender orpington with a rooster tail, but not showing other rooster characteristics yet!  

And that's it!  Sweet Pea, the gilt, left for freezer camp after four unsuccessful (trust me - eyes on and she was definitely bred) breedings.  

We wish you a very Happy New Year!