Whistling Ducks Farm Belize

Happy The Thief

2010-11-21T20:30:00.003-06:00

Cheeky Little Happy had a great time at the main house the other day, played with all the dogs, especially gentle Queenie and small Alaska, and proudly carried one of the toys off to her little house, where she unfortunately had to go back to, to be quarantined again because another tapeworm showed up. But she is getting all better, the medicine and vitamins and the love and care are working well.

i

Visiting Gaby and Hans at the Garceta Lodge

2010-11-21T17:19:00.004-06:00

Two lovely people live at the other end of our village, Gaby and Hans, and we finally had the time to visit them for a few hours last Sunday. We had a great time with coffee and cake and a glass of wine at the river. They have loads of animals at their place, and it is simply gorgeous! There is also a little crocodile in the pond that wandered up from the river during the last flood, and lots of guinea hens, and chicken.

Coatimundis, usually roaming free, but caged for our convenience because they like to jump on peoples backs :-)

The view from the veranda.

Gaby and the parrot, I think his name was Charlie!

Hans posing with this imposing tree!
Aracari coming for a bite of papaya.

Ant Motels

2010-11-21T17:16:00.002-06:00

If I didn't dislike ants so much, especially the fire ants which leave me with itching blisters, I could actually appreciate their building abilities!

Veterans Day Moussaka

2010-11-21T17:13:00.002-06:00

In honor of Robbie, who is an AF veteran, I made one of her favorite dishes: Greek "Moussaka", with layers of potatoes, eggplant, meat sauce, bechamel sauce and cheese. It was really yummy!

Art Studio "Hobby Lobby" is getting doggie-proof

2010-11-21T17:05:00.004-06:00

Now, that Ms. Happy can come out into her dog run, she has figured out that screen material does not hold up to her sharp claws. So the bottom of the Hobby Lobby is getting a rustic look now - I like it a lot! And Happy is watching very attentively ... BUMMER, no more tearing through!

Rembrandt and Queenie Relaxing

2010-11-10T22:46:00.003-06:00

The two visiting Irish Setters, Rembrandt and Queenie, are having a good time at the farm! There is lots of room to run and play, and our dogs are having fun with them too now. Of course, after a while, it is good to have a pillow to rest your tired head on :-)

Happy gets introduced into the Family

2010-11-10T22:35:00.003-06:00

During her first visit at the main house, tough little Happy was completely unimpressed by the other, huge dogs and the two visiting dogs hovering over her. She made herself comfy, played a bit, rested and was just what she was supposed to be: a Happy Dog at the Happy House.

For the time being, she is just coming over to visit, and actually since yesterday, she is back in quarantine at the Hobby Lobby and her dog run, because we found a huge tape worm.

But the vet was here already and as soon as she is all good, she will come back to the main house to see her doggie friends!

She is nothing but a HOUND DOG :-)

2010-11-10T22:17:00.004-06:00

Enjoy another mini movie with Happy at the Happy House!

Wiley Done First Pre-Race Exercise

2010-11-10T21:48:00.002-06:00

Wiley is being prepared for the next race on the 19th of November, right here in Santa Familia. Daily exercise sessions are a MUST!

Claudia makes PIZZA!

2010-11-10T21:42:00.003-06:00

That was definitely the yummiest homemade pizza I have ever had!

Happy has a House!

2010-11-10T21:40:00.001-06:00

We are slowly preparing the new dog run for Happy to live in as soon as she is all healthy. The dog house is set up and will soon be improved with a little shade roof ...

Frog eats Gecko

2010-11-10T21:19:00.003-06:00

I thought that frogs only eat insects. Duh. Not true. This froggie here had himself a gourmet meal with a fat gecko.

Happy at the Happy Farm - 3 weeks

2010-11-02T22:12:00.005-06:00

Happy "Chow Hound" has now been at the farm about 3 weeks and is doing a lot better. We are treating her for unidentified fever and she has not had all her shots yet, but she is eating well and feeling better all in all.
Treated her skin with Nu-Stock mixed with baby oil - this stuff is absolutely amazing, even the hair started growing again over the bald, raw spots! And of course she got a bath, too, every couple of days.
She loves to play, but hates to get her feet wet :-)

Her dog run is still being worked on, David made her a little veranda and Gilmar put a sign at the fence with her job description :-)

Female Watchdog Enforcement

2010-11-02T10:19:00.003-06:00

While Rembrandt is going for a ride to town with Franklin and Claudia, Queenie is doing a really good job helping the other two girls, Alaska and Molly, when they are on watchdog duty! She is very attentive and taking it very seriously! I am glad that it looks like the girls are finally all getting along.

Claudia and Franklin - Finally here!

2010-11-02T10:15:00.003-06:00

We are really happy to have Claudia and Franklin staying with us for a while until their land is cleared and the house is set up. They are lovely people and fun to be around. Franklin is so wonderful helping out with all these little broken things in the house and Claudia cooks heavenly. The doggies are beautiful and well behaved, well, most of the time :-). We are having a great time!

Cousin IT is Visiting!

2010-11-02T10:11:00.003-06:00

Y'all know the Addams Family? Ever seen Cousin It? Well, look no further, just come to the Whistling Ducks Farm. He was just here visiting :-) From Corozal!

Thanks for visiting, Wolfgang, we had a great time with you!

Froggie Alarm

2010-11-02T10:08:00.002-06:00

Something else in my kitchen - besides ssssssnakes, ants, roaches, etc. - which I don't like. Frogs. Don't matter how cute they look. The good thing is that I found a spot which my cleaning lady has never discovered. Obviously.

The Princess and the Pea

2010-11-02T10:06:00.002-06:00

Alaska, our little "Lab Mix", sometimes acts like a princess, needing a soft pillow for her head ...

The Kitchen Fairy is Wielding her Wand uh Tools

2010-11-02T10:01:00.002-06:00

Claudia is cooking the most wonderful dishes in my little kitchen! She is a real magician and conjures up really cool stuff!

Chasing Kitty Cats

2010-10-29T20:56:00.003-06:00

The new canine house guests are truly lovely, but they chase our cats away, wanting to play with them. Rembrandt, Queenie, you do NOT play with a cat by throwing 50 pounds after them and vigorously wagging your tail. Most of our cats were thus hiding out in the trees ...

And another sssssnake ...

2010-10-29T20:38:00.002-06:00

This time it was a relatively harmless snake, a cat-eyed snake. But please, not in my KITCHEN!

New Neighbors!

2010-10-29T19:57:00.006-06:00

Our friends Claudia and Franklin, who arrived at the farm on Tuesday, are staying in the guesthouse for a few weeks with their lovely Irish setters, Rembrandt and Queeny. They get along ok with our dogs, although Molly is still acting a bit bitchy. Well, if she would consider Rembrandt as her future boyfriend ... this might paint a different picture. On one photo I did see her eyeing him ... so maybe she will get over her jealousy soon and feel ok with him.

The Happy Mini Movie

2010-10-26T03:13:00.003-06:00

Hurricane Richard mows down trees at Whistling Ducks Farm

2010-10-26T00:59:00.007-06:00

Luckily, this was the most damage it did: lots of fruit and other trees got destroyed when Hurricane Richard steamrolled through Cayo on Sunday night. All people and all dogs, horses, cats and chickens are fine, but the yard and gardens were heavily destroyed. Monday morning, Gilmar and David, equipped with a chainsaw and rakes and wheelbarrows, did a lot of cleaning up, but there is still lots to do ...

The plum tree ...

The Front Yard

The Garden

The area around the "Tipazebo" (combination of Tipi, Palapa and Gazebo)

Chinese Art while Hurricane Richard rages

2010-10-26T00:53:00.005-06:00

When in the midst of a hurricane and you are in a safe place, but there is no electricity and nothing else to do ... one could pull out her birthday present from LAST year and finally play with the Chinese Brush Painting Set! And paint ... a rabbit! Gosh that was FUN to do!

Happy at the Happy Farm - 2 weeks

2010-10-26T00:46:00.002-06:00

Happy is putting on weight daily because she eats like a small hippo :-) Finally, she is looking like a puppy is supposed to look like: round, not square. Skin is still rather bad and she is a bit feverish at times, but all in all feeling good, vet is not worried. Happy now has her own dog run AND a dog house - not living in it yet, though, she still needs to get healthier. We have a cute video also, which I will upload later!

Proud Owners of Whistling Ducks Farm

2010-10-26T00:35:00.003-06:00

All the title work is done and we picked up the paperwork at the Lawyers office last week. They did a great job and everything went smoothly. We celebrated at Old Belize with virgin cocktails and excellent coconut shrimp!

Oh Buddy Stop Snoring

2010-10-25T01:25:00.001-06:00

Rattle Snake at Back Porch

2010-10-25T01:17:00.002-06:00

Glad that our Ms Molly is so attentive! She ran in circles and barked at something close to the house, which I realized after a while was a small rattle snake, deadly poisonous! Gilmar and Robbie managed to shuffle it into a glass container, it got shown around to neighbors and finally ended up being made into some medicine, also by one of the neighbors!

Happy at the Happy Farm - 1 Week

2010-10-16T22:53:00.004-06:00

More pictures of Ms Happy. She has been here a week now and is doing a lot better! She has her own collar now, her own food dish ... and she will have her own dog run next week.

Stray Puppy "Happy"

2010-10-11T22:49:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Robbie and our neighbor Williams caught a stray puppy that had been roaming the streets for a while now. She is an extremely skinny, about 3 month old Female. She was in our chicken coop, eating the chicken feed ...
We gave her some water and food and put her in the art studio. The vet came in the evening and then again today, to give her shots and vitamins. Gilmar gave her a flea and tick bath. She is suffering from malnutrition mostly and we hope we can bring her back to have a good life.
We are calling her "Happy", hoping that this is what she will be after we take care of her.
Her condition is heart-breaking ...

Blaze of Dust with WDF Brand

2010-10-11T22:44:00.002-06:00

Now that we had a few dry and not too hot days, it was the perfect time for Gilmar to brand the youngest of our horse family, Dusty's daughter, Blaze of Dust. She is a beauty who loves to run and is already almost as tall as her mum!

Escape Artists

2010-10-03T21:43:00.003-06:00

Some of our horses had a crazy day today. Two of the girls, Gilmar's race horse (who "left" the stall, of course without permission!!) and Ms Dusty, got everybody running around the field, save for Wiley and Stardancer who decided to stay in the cool spot on the hill. Everyone came home safely after Robbie whistled at them. She is not a horse whisperer, but a horse whistler :-)

Expressive Drawing in the Hobby Lobby

2010-10-03T21:33:00.004-06:00

We had loads of fun today in our art studio, the Hobby Lobby, doing expressive drawing on huge canvases. Our horseguy Gilmar joined in as well and we all enjoyed it tremendously. We sure have to do that more often!

Almost finished ...

Can you find the fish???

Robbie's picture

Gilmar's picture

Jana's picture

Creative Cooking!

2010-10-02T11:27:00.003-06:00

Yesterdays dinner: baked chicken breasts, basted with ginger, garlic, pepper and teriyaki sauce, sprinkled with honey and sesame seeds, with a flavorful coconut ginger sauce, and tomato pea basmati rice.

Thanks for the quick pix, Robbie!

Newspaper Clipping from Race Day

2010-09-26T23:14:00.004-06:00

The Star Newspaper printed our article from Race Day!

Click on the picture to enlarge it!

The whole newspaper can be found here (Page 4)

More Pictures from Race Day

2010-09-26T23:00:00.004-06:00

Because I was so excited during the race, none of my own pictures turned out good enough to put on this blog. So thanks to Robbie, Susanne, and Sheree, here are a few more impressions from Race Day in Santa Familia!

The Race Track

The Horse Stalls

The Finish Line!

David is celebrating Independence Day with his hat!

The Crowd is watching (also from the top of the tractors)

Wiley is doing his Lap of Honor

Wild Horse with a Wild Rider ...

Here they COME!!!

Imani getting ready for Independence Day

2010-09-21T21:49:00.002-06:00

Our vet Edwardo's paint horse, Imani, who is at the farm to be trained buy our horseman Gilmar, was getting prepared for the Independence Day Parade in San Ignacio today. What a proud and pretty horse!

Wiley Done First!!!

2010-09-20T12:10:00.001-06:00

Our "Wiley Done First" (WDF/Whistling Ducks Farm) WON the Santa Familia Equine Race Club category for Local Horses/Semi Trained. We are SO PROUD of him!

New Pool Position

2010-08-16T11:31:00.002-06:00

Having the pool sit halfway on the sewer system didn't seem like such a good idea so it got moved to another area, in front of the Secret Garden, right next to the office, which is now half pool shed with all the equipment inside. Gilmar built a really cool deck for it!

The Best 10 PM Cookies!

2010-08-16T11:23:00.003-06:00

What do you do when you get the munchies at 10 pm on a Friday night? You go into the kitchen and bake COOKIES! How about oatmeal cookies with cranraisins (gives them the "healthy touch" :-) This is what we made!!

The Pond!

2010-06-28T02:44:00.003-06:00

We had a pond dug out in the back, to make sure there is always water for the horses. We only had to wait one week - and then Tropical Storm Alex filled it up in only one single night! The pond is about 1/4 acre and if everything goes well, we will put some fish in ... how about going fishing for Tilapia in your own backyard :-)

Kitty Kisses

2010-06-28T02:38:00.002-06:00

Edwardo: I LUV my lil brother Alfredo!

Galen Students at The Stables

2010-06-16T11:39:00.004-06:00

Vet Edwardo Tesecum brought a bunch of students from Galen University to get hands-on experience on examining and treating horses. They were a great group and learned a lot, including the gelding of horses (it was Mr. Wileys BIG day :-)).

Time to Take a Nap! Zzzzz ....

2010-06-13T01:38:00.002-06:00

Ayeeeee! I am sliding!

2010-06-13T01:34:00.002-06:00

And always the Beauty of Flowers ...

2010-06-13T01:26:00.003-06:00

That's it for today. Make sure to find older posts which I just uploaded today, for October, November and December 2009. Enjoy! Have fun!

For my German friends.
Erstmal Schluss für heute. Schaut euch auch ein paar ältere Posts an, die ich heute erst hochgeladen hab, z. B. Oktober, November und Dezember 2009. Viel Spaß!

Snake ... in the Yard ...

2010-06-13T01:18:00.004-06:00

Seems to be harmless, maybe a whip snake. She stayed alive and was just ushered out of the yard.

Jürgen and Werner are going for a RIDE!

2010-06-13T01:14:00.002-06:00

What kind of gecko is this?

2010-06-13T00:30:00.005-06:00

This little guy was sitting under my desk the other day. Must be a special kind, does anyone know? The coloring was like that of a coral snake and very bright!

Friends from Germany visiting!

2010-06-13T00:14:00.004-06:00

Traude

Werner

Jürgen

Clouds over the Whistling Ducks Farm

2010-06-13T00:08:00.002-06:00

Beautiful cloud formations!

San Ignacio and Saturday Market

2010-06-12T17:47:00.003-06:00

You think I am sleeping??? Look again ...

2010-06-12T16:35:00.003-06:00

Closer ... look closer ... look at my RIGHT EYE. Hah, tricked ya, didn't I :-) Molly is really good at that!

Visiting Tre Robersons Equestrian Academy on the Western Highway

2010-06-12T16:25:00.004-06:00

Mary and Tre

Woah Horsey slow down .... :-)

Gilmar and Mary

Feathery Friends

2010-04-01T16:20:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, I cannot name any of them ... I do recognize the parrot, but that is about it ... help please from my dear bird people???

The Animal Farm

2010-03-04T21:52:00.004-06:00

Just a few pictures of the animals on the farm, Casanova the Handsome Rooster, Alfredo the orange/white cat, Edwardo the gray cat, some doggie pics (why is everybody sleeping and I am still up??) and of course, the horses!

Parsley and tomatoes!

2010-03-04T21:48:00.003-06:00

Never before saw parsley blooming. How pretty! And we got to taste our first tomato this year! LOVELY taste!

A Touch of Home

2010-03-04T21:44:00.003-06:00

To give the grass on our side a chance to grow a bit higher, we asked our neighbor if we could put our horses on her pasture. For one week, they had the chance to roam many many acres ... but they stayed mostly close to the fence to our property ... to get a Touch of Home :-)

Toucan on a Road Trip

2010-03-04T21:40:00.002-06:00

Robbie took niecie Yvette and our friend Kim for a road trip and encountered this beautiful specimen of a Toucan!

Kim and the Wranglers

2010-03-04T21:35:00.002-06:00

Our friend Kim came to visit us for a couple of weeks and went out for an evening ride with Gilmar and Bernie. They had a great time!

Santa Familia Research Center and Internet Cafe

2010-03-04T21:30:00.006-06:00

Thanks to a grant from the European Union and with the help of the University of Belize, we now have an Internet Cafe in Santa Familia, in our part of the village: San Jorge. The grant included the computers, the satellite setup and paint in EU colors. It is run by a group of young people with Robbie as the Project Manager. We wish them good luck and lots of success! We already got books from Sacred Heart Junior College, extra computer equipment from Rotary and wood for shelves from villagers!

Best Fruit Ever!

2010-03-04T21:26:00.003-06:00

We have several Pitahaya plants growing on the farm now. Really lovely fruit! And so pretty, too!

Jessica and Jon Oakes going for a Ride

2010-03-04T21:21:00.003-06:00

Gilmar Guy, our Horse Man/Carpenter/Allround Genie, asked if he could bring some people over to the farm on his horseback tour and we agreed. He brought two lovely young people who enjoyed hanging out with us.

The Hobby Lobby - Ready to Go!

2010-03-04T21:12:00.003-06:00

Now we have the shelves in, the water is connected, the work tables are built and the light is installed - READY TO GO!

Guinea Hen Parade

2010-03-04T21:11:00.002-06:00

Avocados from our own tree are the best!

2010-03-04T21:07:00.003-06:00

Even if they look a little bit funny and are not perfectly formed - they taste super! There are just always sooo many!

New Addition to the Guest House

2010-03-04T20:22:00.005-06:00

The Fairy Airy Guest House received an addition: The Hobby Lobby ... finally a space where we can splash around with paint, mess with cement, etc. etc.

Visiting Xunantunich with Kim and Yvette

2009-11-02T23:57:00.001-06:00

My absolute favorite ruin, especially early in the morning, when everything is misty and quite ... magic!

Banana Bank Horse Auction at Iguana Creek

2009-11-01T00:35:00.000-06:00

Our Horse Helper Bernie bought himself a horse (Peanuts) at the auction.

Winter in Belize!

2009-11-01T00:24:00.000-06:00

The best Snuggies Ad ever. Winter in Belize, Kim and Robbie freezing on the couches, so they pulled up the snuggies :-) Well, at 75 F what do you expect ...

Robbies Birthday October 2009

2009-10-26T16:16:00.001-06:00

Oh Boy, just found these pictures!! What a cool Party! Lots of wonderful presents, great food from Shalue at the Aguada, entertaining music ... and just a GREAT TIME!

Finally some shade ...

Bernie and Gilmar feeding the dogs ... BEER???? Just joking, doggies were pretty happy with whatever fell off the tables ... accidentally, of course!

John, Jack, Janet, Sheree and Marcus

Lovely Lohr girls :-)

Robbie's carrot cake!!

Shalues wonderful catering menu!

Independence Day Parade September 2009

2009-09-21T17:23:00.000-06:00

Wooof!

2009-08-16T15:48:00.007-06:00

And here a few new pictures of the dogs on the farm!

Magic, the oldest one, who really really loves people. A LOT! Ladies in dresses preferred! Pat him once and he will never leave your side again! Hates thunder and gun shots! Favorite expression: "Wait, wait, don't come through the gate yet. I gotta find a toy to bring you to welcome you, or a leaf, man, where is that leaf!"

Highlander, second oldest, a friendly guy in general ... who WILL bite if someone gets to close to his people! Molly loves him lots and kisses him whenever she sees him! His favorite expression, with a side glance to where the brush is: "I see the brush ... can I get brushed please ... I wanna look gooood!"

Alaska, the mini lab hound mix, who jumps 5 feet high without even needing any approach path. She is also the hunter in the dog family, chases guinea hens and chickens whenever she gets a chance! Knocks them out and when you take those completely shocked birds out of her mouth, she will give you the look, and an expression like "wadda mean, i can't eat them??"

And last, but not least, the baby ... Molly, a gentle soul, but she will growl when one of the cats sits on her head too long ... and her size alone is impressive! She could fit half of the cat in her mouth! Love of her life: Highlander! Favorite expression: "Ooooohhh Highlander, can you see me, look how I wiggle for you, just for you!"

Yin Yang Cats

2009-08-16T15:45:00.001-06:00

Alfredo and his sister Fancy Motley ... in Yin Yang Sleep Mode!

The Veggie Garden

2009-08-16T15:42:00.005-06:00

Robbie is doing a veggie garden project together with some neighbors and workers, they are planting cabbage, tomatoes, peppers and some corn to keep the bugs out. Neat little garden. Soon, we will plant some watermelons!!! I just have to eat the one I have to get the seeds out :-)

And even when it doesn't rain, there is always water from all the new catchment containers!

Guesthouse Path Lights

2009-08-16T15:39:00.002-06:00

To make it easier for guests to find their way along the path to the little guesthouse, we installed solar lamps on palm posts, they are pretty bright at night!

Kite!

2009-08-16T15:36:00.002-06:00

At the last party, we had kids flying Robbies kite in the field, which looked really cool!

First Rain ... First Flood

2009-08-16T15:30:00.003-06:00

Just a few days too much rain, and the roads of Santa Familia were flooded ... not as bad as last year, but the heavy rains are not here yet!!

Our creek

The road in front of our property

In the Village

Wild Turkey

2009-08-16T15:22:00.002-06:00

Something strange flew into the chicken coop the other day ... and we found out it was a wild turkey :-) It wandered around a bit, looked at the chickens and finally flew to the creek. We hope to see him again some day! Pretty guy!

The Bridge

2009-08-16T15:18:00.002-06:00

The new cement bridge over the creek is finally finished. Luckily, Gilmar finished it, after his brother Jason just dropped out and failed to show up any more. It is a very safe and sturdy bridge with rails. Just needs some paint, otherwise it is good!

The new back porch

2009-08-16T15:11:00.003-06:00

Gilmar and his boys built and painted the new back porch. We were thinking that - besides it being a pretty addition to the house - it would keep the dogs in when it is raining and muddy outside. Well, good thought. But we sure did not expect a dog acting like a cat and jumping the gate, in one stride she goes over ... and back again. That much for keeping a dog like Alaska inside.

Julia

2009-08-16T15:05:00.004-06:00

Our neighbor Javier's daughter, Julia, is now helping in the house from Monday to Friday, she has a 2 month old baby which her sister brings over every now and then. The baby's name is Maria Alexandra, what a cutie :-)

Sister with baby

The baby

Julia with her baby

Horses August 2009

2009-08-16T14:40:00.004-06:00

The new porch swing

2009-03-24T06:10:00.000-06:00

Robbie found this in Spanish Lookout and it fits perfectly between the two posts! The other bench is now on the front porch, right next to the orchids.

Rotary Pool Party

2009-03-24T00:45:00.005-06:00

Jana organized a Rotary Pool Party for her club, which took place at one of the members family home. It was a potluck dinner, so everybody brought yummy food and something to drink. A group of Rotarians was awarded with Paul Harris Awards with a Sapphire, and Jana was one of them. Maria Estella received her first Paul Harris Award and gave a nice little speech. The picture with all the people in line shows the Paul Harris Fellows of the club that were present at the party. The Paul Harris Awards at Jana's Club, the Rotary Club of San Ignacio, are usually given out by the club, but there are individuals who contribute to the Rotary Foundation themselves as well.

Slideshow! Horses March 2009

2009-03-24T00:21:00.001-06:00

Well, this is the first slideshow on this blog and we are still playing with it. Loads of fun doing it! When you start it, the slide show will open in a new window and have some music. You can stop the music, make the slideshow go faster, etc. etc.

Have fun!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Dinner Cats

2009-03-24T00:12:00.000-06:00

Our four cats are not always good friends, but when it is time for dinner, they are one great team!

Belize Tourism Video Trailer

2009-03-18T18:15:00.010-06:00

This is the trailer for a new video from the Belize Tourism Board ... if you want to get a short glimpse of the beauty of Belize ... or if you want to wallow in memories of your last visit here ... or if you didn't make it here yet and just need that final little push :-)

Check back on the website http://www.travelbelize.org/ if you want to see the whole 15 minute movie, it will be online soon!

Enjoy!

Smokey Solo

2009-03-17T10:47:00.005-06:00

And yes, there will be other things to write soon :-) Just at the moment, the horses are the main topic here on the farm. There is so much to learn ... and we are buying equipment and halters and salt blocks. This is fun!

Smokey

2009-03-15T07:37:00.005-06:00

Some more pictures from one of the new additions to the farm household, the little stallion Smokey. We built a corral for him and his mother, so it is easier to feed them and get them used to us, while the other seven horses that are here to graze, are rather wild. Although Robbie grabs her bag with carrots and apples every now and then and if they are around they will of course get some treats.

Alfredo and Motley

2009-03-07T23:31:00.002-06:00

Some nights last month were rather cold, so all the cats stayed in the house instead of roaming and hunting. The siblings Alfredo and Motley like to sleep on the rug in the bathroom, nice and cozy. And maybe they also wanted to be there when the FROG that lives under the rim in the toilet bowl takes a peek!!

Illusions ...

2009-03-07T23:27:00.003-06:00

Found this on a website and thought it was really cool!!

Or try this one ... can you find the 7 horses in this picture?

More horse pictures

2009-03-07T23:14:00.002-06:00

Here are a few more horse pictures, some show only the 7 care horses and some all of them together. They are truly a beautiful sight, running freely in the back field around the little ruin mound in the back. Oh, about the ruin! We found out that our little ruin most probably belongs to a complex nowadays called Yaxox and is right next to El Pilar, a major archeological site in this area.

Snowflake and Smokey have arrived!

2009-03-07T23:05:00.003-06:00

Robbie bought two horses today from our neighbor Javier: A young stallion which we named Smokey and his mum, Snowflake. They will live in the back with the other 7 horses we have there, who belong to someone else. We are just providing the pasture for them and a safe haven. And they eat our grass and keep it low, so it is a win-win situation for all of us. This morning, we went to Spanish Lookout and bought vitamins, flu shots and tick stuff for Snowflake and Smokey and the vet will administer everything next week after he is done with his Ruta Maya duties. The Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge is the biggest and longest canoe races in the country and in full swing today!

So here is a picture of Snowflake and Smokey!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

2009-03-04T13:37:00.001-06:00

Birthday Text Generatorgreat free widgetsWidgetbox

All the best to you! Lots of Love! Stay happy and healthy!
Feel HUGGED!

Masked Translator: Freaking Out about the Economy

2009-03-04T13:35:00.000-06:00

Masked Translator: Freaking Out about the Economy

Water Awareness Contest

2009-02-02T07:53:00.009-06:00

Robbie organized a Water Awareness Contest in the village for children 6 - 16 years of age with the theme "Water and Agriculture". Water Awareness Contest is an outreach educational program to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources within the community. Whistling Ducks Farm (WDF) in Santa Familia is dedicated to the education of children about sensitivity towards the environment, and how we can all work together to learn how to use our natural resources wisely.

The entries were judged by three independent persons, Cynthia Reece, Paulita Figueroa, and Elvin Garcia and the winners received cash prizes and certificates, they are:

1st place - Graci J Rempel of Santa Familia RC School; her teacher Mr. Rodolfo Tun received a $100 Gift Certificate (arranged for with Celina's Superstore) for classroom supplies to be obtained at Celina's Superstore in San Ignacio and a Honorable Teacher Certificate for his encouragement of his students to enter the contest and to practice water conservation.

2nd place - Elder Quewell of Eden H.S.

3rd place - Tirsha Quewell of Eden H.S.

4th place and

Honorable Mention - Eliodoro Coleman of Santa Familia RC School
Honorable Mention Certificates also went to Ronnell Obando, Daphny Alegria, Absolon Vallecillo, and Samantha Quewell.

We sponsor two contests each year. A summer Arts and Craft Contest and a winter Environmental Conservation Contest. We are dedicated to the education of children by using Art and Conservation as vessels of learning. Cash awards and prizes plus certificates are awarded to 1st - 3rd place and every contestant receives a certificate of participation. Anyone who wishes to assist us in our endeavor may contact us at WhistlingDucksFarm@hughes.net.

Casanova ...

2009-02-02T07:45:00.002-06:00

We have three hens, but no rooster, well, that is what we thought. Or what the neighbors rooster thought, because he comes over every day to see our three "chicks". And then he goes back home to his own hens! Sometimes he comes very early in the morning, when the hens are still in the coop, so he walks around a bit, stretches his neck, makes some noise ... and goes home. He comes back after about 30 minutes, checking if they are awake yet. So he does that a couple of times a day ... definitely worth the name we gave him! Casanova!

Horses! Horses! Horses!

2009-02-02T07:17:00.003-06:00

The first horses arrived this weekend! Our vet, Edwardo, the one after who the one stray cat named, brought some people over the other day, who were looking for a place to put their horses, because the place where they had them needed the pasture for something else. So a few weeks ago they started fixing the fence, putting in gates, and having everything set up. At the moment, we have two mares with one foal each and more are to come. We are pretty excited and besides being our "lawnmowers" for a while, they are a truly beautiful sight!