This post may contain affiliate links. Probably doesn’t, but it might. It doesn’t cost you anything extra but if you use these links to buy something, we may earn a commission.

This post may contain affiliate links. Probably doesn’t, but it might. It doesn’t cost you anything extra but if you use these links to buy something, we may earn a commission.

5 years ago, on June 28th, we heard tiny meowing behind a wall in the packing room. 30 minutes and 3 holes later, we got our eyes on a little cream kitten. A bit of coaxing (and shooing) and the 6 week old kitten, who would be named Mac, was caught.

Mac has grown into a great big (15 pounds of a lean, cream, eating machine!) sweetheart of a boy. Despite his curiosity getting him into trouble early on in life, Mac has continued to throw himself into every situation he can with zeal (including the trash can).

He also believes everything is there for him to chew on. Bags, plants, toes, you name it, Mac will chew on it. Even if you don’t name it, he’ll chew on it. He is that dedicated.




2 weeks later, on July 12th, we managed to corner the Mama cat and her other kitten in a dead-end tunnel. Some careful rigging and two traps later, we had Mama (to be named Rose) and kitten #2 (to be named Noodle).

Those extra 2 weeks in the “wild” definitely showed in Noodle’s attitude toward being caught – she was very feisty the first few days. Fortunately, the teenager decided Noodle had no choice but to be loved.

Noodle has grown into a chonk of a cat with the loudest purr ever. If you ever feel a random rumble, it’s probably Noodle purring. 

She’s also the only cat I’ve ever known that is ok with being help upside down.

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And no, they are not named Mac and Noodle as a variation of Mac and Cheese. I did not make the possible implication of their names for over a year. Mac was Mac as in a MacIntosh apple or a Mac truck. And Noodle was Noodle because who wouldn’t want a cat named Noodle?

Based on how old they were when found, they were born the first or second week of May. So, Happy Birthday to the rascally kittens!

And what about Mama cat, Rose? Well, we got her spayed and she now lives in the upstairs office. Baby step by baby step she has gone from a fully feral cat that runs away at the sight of humans to one that comes running for pets.

Unfortunately, the regulatory agencies that inspect us don’t like barn cats, so she can’t be let outside. (They also don’t like the fact that birds can fly over the farm but since we can’t do anything about that, they’ve decided to let it slide….). So she makes do with looking out the window.




Some seasonal inspiration:

Strawberry Pancakes

Warm Lentils with Wilted Chard, Roasted Beets, and Goat Cheese

Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

Ginger Salmon with Cucumber Lime Sauce

Rosemary Strawberry Mocktail

Open Tue-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5. 

Closed Sunday & Monday.

This is one of the weekly newsletters that is emailed out every Saturday night (no more, no less). If you liked the information make sure you sign up so you can get Elizabeth’s (sometimes snarky) writings delivered right to your inbox. You can read it on the website – obviously – but a copy of the newsletter isn’t posted to the website until several weeks later.  

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