It’s no secret, French Bulldogs are among my favorite breeds. Many of you may remember my beloved late Frenchies Francesca, Sharkey, and Bête Noire. At home now are Crème Brûlée, Luna Moona - and if you’ve been following my Instagram page @marthastewart48 - the adorable 12-week old Half Moon, Luna Moona's daughter.
The French Bulldog is an affectionate and playful breed known for its wrinkly, smushy face and bat-like ears. They require a bit of patience during training, but are incredibly intelligent and eager to please. I am sure you will love Half Moon as much as I do - she is fitting in perfectly and is already great friends with my Chow Chows, Empress Qin and Emperor Han.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Half Moon is here and ready for anything. This 12-week old puppy is full of energy and spunk and adored by everyone at the farm.
The French Bulldog, or Frenchie, is the result of a 19th century cross between English bulldog ancestors and ratters from France. The breed is now categorized in the American Kennel Club’s Non-Sporting Group.
French Bulldogs are affectionate, playful, curious, and very social dogs, making them excellent companions.
Half Moon is called a brindle French Bulldog. Brindling mixes black hairs with brown or fawn. Brindle-colored dogs look a bit like canine tigers.
Here are mother and daughter just home after a walk around the farm. Half Moon loves going out for walks and can keep up pretty well with her mom.
The French Bulldog is a small, active, and muscular dog with heavy bone and smooth coat.
Half Moon loves to play with Luna Moona…
… And Luna Moona is a great mom – she plays with her and teaches her how to be a good dog.
… And, of course, how to pose for all the photos.
Half Moon, aka “Mooney,” loves everyone who visits, and is always looking for a rub.
For short breaks, I let the dogs out in my Winter House courtyard. Here’s Half Moon hoping others will join her – perhaps the Chow Chows?
Right now, Half Moon is under 10-pounds, but full grown, she will weigh between 16 and 25 pounds. She will also stand about 11 to 12 inches tall at the shoulder.
Here’s Luna Moona watching her daughter from under a bench nearby.
French Bulldogs are very perceptive and excel in emotional intelligence, sensing sadness and happiness in their human family members and responding appropriately.
Just in from outside, mother and daughter get some rest.
As with all puppies – they play hard and then rest hard. It’s a short nap…
… a very short nap.
The little puppy is ready to play and chew again.
Luna Moona was hoping for a bit more calm and quiet.
As the old saying goes… let sleeping dogs lie. Looks like Half Moon will rest for a few more minutes. These two, mother and daughter, make a wonderful duo. My dog count is now five – three Frenchies and two Chow Chows. And I love every one.
It's a mild winter day here at my farm - a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the 40s, which means my peafowl and geese will be out and about in their enclosures.
Geese and peafowl are pretty tolerant of cooler weather. Geese have excellent insulation systems - dense outer feathers, thick down feathers, and natural fat reserves that not only keep them warm but also provide energy. The peafowl have protective feathering and can regulate their body temperatures to adjust to the cold. To make sure they are all comfortable, I provide heated shelters, where they can take cover during unpleasant conditions. And they're also checked several times a day to ensure they have all the food and water they need.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Peacocks are stunning birds. And remember, technically only the males are peacocks with their long and colorful tails. The females are peahens. This is one of my handsome peacocks.
Breeding season is just starting. This is when the males display their plumage to attract mates. The season usually runs from March to October or sooner if temperatures are warmer.
Some of the peahens are curious and have gathered to watch the show.
The peacock turns in circles showing off his tail. This display is known as “train-rattling” – a way to show the females that they are healthy and fit for reproduction.
The stiff rear feathers underlie the front feathers and provide support when the whole tail is raised.
This male repeats the dance over and over, turning to face the peahens as he rattles.
And he certainly doesn’t mind the camera up close. And look at his feet. A peafowl’s legs are very strong. They have three toes on each foot facing forward, and one facing backwards. They also have sharp, powerful metatarsal spurs that are used for defense.
This young male still has some growing to do, but here he is fanning his feathers also.
One can see him trying hard to attract these peahens. He won’t have his full tail until at least three years of age. Peahens usually choose males that have bigger, healthier plumage with an abundance of eyespots.
My mature males with the biggest, longest tails are on their perch – keeping a lookout for predators. The peacock is a large sized bird with an average length from bill to tail of 39 to 45 inches.
These are females. Both male and female peafowl have a fan-shaped crest on their head called a corona. It may take up to one year for a corona to reach full size.
A peahen has more subdued plumage – this one with soft brown feathers and a metallic green neck.Their colors are more dull to allow them to blend into their surroundings.
Some of the birds are in their coop. Inside, they also have several perches on which they can roost.
During the day, they are all free to walk in and out as they please.
These two decided to venture outdoors walking along the footpaths shoveled for them after the recent blizzard.
Next door, my geese are also enjoying their shoveled “course.” I hope you saw the Instagram videos on @marthastewart48 – they walk single file from one side to the other, honking as they waddle.
During warmer days, they can also be found resting along the snow covered path and enjoying the activities around them.
Here is my pair of Chinese geese. These geese most likely descended from the swan goose in Asia, though over time developed different physical characteristics, such as longer necks and more compact bodies. The Chinese goose is refined and curvaceous. Its bill is relatively long and slender, with a large, rounded, erect knob that attaches to its forehead. The Chinese goose holds its head high and has a long, slim, well-arched neck which meets the body at about a 45 degree angle. Mature ganders average 12 pounds, while mature geese average 10 pounds.
My Pomeranian guard geese are happy in the snow – going indoors only when they’re hungry.
And here is one of my Sebastopol geese. Sebastopols are medium-sized birds with pure white feathers that contrast with their bright blue eyes and orange bills and feet. And what is most striking is the plumage. The head and upper two-thirds of the neck is smooth, while that of the breast and underbody is elongated and well-curled. Both my peafowl and waterfowl are looking great and seem to be enjoying the winter season. Are you?
Here at my farm, everyone on my crew is busy cleaning up after the Blizzard of 2026 dropped more than a foot - in some places more than two - of heavy, wet snow.
The storm began Sunday afternoon and then continued through the next day with whiteout conditions and high winds. Offices were closed, travel bans on major streets, highways and bridges were imposed, and everyone was advised to stay home. Winter is definitely not over yet. And there is more snow in the forecast.
Here are some photos, enjoy. I hope all of you affected are okay.
This week’s powerful winter blizzard brought strong winds and widespread heavy snow across much of the Northeast. More than 20-inches fell at my farm. This linden tree-lined path between the paddocks runs from my Winter House and carport down to the chicken coops.
The stable and Boxwood Allée look so different in winter. I am so glad the boxwood is covered under burlap shrouds to keep everything protected from the snow.
This storm set multiple one-day records across New England. It brought strong winds and caused low visibility. Thankfully my farm did not suffer any damage.
Narrow paths were made to all my animal pens right away, so they could be accessed and checked.
Here is my stable complex courtyard. The cobblestone is completely covered again – a new layer of snow after last month’s big storm dropped an initial two feet.
The next day was sunny and much more calm after the storm. Here’s a dawn redwood, Metasequoia, with its straight trunk – an impressive tree by any standard and beautiful in any season.
Snow shadows of the trees and the many branches could be seen all over the grounds.
The 100-year old white spruce fencing has stood the test of time. I love how the snow collects on the fence rails. I have photographed sections of this beautiful fence many times through the seasons.
Here, it is easy to see which direction the snow was falling. This was a wet snow. Wet snow occurs when the air temperature near the surface is above freezing, causing the snowflakes to partially melt before reaching the surface. This causes the snowflakes to become “sticky.” It’s great snowball making snow.
While the bare deciduous trees stand tall in my middle field, young evergreens collect lots of snow on their branches below.
Big snowstorms like this one cause a lot of cleanup work, but one can’t deny the beauty of a clean snow covered field – still untouched except for the tiny prints of bird and squirrel feet.
Streams are full and look black against the white snow.
Drifts create interesting markings on the landscape.
And the blueberry bushes on the left look even brighter red against the white snow. A stand of quince is on the right.
Here is a view of my long pergola – it will look quite different in a few months when the garden is filled with colorful blooms.
Do you know what this is? Buried under nearly three feet of snow is a burlap covered planter.
Notice the holes in the burlap. It’s a “Good Thing” I developed to help our avian friends during winter – they love to take cover inside, especially during storms.
And can you recognize this area of the farm?
It is the center footpath in my Summer House Garden. On both sides are my formal boxwood hedges and shrubs – all protected by strong burlap to keep the snow from splaying the tender branches.
The snow stuck to so many of the tree branches. These are my pollarded lindens outside the stable.
Pasang is busy removing snow from all the burlap covered boxwood surrounding my herbaceous peonies. A narrow footpath is between the burlap and the fence – covered waist high with snow.
And here’s Pete in my trusted Kubota tractor. A Land Pride PR1690 Power Rake is attached to the back and used to rake the snow on the carriage roads and break up any ice. It’s snowing again this morning with more in the forecast. Be careful.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
