Ideas for Your Visit to GEE Funny Farm

   We want your visit to GEE Funny Farm to be a fun and rewarding experience.  There are a few things you can do to help that to happen.

1.   Please bring cash to pay for your visit.  We don't accept credit cards or checks.  Sorry if this is inconvenient. It works for us.

2.   Talk to your children about the importance of obeying instructions about how to pet or hold the animal.  Talking to them ahead of time puts us on the same page when I give instructions --- though I’ve had very few problems.  People who come here like animals and want to do the right thing!

 

People who follow directions get to pet all kinds of interesting animals!

 

3.    If you aren’t sure of what the weather is going to be, plan accordingly.  Having a windbreaker or sweater is better than wrapping up in a blanket.  The blanket ends up getting flapped around when you are trying to pet the animals and that might make them nervous – and if it doesn’t, it makes me nervous.

 

Bringing jackets will make you more comfortable and
there won't be flapping blankets that might scare the animals or distract Kathy.

  

4.    We suggest that you wear closed toe shoes (not sandals or flip-flops) to protect your feet.  Goats, sheep, mini pigs, horses, donkeys, and llamas have hooves.  While they would not purposely step on anyone, they do move around sometimes and may step on your feet.  Even when you are sitting it is possible that your feet may find their way under the feet of the animal that we are moving as close to you as possible so you can pet it.

Wearing closed toe shoes (tennis shoes, steel toe shoes --
not sandals or flip-flops) will keep your feet and toes safe
when you are around hooved animals.

5.   Bring bug juice or sunscreen if you might need it – most of our property is wetlands (ie swamp) and it often rains, so it is possible that there will be mosquitoes or other annoying insects.  While you are under the canopy for the presentation, the hayride does not have shade and some people (like my grandsons) can get sunburned on sunny days (not that Wisconsin has that many, says the girl from Arizona).

 

You are in the shade under the canopy
(you might want to bring a chair if you don't want to sit on benches provided...
we're working on getting a few chairs for adults. 
These adults brought their camp chairs).

 

No shade when you are in the haywagon, except near a few trees. 
If you burn easily, you might want to apply sunscreen or bring it along.

 

6.    WASH YOUR HANDS!!  We provide warm water and goat milk soap for you to use, and we also have antibacterial soap you can use without water – however, soap and water works as well and doesn’t kill all of the good bacteria on your hands that help to build immunities.

a.     If you eat BEFORE the presentation – wash your hands.  Some little animals smell food and think you might taste good (at least this is what I’ve heard).  Larger animals who smell food will look through your pockets and sleeves and under your shirt trying to find what is making that yummy smell.  While this might seem funny, it is not how we like our animals to be trained.

b.      If you eat AFTER the presentation – wash your hands… people aren’t around animals like in the ‘olden’ days and immunities are not built up like your parents’ or your grandparents’ were – besides dirty hands are yucchy.  (Second verse same as the first...a little bit louder and a little bit worse...)

c.       If you don’t eat and just leave after the presentation – wash your hands… people aren’t around animals like in the ‘olden’ days and immunities are not built up like your parents’ or your grandparents’ were – besides dirty hands are yucchy. (Third verse same as the first...a little bit louder and a little bit worse...)

 

I know, it looks like a water cooler.  In this case it has warm water and
there are soap and paper towels next to it so hand washing is easy.

 

   There you go!  Six things can help you have a great time.  If you have other concerns, please feel free to contact us by email information@geefunnyfarm.com or phone 262-751-8328.

   We look forward to your visit!

Why The Difference??

Spring is coming and bookings are coming in.  Sometimes people wonder why it is cheaper to come to the farm than for us to bring fewer animals to them.  Let’s pretend you have booked us for a birthday party a mere 30 miles away.  We’ll bring 5-7 small animals for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the interest of the participants.  Why does that make a difference?  Because when people get bored or distracted is when an accident might happen, so when interest is over, we pack up.

We put each animal into a crate or carrier.  Today we are bringing a bearded dragon in her plastic travel container, two parrots (which count as one animal since we use them to show why it is important to research parrots before you buy one) – each in his own acrylic travel carrier, a rabbit in his plastic travel carrier, a hedgehog in his bonding pouch, a short-tailed opossum his travel pouch,  a goose in her crate, a turkey in her crate, and our mini pig is in crate – that’s a bonus of an extra animal.  Besides the animals in their crates, we need water and water dishes or dispensers for each, a canopy for shade, a tarp, a barrier to keep people and animals separate except under supervision, a table if we bring the egg game and the eggs.  We need to bring antibacterial soap that can be used without water, and water for us (especially if it is hot).  Sometimes we need to provide benches, so we need to pack those.  We figure that it will take us an hour to 1-2 hours to get everyone and everything loaded and secured.

For most 30 mile treks, it takes 45 minutes to an hour one way.  We arrive, you pay us the balance (you’ve already paid a deposit to secure your date and time), and we unpack everyone.  We set up the canopy and the barriers, get the stand out for the parrots, put down the tarp for under the turkey and goose crates (they have wood chips in to absorb droppings, set up the canopy, if needed, and set up the egg game, if we bring it.  We figure that will take about 15 minutes.  So, before we’ve started, we’ve already put in 1.5-2 hours.

Then we do our favorite part – we present the animals and interact with the participants.  People ooh and aah when they touch the goose (she is very soft!).  They touch her feet and we talk about how they get feathers for featherbeds and pillows.  Participants ask questions about the hedgehog who may or may not be ‘soft’ as they touch him.  We talk about the difference in personalities in umbrella cockatoos and African grey parrots and everyone gets to see Asimov, the cockatoo, do some tricks, and then they get to pet him.  If people want a photo opp – it is often with Asimov.  And so on…. (most of the time 1 hour-1.5 hours).

Then, we pack up the truck, clean up the wood shavings that have fallen from the cages, put away the bird stand, the canopy, the barrier, the benches or table, etc.  We figure that takes 15 minutes and then we head home (45 minutes to 1 hour). 

Asimov, the umbrella cockatoo, being pet.

Once we are home we have to unpack everything and put the animals back into their habitats.  That takes about an hour.  So, at the end of the day, we’ve put in at least 5 hours to bring the entertainment to you and if you add large animals, it is at least 7 hours of work since we have to pack more, hook up a trailer, set-up a corral, take down the corral, clean up after larger animals (we put down a large tarp with the corral around it), etc.

If you come to the farm, we do have to set up our canopy (the county makes us take it down every day), so we have to set up benches and tables and gather the animals (7-10 animals big and small).  It takes us about 2 hours.  The presentation takes about 45 minutes-1.5 hours and then we have a hayride around the property if you’d like.  If you stay to have cake and party stuff, using our tables, we put animals away, so when you leave, all that is left is putting away benches and tables and taking down the canopy.  It takes us about an hour – so if you have partied for an hour, we have 4 hours invested and part of that was a break after putting away animals.  So, you can see why it is cheaper to come to the GEE Funny Farm!  Make an appointment today!!

Our canopy on the farm AND the screened tent for the birds and flying squirrel.  You can also see the edge of the corral where the larger animals are hanging out waiting to be presented.

Thanks for the Memories!!

Last Saturday, we had a birthday party at the GEE Funny Farm! Eight kids and two adults came to visit ME (and some of the other animals). Of course I was the most important visitee:) Everyone held me and took pictures of me - it was awesome!!

Besides the wonderful time they had with me, they took in two (that's right, TWO) presentations. One was about care of animals -- I was part of that -- and the other was food and fiber. They met Aramis the mini horse, Moses the mini donkey, Timothy the goat (and saw his feet get trimmed), Boaz the rabbit (he, too, got his feet trimmed and his scent gland cleaned out - YUCK!), Isaac my cage buddy, and Abish the green aracari -- and that was for the FIRST presentation. All of us got attention, which we all LOVE -- the kids brushed and pet and oohed and ahhed in delight -- ya gotta love it!

They took a break and matched eggs to birds (it isn't as easy as you would think) and learned how to tell if eggs are fresh or old. Then they tasted some goat's milk.

For the second presentation they met and milked Martha the goat. These kids have talent!! They all got milk on the first try! They met one of the chickens, a turkey, and the goose. It was a fowl time - ha! Then they met Liahona the llama and Nephi the alpaca. And finally, they got to pet Eunice the emu.

They also got to pick a bar of goat's milk soap (you can make all sorts of things out of goat's milk -- who would have thought?!?). Choosing some wool, they patted and rubbed in water, made bubbles and wet felted the wool around the soap. When they use their bar of soap, they will have a built-in washcloth. Pretty cool, huh?!

They also took a hayride around the property to see the animals, including Clancy the wallaby and Kathy's horse, Porthos.

They had planned to have cake at our place, but it was so windy they decided to have it at home. It was also a good bargaining chip to get them to leave!! Even after an afternoon at the Farm, the kids were still excited to be here. It is because we are AWESOME -- though I am the MOST awesome.

I sure liked the attention -- I hope they, or some of their buddies, come again soon!

Later -- Asimov!!

Waukesha Deaf Organization

Hey! Did you know that there are some people who can't hear (are deaf ) who have adopted a positive attitude toward their deafness. They choose to notice the advantages to their deafness. I once overheard Kathy's daughter Keegan sharing this fact from a class entitled Deaf Culture with a Deaf woman at the university she attended (Brigham Young University). The professor was married to a hearing man and had hearing children. She said that an alarm went off in their town by accident and took some time to turn off. It was driving her husband crazy, but this woman wasn't fazed at all. When it was time for bed? Well, no problem, she could drift off into dreamland undisturbed, while her husband was miserable. Another major bonus she shared? Bickering children are always on mute. Ah, the peace of a quiet household. I suppose there are days that she would be glad not to hear the noise level at the GEE Funny Farm -- that Isaac is always talking or whistling.

[Note: You may not have known that there was such a thing as Deaf Culture. Or you may have thought that people who can't hear would prefer to be called hard-of-hearing rather than Deaf. Well, it just so happens that many people in the United States (and around the world) take pride in their identity as Deaf and prefer to think of themselves as who they are (deaf) rather than as who they are not (as in "not hearing"). Those who choose to identify themselves in this way participate in a language (American Sign Language) and a culture with rules and guidelines and expectations. And while some people would prefer to be called "hard-of-hearing," there are many, many people who would prefer to be called "Deaf" (capital "D"). A site you might check out is called www.deafculture.com. -- Heh. We weren't kidding about this educational experiences thing now were we? *Wink*Wink*)

Why did I share the previous anecdote? Well, when the Waukesha Deaf Organization visited, Isaac pointed out how glad these folks must have been not to have to hear MY silky tones. Issac thinks he's so funny -- well, he's not! The fact of the matter is, I'm generally quite well-mannered and soft-spoken . . . when I'm the center of attention (no winking involved here!).

Members of the Waukesha Deaf Organization visited us back in June. Arriving at the Gee Funny Farm was a little tricky because this summer Highway 83 (where we are located) was Construction Central, but for those who made it, they were awed and amazed by my dazzling performance (as always). And they may have been pleasantly interested in one or two other things like the bottle fed Navajo churro lamb, Keturah. Ugh -- those babies steal a lot of the attention that is meant for ME! Oh, and one person about had heart failure when Abish, the green aracari toucan landed on him - well, he'd been warned! I stay on MY perch unless someone offers me a hand...

. . . All right, the fact of the matter is, after time passes, I do tend to forget about everything that happened that doesn't involve me. So sue me. Playing catch up isn't my strong point. I'll keep up better in the future.

A Visit From Some Bird Lovers

I know what you're thinking: "Aren't all people bird lovers?" The fact of the matter is, yes, I'm sure they are. But, more specifically, we were visited by a group of people who own birds. The group is called the Cream City Feathered Friends. One lucky woman had a bunch of cockatoos, maybe seven? Can you imagine the Heaven she lives in? The only thing that could make it better for her would be if one of those were me. (Although she got confused while she was here and fell in love with Abish, the green aracari toucan and didn't give me the attention I deserve. Not as discerning as I would have expected, but that's some people for you . . . Ah well, at least my Kathy knows my true worth.)

Perhaps because these people have parrots and love birds, they were especially admiring when I displayed my talents. Apparently, not every bird is smart enough to wave, turn, and kiss on command. And not every bird can nod when asked if he would like a cracker. No, I am one of a kind.

I have to admit that I did get a little jealous of one bird I heard about. I heard that one couple that attended this event had a cockatoo who gets to go cruising on their motorcycle with them. Seems to me that that would be worth trying. The closest I've ever gotten is looping my beak over a car window that's slightly ajar as we're driving down the open road. Man, do I love the feel of the wind surging beneath my wings. I tell you, that is one lucky bird.

As for this group's fun farm activities, they stopped to admire and pet our most unique and ancient-looking bird character here just before their hayride. While visiting Eunice the emu, Abinadi, our beautiful brown llama, came up to check out the visitors. Abinadi was born here on the farm and it shows. He has such charm and such manners. I don't usually wax poetic about anybody, well anybody but me that is, but Abinadi and Liahona (also a llama) are sort of special. Apparently, one fellow even got a little kiss from Abinadi. You would know about Abinadi's gift with people if you had heard this man when he came back after the hayride. When they first arrived, his wife had been saying she wanted llamas and he didn't seem very excited, but now here he was offering to buy or kidnap ours. No such luck. Kathy doesn't plan to part with him and she's keeping a wary eye open for anything suspicious. You, my friend, are going to have to keep a' searching.

In sum, it was a very successful visit. We liked them. They liked us. Now, on to our next visitors, the Waukesha Deaf Organization. And then we'll be headed on parade in Oconomowoc on July 2. To keep up with our activities, check out our calendar of events: http://www.geefunnyfarm.com/Events_on_the_Farm.html. We are certainly keeping ourselves busy this summer!

The Star of the Show

Oh, yesterday how I loved you. Yesterday was the beautiful, marvelous, happy day in which eleven cute little brownies (the human kind, not the chocolate kind) came to see the Funny Farm. They were excited and delighted to arrive and glimpse a llama, an alpaca, a miniature donkey, a miniature horse, two sheep, and three goats. They struggled to keep their active little rear ends on their benches because these eight and nine-year-olds were just so enthusiastic. I loved it. Or I would have loved it if I had actually gotten to witness it.

No, I, Asimov, the beloved and devoted Umbrella Cockatoo of Kathy Gee, found myself shut up in the back of the Jeep enclosed in a little bitty cage sharing the trunk with a bunny and a bunch of cheeping chicks. All right, so I ought to be glad that it was even warm enough that I could go out on display at all. And I ought to be glad that my Kathy is so conscientious about my safety that she didn't leave me out there the whole time to catch a cold. But I admit I've never claimed to be a saint. (Well, maybe I have, but anyway...) I want my cake and eat it too. I wanted to see those little Girl Scouts and not just hear them.

I could hear their giggles, and peals of laughter, and shouts of observation, and random outbursts about their or their families previous animal experiences. I heard them ooh and ahh over the softness of alpaca fur. I heard them vie for their chance to pet Aramis the rambunctious neighing miniature horse. I heard their snorts of disgust when Kathy demonstrated how to clean a bunny's scent glands (and I don't blame them). I heard them attribute my musical demonstrations (okay, loud complaining) coming from the back of the car to the emu, can you believe it?! Emus have none of the finer acoustic qualities that I pride myself on. As you can imagine, I was miffed. Female emus sound like a bass drum and males grunt and growl. You can't even tell it's an emu making the noise. When I want to be heard and you can see me, then you know that it's me making the noise. None of this sneaking, weirdo noise-making for me. Ah hem. Anyway.

The moment came when I was unveiled for their viewing pleasure. And, as you can imagine, they adored me. With a little cracker persuasion (apparently there were no French fries available, but, hey, honestly I'm flexible where food is concerned) I waved, and turned, and kissed, and nodded to their endless delight. Then one of those perceptive and eager little mites asked my Kathy if they could hold me, and, while it hadn't been planned, she complied. A minute or so of holding for each of the girls for what you people call a "photo opportunity" and then a chance to pet my gorgeous feathers and then those girls felt themselves to be in something bordering on Heaven. And that basically ended their Gee Funny Farm experience.

Okay, they did get to practice goat milking with some plastic gloves. And, okay, they did get to watch Kathy milk a goat, but, psh, what's that? Nothing. I was the resolution, the finale, what you might call the star of the show. I only hope they come again soon. Honestly, I think I'm in love.