Podcast Summary: Cloudy With a Chance Of...BABIES!!

Podcast: Katching Up With Katie
Host: Katie Van Slyke
Date: January 13, 2026
Guests: Matt, Nate, Lindsay

Overview

In this playful, candid episode, Katie and her friends “katch up” during the excitement of the 2026 foaling season at Running Springs. The crew swaps stories about horse and cow pregnancies, shares humorous behind-the-scenes farm tales, debates which comfort TV shows will soundtrack their foal watch marathons, and ends with a lively, chaotic word-association game. The atmosphere is cozy and full of friend-group banter, making it easy for listeners to immerse themselves in farm life’s anticipation, oddities, and camaraderie.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Foaling Updates and Miniature Horse Concerns

• Coco’s Impending Foal
  • Katie gives a detailed update about Coco, the pregnant mini horse due on February 10th. She notes the surprise at how soon Coco might foal and the visible changes in her udder. (01:00)
  • Katie explains why they trim Coco’s udder hair—mini foals may ingest too much hair and develop dangerous impactions:

    “With miniature horses...foals actually ingest so much of their mom’s hair trying to nurse that they colic and have an impaction, so we don’t want that.” (02:45)

  • Katie mentions they might start Coco on Regumate (progesterone support) but tries to avoid it because of the health impacts on women handling it.
• Foal Watch Logistics
  • Raven, another mare, is in her “safe zone” at 326 days, and with several mares due at once, the farm is gearing up for a hectic season.
  • The conversation turns to full watch schedules and joking about moving in to stay alert for births:

    “We’re gonna have three mayors due at the exact same time. It’s gonna be a little crazy low key.” (04:18)

• Cow Pregnancy Antics
  • Lindsay shares her experience of palpating a cow for the first time, prompting farm-vet comparisons and jokes. (08:30)
  • Katie notes Maybelle, one of their blue roan cows, is overdue; the cow’s due date is now a mystery. The conversation turns humorous regarding paternity:

    “It’s a Jerry Springer kind of deal. We don’t know who the daddy is.” (09:00)

2. Foal Watch Traditions & TV Debates

• Comfort TV During Long Nights
  • The crew reminisces about binging Spongebob and The Office during previous foal watches, and debates what show will be their “background noise” this year. Suggestions include Food Network competitions, Ink Master, Great British Baking Show, Hey Arnold, and anime like Attack on Titan. (09:34–14:18)
  • Matt proposes an ultimatum:

    “I would be down for 24/7 Spongebob and The Office, if in between we get to select an anime.” (11:31)

  • Katie expresses struggle with following complex shows like Attack on Titan, but the group encourages giving it a shot:

    “I need help comprehending… I don’t think I’m passionate enough about learning… to use the brain power to watch it fully without someone being like, that’s because of that.” (12:16)

• Foal Watch Vibes
  • Lindsay, new to foal watch, is entrusted with “bringing the vibes,” and the group ensures plenty of games and entertainment to keep spirits high.

3. Games, Banter, and Dungeons & Dragons Dreams

• Games for the Barn Crew
  • Katie laments that last year’s foal watch lacked enough games; this year she’s determined:

    “I am a game player. I like to commit, and I need y’all to fake it honestly and just play games with me, okay?” (14:40)

  • They discuss classics (Monopoly, Sorry), learn-to-play games (chess, Catan), and Matt floats a “Dungeons & Dragons for beginners” campaign—streamed for content and laughs.
  • The group elaborates enthusiastically on the mechanics and storytelling aspects of D&D, joking about characters they’d play, costumes, and Game Master responsibilities. (15:36–19:47)
• Word-Association Game
  • The episode closes with a raucous, competitive round of a social-media-inspired word-association game where two players alternate guessing the connecting word, sometimes stumping each other with obscure choices.
  • Laughter, confusion, and competitive spirits run high; some memorable word chains include “Shark Tank,” “Tooth Fairy,” “Treebeard,” and “Tube TV.” (24:23–46:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Farm Life and Animal Care:

  “She could probably have a healthy baby at this point, but I would love for her to make it another week.” – Katie (02:34)

• Maybelle’s Maternity Mystery:

  “We don’t know who the daddy is… It’s a Jerry Springer kind of deal.” – Katie (09:08)

• Anime Foal Watch:

  “Can you imagine walking in one day and be like, y’all see the new season of jjk, but Katie…” – Matt (14:01)

• Game Night Aspirations:

  “We could literally have a [D&D] campaign that ran the entire foal season.” – Nate (15:42)

• On Word-Association Game Hilarity:

  “Shark… Tank.”
  “That’s a good one, though.” – Katie & Nate (26:15) “Treebeard is the giant tree character in Lord of the Rings.” – Matt (45:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening farm banter & Coco’s update: 00:41–03:01
• Maybelle’s pregnancy & cow palpation: 08:30–09:08
• TV show debates for foaling season: 09:34–14:18
• Discussion of games & Dungeons & Dragons: 15:17–19:47
• Word-association game (main game begins): 24:23–47:02

Tone & Atmosphere

The tone is warm, cheeky, and relatable—typical of close friends talking late into the night during a shared project. Farm expertise is mixed with self-deprecating humor, geeky interests, and the anticipation of animal births. Katie’s leadership is gentle but persistent, and listeners will appreciate the authentic, unscripted camaraderie.

Useful For

• Anyone looking for a peek at the quirks, joys, and realities of ranch and barn life.
• Fans wanting behind-the-scenes context for Running Springs’ foaling season.
• Podcast listeners craving authentic, good-natured group chemistry, and a balance between rural anecdotes and fun-loving diversions.

For more content, updates, games, and mini-cow charm, check out www.katievanslyke.net or follow Katie’s socials for subscriber perks!