A Momentary Break from Winter.........and Thoughts of Ducklings

I was able to work out in the yard again yesterday afternoon, as the drizzle stopped and eventually some sun broke through the clouds.

The yard is like an artist's paint board to me, but instead of painting, I pull weeds and other over-enthusiastic plants, dig up others to transplant to newly cultivated areas and poke around here and there. I stopped and snapped a few pictures of my oriental poppies that are popping out now that they can breathe plain O2 and not H2O ;-) I also took one of an iceland poppy (I think) that shone so brightly for yesterday. Each bloom only lives for one day.

I also went on-line to look at baby ducklings that I could purchase. I love water fowl; alas, they rarely live for more than a season in our pond, as before the end of fall, some fierce, wild creature has made a dinner of them one by one.......... be it a bobcat, a raccoon, a possum or a coyote. I know this is the way of things as God set it up, but it breaks my heart each and every time I hear the commotion during the nocturnal hours while the dastardly deeds are being committed. Thus, I did not purchase any ducks last year, and our pond became overgrown with grass, weeds and muck. It is a pretty disgusting over-run mess this spring, so I think I have decided to try putting them in again, but without the fence around the pond that was built to protect them from creatures, both wild and domesticated. I think it has acted as a trap for them instead. The animals get in one way or another (usually jumping or climbing over the fence, barbed-wire and all), but the ducks do not have the necessary space to fly up and out. The water serves as no barrier to the animals either.. I am thinking of a pair of mallard ducks, since they are wild birds and more savvy fleeing from predators. Also Indian Runners. They stand up tall and funny, and look as if they will topple over forward when they run. But they are known to be be fast enough runners to elude some of their enemies, too. Any other advice out there in the duck/goose world?

So these pictures are living proof that it only takes a few days of dry to relatively dry weather in order for spring to start bursting forth in the Pacific Northwest. Even if we still have a fire lit in the house to keep the chill at bay.





This one is my favorite............. have a nice day!