Sad news

During the sparse posting phase I've been going through, I had some rather tragic news; the ducks I had been doing a lot of the caring for at my boss' house were killed by a predator about a month ago. From the looks of things, it was probably a fox, who got in one night and picked them off one at a time. 

I was very sad to learn this. These were sweet animals that I had really come to love. The picture below is one of the last of them, taken as I left for the day before the night they were killed.

I do miss them. I never knew ducks could be such winning creatures. Nature is not a sentimental thing, but I am.

Duckies on the Fourth of July

Time for an update on the three duckies at my boss' house. They are growing bigger by the day, and making some pretty impressive attempts at flying (within the enclosed coop yard.) They also are manifesting some very strong personalities, which come through quite clearly in these pictures, taken around sunset today:

They are still quite cute, and it would take a harder heart than mine to do anything but love these sweet little critters.

So, for those of you who still find things to be proud about in this country, have a ducky 4th of July weekend!

Something fowl

Once more we are bird sitting at my employer's house. Their ducks are growing quite quickly, and they are quite comical to watch, with their Charlie Chaplin waddles and seemingly quite pensive looks. We lost one to a hawk a couple of weeks back, but these others seem quite contented. The protective netting we put over the coop yard is giving us a little more peace of mind, but I think it may also help them feel more secure.

Their chickens are very different personality-wise. It's hard to call them cute, though they are also amusing in their own way.

You can see the resemblance to the dinosaurs.

Meanwhile the ducks are more reminiscent of Donald or Daffy.

They are quite amazing. They get very excited when they see us outside their fence, quacking and running to greet us. And they love it when we fill their plastic pond liner with water, splashing and flapping with abandon. They also are flying a bit within their enclosure. It is great to be able to watch their development.

At work today a goose stopped by to check out the ducks and chickens in the coop here. He sauntered up and peered in at the captive birds . . . .

Then he moseyed off.

The goose seemed just a bit curious, and totally unconcerned by my presence. I guess I get it. After all, it's HIS territory.

If you don't like the cute, just look away . . . .

Sometimes cuteness may seem overly sentimental or saccharine, but other times it is simply . . . well, just plain cute.

The ducks at my boss' house have been getting bigger, and they seem to be tough little duckies. Here they are, in all their cute glory:

The duck above on the left is not headless; he's just scratching his tummy.

Everybody now: AAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!