Well, it's finally dark, 9:15 pm, and I'm sitting on the couch with Pepper the hen. There were at least five bats zooming around during the last bits of light as I was finishing up night duties. Earlier in the evening G and I watched as far out in Hay Field dozens of barn swallows swooped and dove over what must have been an insect buffet. These are marvelous moments I hope we never forget about this place.
Glenn was away all week for work, and things around here were a little chaotic. Literally most of it is a blur. I can't wait until the weather cools down and I can feel more like myself. I'm really feeling like I am letting just about everything fall apart around here.
We have two accidental ducklings. One night just over a week ago I was in the back yard puttering around taking care of some things. The five guineas from the chook palace suddenly flew out of their enclosure, over the pond, and dropped in all around me. I heard a 'thunk' and laughed, assuming that one of them had tried to land on the metal roof of the duck house, but slid down.
I heard peep peep peep, and I knew it was a juvenile or a fledgling bird that was upset by the intrusion. What I wasn't expecting was to find a tiny yellow duckling wandering around. Deja vu... Same thing happened last year. Then I found a still damp recently hatched little on still under angry mother duck Sassy. Obviously we knew she was broody, and sitting on eggs. I must have underestimated the length of time she'd been sitting. I had managed to take some eggs from her, usually waiting until she took her daily excursion away (always watching and hissing of course). What I'm wondering is if she'd taken over a nest that another duck had already been sitting on for a bit. I don't know. We didn't need this, I didn't need to become responsible for more little lives.
And as of this morning, I am responsible for 11 more. Guineas.
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