October

Saturday, 4th

Big thank you again to Annie, Colin and the girls for hosting the get-together last Sunday 28th with some long lost relatives. The celebration meal and generally being looked after could not have been bettered!

I heard on Monday that our on-duty duck sitters Elizabeth and Sam got ALL 12 ducks into the bottom hut! They say they went in voluntarily, hmmmm. When John came home from Church to close the fence there was a great row going on in that hut, he said - but he didn't dare let them out again to separate. All was well in the morning, though.

The daily pattern goes on as before with letting out the top 7 first, then the bottom 5, and Anabelle quacking off to get the 7 if they don't turn up right away. All day long the ducks appear to be plagued by the waterhens; every time I go down there 5 or more of them scuttle off in all directions or fly into the hedge, to continue their pestering as soon as my back is turned. Shutting-up time is getting earlier every night, about 10 to 7 now or earlier when it's a dark night. Apart from the waterhens [saw 8 this morning] they have to cope with other "visitors", like the cows in the next field poking their heads over the fence, a number of cats triggering loud alarm calls from Primmie in particular, pheasants, crows and pidgeons, and a heron. Had to laugh yesterday when I was still cleaning and re-filling the water buckets. All 12 of them were poking through the grass for the early slug breakfast when everybody screamed a sudden alarm and rushed half-flying into the pond - for no accountable reason, I thought ......... until I saw a heron flying overhead and then landing on our chimney. It must have had some of our fish or it wouldn't keep coming back.

I took some photos this morning which show how much our ducks LOVE bubbles:

Saturday, 18th October 2008

I'm playing catch-up again, after the wonderful visit from Gerd and Maria last weekend. It was soooooo nice to have them here for longer than usual, thank you so much again you two, also for the absolute embarrassment of early birthday presents and goodies!

Here are three of Gerd's photos for a change, I LOVE this one of busy ducks in their field:

It's been a very busy week since then trying to get on with my duck painting and German duck calender and not succeeding all that well.

Funny thing happened on Wednesday night when the ducks hadn't separated into their groups of 5 and 7 as normal. In the ensuing panic when I tried to sort them out of the veg beds Anabelle actually went into the 7er hut and stayed in even though I called her. Next morning the now just four at the duck pond seemed very subdued until ...... Anabelle came striding a good 8 meters in front of all the others leading them into her normal domain. She's a feisty little thing!

Wednesday, 29th October 2008

We've had our first hard frost overnight. It's a good job I picked the flowers for the luncheon club tables last night [giving me frozen fingers which didn't thaw out for a good half hour] because all the dahlias, cosmos and chrysanths turned to mush today. I took some photos this morning and caught the top 7 on their way down to the duck pond:

Those footsteps they seem to be following in on the right are mine. I had to go several times to fill the water buckets [which had quite thick ice in them] in the house.

The autumn colours in the garden are showing up more and more. I didn't manage to capture the Amelanchier in its autumn glory as you can see in this photo [arrow pointing]:

But the snake bark maple on the right, which in this photo
of Gerd's [behind the ducks on the left]

taken just 10 days or so before, still looks very green,

is now showing lovely colours as you can see in this close-up.

The German duck calender I mentioned a little while ago was finished Monday night, and yesterday and today I received the first 15 orders for it. The cover looks like this:

Before I close for today I'd like to thank again all my duck-diaries-reading-friends for my birthday wishes, cards and presents - you've been far too generous! My favourite "ducky" present was this one from Caroline Crocker:

The inscription on it is just great, it goes "..... and there he stood .......tall, duck and handsome"

I LOVE it, Caroline, thank you!