Sunday morning...

I love mornings in general, and Sunday mornings in particular. The day lays before me like a blank canvas, ready for me to decorate it as I wish. This morning in Maine the day dawned cool and crisp. I took my camera outside with me as I did chores. The sun rising behind the trees on the ridge back lit flora and fauna alike.

"Adventure chicken" greets me on the deck. She is the only hen that routinely gets out of the large fenced area. She explores the herb garden, pokes around the front yard, and lays her eggs where she pleases. Sometimes I find them, mostly I don't. I can't be upset with her; rather I admire her free spirit.

Little Lambs Lawn Service, Inc. are let into the back yard when I am there to monitor their activities. They are curious and naughty. A frolic for them involves tipping over the barbecue grill, smashing the bird bath, eating all the poultry food, having a good scratch under the picnic table and breaking into the hen house. When I let them in the yard I keep the garden hose handy and steer them away from undesirable activities with a well aimed blast of water. I call this "hose herding." It is quite amusing. For me at least!
This lamb is called "Naughty Niner." The tag in his ear has a long ID number in, ending in "9." This guy is the most mischievous of the flock... routinely escaping from the pasture into the back yard and in general stirring up trouble as much as he can. He likes to dance on the deck. I find him enchanting.
The yellow squash are riotous. I harvest them by the basketful daily.
These are some of the roaster chicks we are raising. They are slated to go to "freezer camp" on Friday. They arrived here on June 1, two days old and the size of golf balls. 8 weeks later they are enormous and have bottomless appetites.
Belle the Muscovy duck and her ducklings are such fun to watch as they chase bugs, nibble weeds and splash in any handy water container. Look at the feet of the little one on the front right... now imagine the sound of all those little feet as they run past me in the yard. "Fwap-fwap-fwap." I always end up drowning the sound in laughter.

Learning not to interfere...

I am 51 years old and still learning.

Mama duck hatched 10 ducklings. They are, I must say, probably the cutest of all baby animals.
Mama hatched them inside the chicken coop. During the day she takes the ducklings out in the yard where they nibble on grass seeds, splash in the water bowls and nap in the shade. At night she tries to take them back to the safety of the coop... away from owls and other predators. The ducklings have trouble with this concept.

Mama says something to them in duck lingo. The fuzzy babies all fall into line and follow her, until she reaches the ramp to the coop. There, mama duck goes up, and the babies stand beneath and holler.

Mama comes back down. She leads the babies around for a while, then heads back up the ramp. One or two follow, the rest? They stay on the ground and holler. Loudly.

Mama leaves the coop. The ducklings that are with her follow. It is maddening to watch.

I want to scoop the ducklings up in a net and toss them into the coop. I want to "HELP."

But the duck, with her thimble sized brain, has it all figured out. Over and over, patiently, she descends the ramp. She leads a few babies up. Repeat. I quit watching after a while. When I went out after dark mama duck was in the coop, hovering over her babies. They were all safely in the coop. No thanks to me.

I take this as a life lesson. Interfere less. Let life happen more.

DUCKLINGS!!

The first weekend in May we brought two Muscovy ducks home. I chose this breed because they are supposed to be excellent bug eaters and the females are said to be wonderful mothers. 34 days ago Belle, the duck pictured here, settled in on a nest of over 20 eggs. She lined the nest with downy feathers from her breast, and then sat there. And sat there. In heat and sun and dark she was there on that nest, her huge flat feet and heavy body delicately covering those porcelain look a like eggs. Once a day she would stand, carefully cover the nest, and leave the coop. Outside she would eat and drink her fill, and eliminate 24 hours worth of waste products. Then she'd head back in and sit some more. I have never seen such patience and dedication. (There are human parents who could take lessons!)

Yesterday her long days of waiting were rewarded. There are ducklings! They are tiny and fuzzy and impossibly cute. Belle is still on the nest, keeping her new charges warm and safe. I suspect there are still eggs hatching under her downy chest. I can hardly wait until she brings her fluffy family out to meet the world.