Due Date

My husband and I made a bet this weekend. I think the ducklings will start hatching on Thursday(tomorrow) and hubby thinks it will be Sunday.



The news for today... I had to go out of town for work and was gone Tuesday night. As I was driving home from the airport tonight, my husband was excited because Ethel was swimming and splashing in the pool. While we were on the phone, she did her little duck march up the ramp, but instead of laying on the nest, she went to side of the pen and then retreated and went back in the pool. Not only did I speed the rest of the way home, but when I pulled into the garage I slightly nudged the treadmill(not like anyone around here uses it.).



Ethel was just swimming around the pool when I arrived. Of course I had to say hi to all the dogs, so every dog and cat rushed out the door. We spent the next 20 minutes getting everyone inside.(Welcome Home!)When we finally came outside, Ethel was sitting on her next again.

Ducks of our lives...

The first ducks I remember made their home on the lake at the Air Force Base in Arkansas where we lived when I was about 7 or 8 years old. They were of course the beautfiul white ducks and I was enchanted watching them glide around the lake.

The next ducks in my life were a little less enchanting and could actually be a good plot for a new horror flick. These ducks lived on a pond that was part of farm where we lived for a few years. I am not sure if they were looking for food or just hated kids, but that always rushed me and chased me when I got off the school bus. Thank goodness we were the last bus stop and only the bus driver had to see me humiliated by running from ducks as fast as I could to get in the house. I never missed those ducks.

Then at 16 years old, my boyfriend at the time, gave me a baby duck for Easter. Now, I realize why it is not a good idea. Then I couldn't imagine why my Mom was horrified. She did let me keep it... for awhile. Mom, was at home much more than than I was, and the duck became attached to my mom. It followed her around the house just like a dog. We bought it a kiddie pool and it loved to swim, but it could never get out of the pool At some point after the duck was fully grown, a doctor in town let us take it to his pond. Hopefully, he had a good life, but now I realize how stupid the custom of Easter Chicks and Ducks is. FYI - It wasn't the boyfriend's idea to buy the duck.

So there has been a huge void in ducks in my life until now. I can't remember any at all. As coincidence has it, prior to Fred and Ethel entering our lives this year, I was doing a color change in my kitchen. As I was looking for red accessories to go over my cabinets I found a decorative red duck at Target. My husband thought I was crazy, but I purchased the red duck and it looked great. He even agreed. It looked so great that I went online and found 3 red ducklings to match and ordered them. My red kitchen has a mother duck and 3 ducklings watching over our house. Coincidence? Maybe.

Was that a duck I heard?

In the mornings as we get dressed and ready to go, we always open all of our windows and screen doors that face our backyard. We enjoy letting the fresh air in for awhile and listening to the birds sing in our backyard. We haven't see or heard the ducks in the morning for quite awhile as they seem to come out in the early evenings. Yesterday morning, I thought I heard the ducks, so I threw on my clothes and ran outside. No ducks, just my husband.

I asked him if the ducks had been there, that I thought I heard them. It was his shoes! He walked a few steps and sure enough they sounded like ducks quacking. I think we have ducks on our minds too much.

and then there is the cat...

We considered yesterday a good duck day! Fred dropped by and then Ethel left the next and took a leisurely swim in the pool. I watched Ethel from our bay window in the dining room as I didn't want to go outside and bother her. I noticed Paco, our cat that we got from the shelter a couple of years ago on the deck also duck watching.

Paco's interest in Ethel made me a little nervous as he recently killed a dove in our yard and brought it home. I don't let Paco outside but my husband does. This is one of our few disagreements in life. He thinks it is cruel to keep cats inside. Paco was two when we adopted him from the local SPCA. According to his paperwork, he had always been and inside cat. We do have another cat, Cricket that showed up on Halloween and never left. According to our vet, Cricket was about 5 months old when we found her. Somehow, I get my husband to agree that Cricket can't go outside Not sure why.

I completed my morning nest check and Ethel is still sitting on the nest.

Duck Watching...

We feel like a commercial for the couple without a life. After our long day at work we both enjoy nothing better than to spend the first hour in our backyard hoping we might get a glimpse of Fred and Ethel. Last night we were blessed with Ethel's presence, while she came out to take a swim. Unfortunately, our little duck watchers... Yoshi and Aiko were also outside. Not that they caused a problem, but for the first time they saw her go up the duck ramp and into the clump of vines which camouflages her nest so well.

For the next 30 minutes, both of them ran back and forth trying to figure out how to get into the duck pen, without going into the pool. The good news is that evidently there is no way and they have no intention of going into the pool.

We are hoping the eggs hatch during this long weekend, but we actually think it will be closer to next weekend.

Did I mention...

Last week we bought an big umbrella because my husband thought Ethel might need more shade. We also bought what I will call a minature boogie board so if the ducks were swimming and needed a break. Actually I am not sure why we bought it exept were a "dinks".(Dual income-no kids.)

The Cheerleader

Princess Aiko is our cheerleader. Happy, Optimistic, smiling(not that you can tell from the picture). She loves the ducks as much as Yoshi. No new duck news. We do a duck check every morning and every evening. Nothing new to report!