and one cannot write of ducks, without mentioning water.

Behold the duck
It does not cluck.
A cluck it lacks.
It quacks.
It is specially fond.
Of a puddle or pond.
When it dines or sups,
It bottoms ups.  
The Duck - Ogden Nash

The ducks taking their morning walk to the pond.  Chattering up a storm, with Willie in the lead.  This picture was taken last week, and since then they have grown more.   The pekings seem to have gotten "cheeks," and a little tuff on their heads.  Ms. Silas just grows sweeter, and Mr. Phils appetite has stepped up.

Today they saw me step out onto the porch so they came running over.  I quickly ran into the house to grab them some food (excited they came up to me) - in the few seconds it took to grab some food- they hightailed it out of there.  I'm learning that ducks like schedules, and agendas.  

They stick to the schedule you give them- but also discuss what their agenda is for the day working around the schedule- and they stick to it.

“If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it must be a duck”

Its getting a little harder to take their picture- but heres the best shot.  Willie in foreground, Jase tucked away in back, Si the obvious, and Phil in front.



Willie the duck has begun to quack!!!



Like in the previous duck post- I mentioned that these ducks grow at a Gremlin rate- seemingly shedding their downy peep feathers, and having their white- or in Si's case multi colored- feathers come on in.  Willie was the first (being the -ahem- fattest?) with the tail and wing feathers sprouting and Phil and Jase in a steady second and third behind him.  Si, even though is growing rapidly, still not quite the same way as the three Pekings.


I'm loving these guys.


In the past few weeks I have been getting up purposefully early.  Around six a.m. to watch the sunrise (and see God greet the day that way) watch some TV. (catch up on Project Runway) and drink my half of pot of coffee.  Our daughter has been bursting out teeth number 9, 10, 11, and 12, these past weeks too so sleep at night, or naptime during the day has been a bit broken.  Getting up at six, regardless of how tired I am, gives me a chance to have some time to be quiet, and wake up, and do the things previously mentioned.

Anyways

The ducks hear me get up.

You KNOW you are an animal lover when you turn on the kitchen light, and your heart lights up as well, because there are four little duckies excited to see you.

Going in there I realize that they are probably just hungry (cause Gremlins eat ALOT after midnight), but feeding them and cleaning out their water,  is a nice way to feel "important,"  in these fluffy little yellow, waddling meatballs lives.

The other morning, while going in to see them- I heard a quack.

As a mother shrieks over hearing her baby's babble for the first time, I shrieked hearing Willie "quack."

I told you - I love animals.


Its a mild, quiet one, but none the less- a change in the "peep, peep."

I'm a proud Momma all around.

The Big Day Out.

I let the ducklings have a go at the mudroom today.   With their (ahem never to be used other than as a swimming pool) roasting pan, full of water, and the sun shining. They had a blast.  The first time I took them out,  early this a.m., they were a little unsure of themselves.  Hey- the mudroom can be a big scary world when your about the size of a gerbil, but on the second outing they did much better.

They gained confidence, but once they realized I was out of the room and not in eyesight- they chirped and chirped and chirped.  Rather loudly.  It was sweet to see that they had jumped up on the step and were looking for me. 

Here is Indie "keeping an eye on the situation."