Haiku Duck

This is what I woke to at the city house last week.  They were all splashing and diving in my little goldfish pond.  I loved the moment.  In the next, the weenies barked and the mother flew over the edge and onto the lower lawn, quacking loudly to her brood to follow her. It is an eight foot drop and I thought, oh no, there wasn't any way, but all nine babies hopped onto the rocks and leapt over the edge in free fall.

If you remember, her eggs were snatched by something in the spirea bush.  Another mother lost her entire brood in one day.  Like the travails of Jemima Puddle-Duck, nature and farm life can be cruel sometimes, a fact Beatrix Potter herself observed.  This mallard mother is a good one and seems to be caring for them.  She brings them back many times a day.  So, I've named her Haiku.  Why? I don't know.

I don't really understand haiku poetry, but do appreciate the ability to be succinct; say what needs to be said in as few words as possible.  

Here are a couple of haikus for you.

In the sharing 

of simple pleasures

we become closer still.

Sitting by the lake

watching the ducks swim about

comfort in nature.

City Doings

I've been at the city house.  Planting and pulling weeds.  Many flowers blooming.  

The goslings are growing.  Seven remain and their parents are diligent.  They even chased Emmy, the weenie, but Sister, brave weenie, chased them back into the water.  Many different water fowl are trying to find nesting places in our backyard, but weenies keeping after them.  I fear several might start laying when we leave.  Anyway...

There are many large clumps of iris; both bearded and these single ones.  I have never seen these or planted this kind before.  The greenery is much more plentiful and they are covered in blooms.  Peonies, roses, freesia, iris and geraniums - too many to name, are bursting forth.  It is gorgeous.

After losing her eggs to varmints, the little mallard had a clutch of 12 babies hatch.  She is rearing them alone and not as diligent as the geese with her offspring.  Seven remain.  

Besides gardening and tending to my booth, Nonna has been tending to her grand babies.  Penny Lane is drawing on the patio with chalk and very proud of  it.

Bella and Ollie stayed the night and are washing all the dirt off in Nonna's bath.  Bubbles everywhere.  They loved it.

But, here comes trouble.  Dangerous series of weather events setting up this evening for a large tornado outbreak and baseball sized hail.  My flowers will be decimated.  My truck and husband's car can't both fit in the garage (don't ask), so as his car is smaller and newer,  it will go in the garage.  

Schools have closed in the event of a large tornado supercell. They don't want everyone out driving which is dangerous when the traffic backs up (aka sitting ducks).  All conditions are ripe for a bad day.  I have seen some storm chaser trucks with radar, etc. out driving or parked, waiting to go.  I just hope it happens before dark if it is coming.  Keeping fingers crossed for everyone and every thing in its path.  I have never known anyone whose house has been hit by a tornado, but have known those with damage to their roof from hail.