THANKS for passing it along, brother-in-law BOB!!

That’s right, we have 2 more ducks!

I think this is how it went….

Kelsey called late afternoon yesterday, “MOM, I have a HUGE favor to ask you”, or maybe she said “opportunity for you” (I can’t remember, I’m getting old!)  ”I have this friend, and he like got these ducks for his girlfriend, and like the apartment people found out he had them, and so he can’t have them anymore”…….pause……..”so I thought maybe you would like them!”  I thought about it for 2 seconds and, of course, said yes.

They are pretty darn cute, like all ducklings are!  These are really tame and they don’t mind if you pet or hold them.  However, they are too young to go outside so sweet Kelsey is taking them home for 5 days while I go off to Las Vegas.  Maybe, in the meantime, since there might not be any additions to my website until I get back, you all might like to help us name them.  We are pretty sure the yellow is a Pekin female and the other is probably a Mallard drake. 

We have a few ideas, one being Sonny and Cher, or maybe Batman (he’s got a great mask on) and Robin.  Give us your best ideas! 

NAME THOSE DUCKS!  

I wanted to wait and name the girls until we had them for a few weeks and could see their personalities. My sweet hubby kept calling one of them RINGO, because she has this nice yellow ring around her neck. This morning we decided on the others……we have PAULetta, GEORGEtta, JOHNetta and last but not least, Groupie (kind of because she is the follower).  

Tonight they got fresh straw and new water.  They went crazy over both.  The preening began and I just wondered, “How many ways can a duck turn their head?”  Let me show you………

Today may also be the beginning of that dorky, awkward stage that no teenager wants to go through.  It’s the half feather/half fur and half chirp/half quack.  Entertaining though!

AND THEN THEY CRASH!

Make sure to tune in tomorrow night for a duck surprise!

When I open the door in the mornings I am immediately greeted with intense chirping.  I have noticed they wait by their door until I walk out every morning.   Today they had celery leaves and lettuce.   Are you thinking I serve them on my good plates!!??

 The girls are a little skiddish when I get close, but once they see something in my hand they get a little out of control and just start grabbing.

And here’s a bill in your face……..

And then you gotta have a quick chuck-a-lug…….

And then somebody always feels left out…….

I can’t believe in only 3 weeks I have gone from few day old ducklings to these adolescent ducks.  I can tell they have hit puberty since I heard the first semi QUACK from one of the girls yesterday.  My SH put their food inside the house they never use last night so it wouldn’t get wet (we had big thunderstorms last night).  I looked out when there was a loud POP at 2 am and there they were, outside enjoying the storm.  By morning, they were walking inside to eat, yeah!  Since they chirped at me heavily when I walked out this morning, I translated that to mean they wanted worms.  Easy to find after the rain so that was their breakfast treat!

Last one in is a rotten egg! Or maybe in this case will lay a rotten egg

After only 10 days in our house it was time to move the ducks outside due to smell and gargantuan duck size. First, let me tell you about the awesome Duck House that I acquired, aka Little Tikes Playhouse.  Once again, found FREE on Craigslist! I really couldn’t get over that great find. This is what the quick pen looks like.

By the way, the fencing was FREE too from a builder friend of ours.  My SH whipped this together in about 30 min.  He is currently working on a fancier pen…..

Look at this cozy interior complete with food, water, straw, sink and stove, great windows, nice lighting, what more could a duck want?

Well, what I have learned is that ducks don’t want anything!  They really could care less about being sheltered.  They would rather brave the cold and the rain than be stuck inside.  We have even tried putting their food inside and still they won’t go in.  So if you ever get ducks, don’t spend too much on a fancy home. 

     Ducks first swim!  This pan is about 24″ x 12″ x 4″ so they are able to float and still touch bottom.  You shouldn’t put ducks into deep water until they have feathers, they could sink!

     The water is immediately dirty, so we try to change it 3 times a day.  (I am hopeful that the water is good fertilizer for my plants)  They do get excited over clean water.  It’s also fun to throw pieces of lettuce and worms into the water and watch them dive, or at least bob! 

Enough yak from me, here are a few great duck pics……..

 EVERYBODY IN THE POOL!!

 And last but not least, Kacey with the ducks.  I feel like she is always saying, “But what about me??!!”

I have had a nice pile of fallen branches and twigs collecting all winter.

After browsing a book by Better Homes and Gardens, “Trellises, Arbors and Pergolas”, I had a fabulous idea! Before my SH left for work the other morning, I asked if he could show me how to use his nail gun. I got the usual “eye roll” and then “What do you want it for?”. I said, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll show you later”. Well, he doesn’t just let his tools be used, especially be me, so he took a few minutes and showed me how to use it. A nail gun may be the coolest tool ever invented and I’m sad that I haven’t known about it until now!

I began by laying out branches on my patio and crisscrossing here and there.  The branches will really decide the pattern and determine your design.

After I got a few laid out I just started nailing them together as I went.  Using that cool nailgun I created this whole trellis in 20 to 30 minutes, so easy!!  And FREE, which if you haven’t figured out by now, I am cheap and don’t like to spend money!  I did buy some more nails because I was so obcessed with trellises this particular day.  A box of 500 nails was $2.99.  For $3 I had a day of fun!

Presto chango!  What was once yard trash became something very useable and unique.  I ran over to Kelsey’s house and dug up an awesome clematis, “Henryi”, that needed a new home.  It’s already got growth on it so I have immediate satisfaction!  Wait till you see it bloom, OMG!!

I had ducks when I was younger. We lived on a lake and my mom got my brother and I two ducks for Easter. I don’t remember having them very long before they were out swimming on the lake.

Ducks literally grow overnight. Within a week the ducks were almost able to jump the sandbox so I fashioned an armored wall out of cardboard. You can see there is nothing fancy here! And I did it ALL BY MYSELF.