Catching Up

At least once or twice every day the dogs jump up from their slumber

and head to the front door barking.

They bark and bark as if someone is breaking into the house.

It truly is enough to startle anyone.

Usually within a minute, everyone has settled down...

assured that nothing is awry.

But every once in a while the barking continues.

I swear the dogs see ghosts...

or perhaps their hearing is just so keen that they hear things that I do not.

Once in a great while the barking escalates into a frenzy, 

with dogs jumping up and down in front of the door... unending.

It is times like this that I know that either a package has been delivered,

or that someone is standing at our front door.

The doorbell would be the clue... if only it were audible over the sound of barking dogs!

Saturday was one such day.

Barking.  Snarling. Jumping.... prolonged.

I rushed down the steps from my lofty ironing spot to find a young man at the front door.

They funny thing is... unexpected visitors are a rare occurrence around here.

We live well off the beaten path, with a rather lengthy front driveway.

Yearly surprise visitors = maybe 2... maybe none.

Yet, in the midst of this routine barking...

a stranger was indeed at our front door.

I answered the door and a young man politely introduced himself and proceeded

to tell his tale.

It seems that he and his wife had a pet duck...

the grown-up result of a spring-time Tractor Supply duckling.

"Verne" was her name...at least that was the name she was given when they thought she was a he.

Verne had had a brother, but a fox had carried him off during the summer.

Now Verne (re-named Laverne) was living alone at their home.

They were quite attached to this lone duck who comes to the call of her name,

but they felt that having her live all alone was selfish.

"Would you consider giving Laverne a home on your duck pond?" was the question posed.

Without hesitation Hubbs and I answered "of course" simultaneously.

Laverne was delivered to the pond later that afternoon,

and visited several times later this weekend by her "parents".

I am happy to report that the rest of the ducks have seemingly accepted Laverne.

(Ducks can be very sectarian and will often shun a transplant.)

So, now we have a new white Pekin duck on the pond...

for a total of 8 domestic and 12 wild ducks at present.

I was overcome by weekend events and was unable to publish a blog yesterday

(Monday).

We babysat on Saturday and Sunday joined friends for dinner and a movie.

I did a thorough pasture cleaning - 

while Moonbeam tried to convince me that he was starving to death... 

nibbling over the fence on disgusting soiled hay cleaned out of the pig house!

By the time the work was complete, I had run out of time for anything else.

I am sure you are wondering about the cow in the woods, though.

We did have enough time for a woodsy walk with the dogs this weekend...

with the purpose of gathering game camera cards in order to see if the mysterious cow had returned.

Last week we visited all of the local dairy farms to see if any were missing a cow.

None were.

Mysterious.

After checking the camera cards and finding no evidence of a cow re-visitation...

I must conclude that she either returned to her home, or moved on.

Time will tell.

As for the hay that we placed by the tent for her...

it has been enjoyed immensely by a small herd of our resident white-tail deer.