Runners away from home - and their babies!!

Now getting news that Runners Away From Home have reproduced is very exciting :)  Mel (Gundaroo) sent me these pics of babies hatched from Runners who used to live at the Duck Hilton.  What a fine bunch they are... although getting pics was made more difficult by their adopted parents - the geese!!

These ducklings left home at one week old, and have grown into a fine young trio... I think :)  Even though they seem keen on running the older ducks out of town, ousting the geese and generally ruling the roost!!

Duckling Update

Judas continues to have problems intemittently, but today only has a limp, so that's good.  Here is a group shot taken this morning.  It does not do justice to brilliant blue speculum that Joey is developing, but does show how big they are getting.

From the left - Mary, Eve, Jesus, Joseph (Joey), Rebekah, Judas, Ariadne (Mum) and Moses (still has a couple of pincushion feathers in the tail).  I think I've guessed wrong on most of the sexes, Judas and Jesus are girls and I think Rebekah is a boy... but I'll know for certain next month, when we'll do the quack/peep squeeze and work it out 'fersure'.

Phoenix is a Blue Fawn Call duck that I hatched from an egg from Cilla in Tamworth.  He has grown into a handsome young drake.  Seen here with Tash (Left).

In the Garden Today

We've had almost non-stop rain over the weekend, more than 75mm and EVERYTHING is wet. This morning the garden is washed, clean, steamy and full of mushrooms and toadstools.   This luminous yellow/green trio appeared in the no-dig garden this morning.

The Canna Lilies are thriving, for the first time, seems they needed water to do well - who knew????

This rose is called Just Joey and has a magnificent perfume.  I obviously like orange/apricot/peach roses, and maybe having Just Joey, Ashram AND Warm Wishes is overkill but they are each slightly different and so they've earned a place in the rose bed where I dont have any white or yellow roses!!

Abracadabra

The bush is very small, and the bloom is also small, but Abracadabra is a very speccy rose.

Inchies

My friend Janet has been here this week, we've had a fabulous couple of days.  She's helped with the block maintenance - mowing!! - food prep and such like, and we've had a ball.  Today we've been out to Berry for lunch and continued our work on 'inchies'.  We decided that one inch square was too small, and have opted for an inch and a half.  Here's some of the 'blocks' we made today:

Janet brought her Embellisher Machine with her, we've had a lot of fun playing!!

Missing from this are blocks made by my daughter Freya, and some half made finished 'jobbies' from Janet and I - stay tuned!!

Ariadne's ducklings

Its been a better week for the ducklings, but we still have a little way to go.  They are nearly as big as their mother now, and Joey's wonderful beetle green head sheen is starting to show through.  Not the best pic, will try harder tomorrow!!

That Waterlily!!

The pond looks so good, full sun and fully open, still looking gorgeous :)