Remember the camp song Five little Speckled Frogs?

Reflecting the First Month of Vivienne ;=)

These are Muscovy Ducks on a log in front of our home on Hackers Creek

Five green and speckled frogs Sat on a speckled log Eating the most delicious bugs Yum-yum! One jumped into the pool Where it was nice and cool Now there are four green speckled frogs. Four green and speckled frogs…

There is just something rather special about

Morning dew & Sunshine

Happy 4th of July

MORE BABIES

Gosh I just went to the grocery and all seemed well.

I had forgotten to get fixings for a quiche to go with the Home Made Leek Soup

and the roast for this evening!

When I got home Poppa Call Duck was acting concerned for his mate…

Needed to get George, the Wonder dog back inside first…

I came back out and saw Momma feverishly looking for her wee ones…

I could hear the peeping for her.

Upon closer inspection her babies were still in the raised bed, she had just gone

out to tell her mate about the kids. They really thought Mom talked WAY TOO

LONG, I am guessing. Once Mom got back into the bed and the nest, they scurried

over to get under wing [not underfoot, hee hee] she has several eggs un -hatched

and will take a few days to hatch any remaining eggs before she takes the family

out for their first walk.

This is why this raised flower bed is not cleaned out…

had to make room for Mom ;)

This time English Call ducks birthed Just TODAY

Whooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooooo Click here for more Information about these really neat DUCKS! Soon I will get back to Egypt and my One Mile Camel Ride…but this is too precious not to share!

A brief respite as we journey to see our daughters

Saturday we get news from home that one of our ducks has bestowed upon us

ELEVEN beautiful wee ones.

Her name, the MOM is “LINEN” she is an all white Muscovy Duck [(Cairina

moschata) is a large duck which is native to Mexico, Central and South America. A

small wild population reaches into the US in the lower Rio Grande River basin in

Texas. There also are feral breeding populations in North America in and around

public parks in nearly every state of the USA and in the Canadian provinces; feral

populations also exist in Europe. Although the Muscovy Duck is a tropical bird, it

adapts to icy and snowy conditions down to –12°C (10°F) and below without ill

effects[1].

~~

We have named the Father "Tuxedo", because he is a dapper Black and White

DUDE! Plus he has an even more special place in our lives. He survived a

motorist running over one leg. He hobbles, and is doing well. Tonight we saw

him hobble after his mate to see his new family…

~

The term "Muscovy" means "from the Moscow region", but these ducks are neither

native there nor were they introduced there before they became known in Western

Europe. It is not quite clear how the term came about; it very likely originated

between 1550 and 1600, but did not become widespread until somewhat later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscovy_Duck

All Muscovy ducks have long claws on their feet and a wide flat tail. The drake

(male) is about 86 cm long and weighs 4.6-6.8 kg (10-15 lb), while the hen

(female) is much smaller, at 64 cm in length and 2.7-3.6 kg (6-8 lb) in weight;

domesticated males often weigh up to 8 kg (17 lb), and domesticated females up

to 5 kg (10 lb). One male of an Australian breed weighed about 10 kg (20 pounds).

~~

The wild Muscovy Duck is blackish, with large white wing patches. Domesticated

birds may look similar; most are dark brown or black mixed with white,

particularly on the head[2]. Other colors such as lavender or all-white are also

seen. Both sexes have a nude black-and-red or all-red face; the drake also has

pronounced caruncles at the base of the bill and a low erectile crest of feathers.

~~

C. moschata ducklings are mostly yellow with buff-brown markings on the tail and

wings. Some domesticated ducklings have a dark head and blue eyes, others a

light brown crown and dark markings on their nape. They are agile and speedy

precocial birds.

~~

The drake has a low breathy call, and the hen a quiet trilling coo.

~

Here is the best web site telling about these wonderful ducks

http://geocities.com/MUSCOVYDUCKS/

Did you know there was a Muscovy Duck who was in world war-two ?

Here is a picture of the book. This site is totally awesome please check it out….

Next post I hope to end the Egypt tour and head to the Holy Land

A Sunny Fall day on the pond!

Crested Ducks or as I call One of them HARPO…

Other breeds of ducks on the pond as well, one of my favorite Characters is the English Call Duck we dubbed, “Big Daddy” with his mate “Momma”! ;)

The crest is essentially a mutation associated with skull deformities and known for hundreds of years. There are those who claim that crested ducks first appeared in Britain, which is unlikely but they were certainly first Shown here and appear in many early poultry books . Genetic mutations appear occasionally all over the world. Selective breeding would then have increased the numbers of birds with the same characteristic. 17th century Dutch paintings show crested ducks on wildfowl such as Melchior d'Hondecoeter (1636 -1695) and Marmaduke Craddock (1660 - 1717) from Somerset in the Uk showed them

More Info on this Site!

http://www.domestic-waterfowl.co.uk/crested.htm

Raccoons

No wonder we were going through lots of Cat food! Using our new Game camera this is what goes on when we are NOT AWARE!

What the game camera did not get pictures of, which really was a good thing, was the carnage that we found in the Duck pen.

That raccoon was caught…

We will be using several Have A Heart Traps tonight. I would rather the raccoons eat cat food and leave our ducklings alone…but then the Mom Raccoons are needing to feed their off spring…SIGH The cycle of Life!

The Raccoon (Procyon lotor), also known as the Northern Raccoon, Common Raccoon, Washing Bear or Coon, is a widespread, medium-sized, omnivorous mammal native to North America.

Raccoons are often considered pests because they forage in trash receptacles or eat dog food left on back porches; they are able to open garbage cans with their hands. Raccoons are one of the largest animals to have adapted well to human development. Suburban areas, and many large cities, have significant raccoon populations. Raccoons are skilled foragers who can thrive on garbage and pet food. They have been known to take up residence in attics and garages, and even to enter houses through "pet doors" in search of food. When confronted by humans or household animals, raccoons may be aggressive; urban raccoons tend to lose their fear of humans over time.

Active mostly at night time, raccoons are often present but may go undetected for some time. Control Methods include:

Pet food left outdoors should be removed before nightfall. Pick up fallen fruits and nuts frequently. Never intentionally provide food for raccoons, and discourage your neighbors from this practice as well; it only attracts more raccoons.

If possible, remove woodpiles or other materials raccoons can den in or under. Thinning out overgrown shrubbery will reduce cover. To reduce access to the roof, tree branches that overhang rooftops should be cut back if possible, leaving a gap of at least 5 feet between the roof and the tree. Trellises and arbors attached to homes may facilitate access to the roof and consideration should be given to their removal. While habitat modification is often helpful, it is rarely a total solution.

Raccoons are fairly easy to trap; however, occasionally a clever and cunning animal will be quite elusive. A live cage-type trap is usually the preferred trap for homeowners, although others are available that may be used by professionals to capture the more difficult animals. The single-door trap should be sturdily constructed and its dimensions should be at least 10 x 12 x 32 inches. Larger 15 x 15 x 36 inch traps are even better. Canned tuna or canned fish-flavored cat food make excellent baits but may also attract nontarget cats and dogs. To avoid catching cats, try using marshmallows, grapes, prunes, peanut butter, or sweet rolls. Small pieces of bait should be placed along a path leading up to the trap. The rear of the trap should be covered with 1/2-inch wire mesh to prevent the raccoon from reaching through the trap from the outside to steal the bait. Traps should be well anchored to the ground or weighted to prevent the animal from tipping the trap over to obtain the bait. Traps should be set at night and closed in the morning to avoid trapping nontargets. Remember, raccoons are intelligent and clever animals. They are also powerful and can be vicious when trapped or cornered.

The DREEN

~~Trickle trickle little stream ~~

~

~~You are ever so clean~~

~ ~~Why did they call you a “dreen?”~~

~

This Old House of some 120 years has names that the first owners used for some things. We have chosen to keep those names for the integrity of the original owners and their history. Dreen had to be an archaic word for drain…the water source for this “DREEN” comes from the hillside across the “HARD” road…! The HARD road was built @ 1920 and now goes in back of our home…the REAL road, back in the horse and buggy days went in front of the house… Bearing that in mind, we actually use the BACK of the house as the Front…although, much to the chagrin of our children, we refer to the Front of the house as the actually front…because it has porches…the back has a deck.

Just beyond our cat Castor you can see the Creek

Today’s Question for Tomorrow is!

If April Showers bring May flowers….

** What do May flowers bring?

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Mark Twain ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All Fools' Day as it was called years ago was, is observed in many countries around the world.

England ~~ In the Lake District, an April Fool is a - 'April noddy'. ~~ April noddy's past and gone,You're the fool an' I'm none.

APRIL FOOL SMILE :-))

~~ Q: Why are people so tired on April 1st? ~~ A: Because they just finished a 31-day March :-)

April Fool Fun Ideas

1957: BBC fools the nation

Watch the video on the above link Now read what SNOPES has to say!

It will QUACK you UP ;)

A delightful SITE!

Al Jolson Lyrics

~~~~~~~~~~~~

April Showers Lyrics

Life is not a highway strewn with flowers,

Still it holds a goodly share of bliss,

When the sun gives way to April showers,

Here's a thought that we should never miss:

Though April showers May come your way, T

hey bring the flowers That bloom in May;

And if it's raining, Have no regrets;

Because, it isn't raining rain, you know,

It's raining violets.

And when you see clouds Upon the hill, You soon will see crowds Of daffodils;

So keep on looking for the bluebird,

And listening for his song,

Whenever April showers come along.

Though April showers May come your way,

They bring the flowers That bloom in May;

And if it's raining, Have no regrets;

Because, it isn't raining rain, you know, It's raining violets.

And when you see clouds Upon the hill, You soon will see crowds Of daffodils;

So keep on looking for the bluebird, And listening for his song,

Whenever April showers come along

ABC Wednesday Letter “J”

Go To Mrs. Nesbitts Place

~~~~~~~~~~

Jonquil & Jacopo

The END at the beginning ;) Admist the Jonquil's

~~~~~~~~~~

Jonquil is the Spanish word for plants of the genus Narcissus.

~~~~

The Jonquil is March’s Birth Flower

Many here and I have not planted a one, thanks be to the old farm that has, and STILL produces these flowers …many are double flowered…

Narcissus is the botanic name for a genus of mainly hardy, mostly spring-flowering, bulbs in the Amaryllis family native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. There are also several Narcissus species that bloom in the autumn. Though Hortus Third [1] cites 26 wild species, Daffodils for North American Gardens[2] cites between 50 and 100 excluding species variants and wild hybrids. Through taxonomic and genetic research, it is speculated that over time this number will likely continue to be refined.[3] Daffodil is a common English name, sometimes used now for all varieties, and is the chief common name of horticultural prevalence used by the American Daffodil Society.[4] The range of forms in cultivation has been heavily modified and extended, with new variations available from specialists almost every year

Then there is...Jacopo

Jacopo is one of the four cat rescues I made last October. Earlier pictures can be seen at: Big Day here October 22, 2007 Wow what a day...A bonny Day October 28 also Stop - Don't Litter! Spay and Neuter on November 14. The pictures shown on this post were taken this weekend.

He is named for Jacopo (Character) from The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) Alexandre Dumas. Jacopo is the smuggler who saves Dantes from the sea right after he is thrown into the waves in the Abbe Faria's body bag. Dantes smuggles with Jacopo for a few months before recovering the Monte Cristo treasure. Jacopo later becomes the captain of Monte Cristo's yacht.

Jacopo is best described as loyalty, and his loyalty is vital to the development of Dantes' character and to the themes. Dantes' faith in humanity has been demolished by his experiences. Meeting Jacopo and receiving his kindness at his moment of escape ensures that Dantes will not be totally lost to bitterness. When Jacopo stays by him throughout, and even offers to share his treasure bounty with Dantes, Dantes realizes that Jacopo is an honest and trustworthy man. Dantes then knows he will be able to get past his vengeance.