Duck Daddy and His Six Girls - Day 6

Yesterday, Memorial Day, was day six with Duck Daddy and his six girls. The weather is typical New England spring weather. At one moment a bit chilly with the clouds passing, and the breeze blowing, and at another moment warm with the sun shining, and the wind still. We brought the girls outside on one of those warm moments, and they puttered about the lawn attacking dandelion heads, and chasing little gnats.

The weather has swung from the 90ºF days from a couple days ago to cold evenings. It is forecasted to be in the high 30s tonight. Even though we have the girls inside, we need to carefully monitor their kiddie pool brooder, and make sure that we keep the temperatures up around 90º. Last night the temperature dropped lower than it has been in weeks, and this morning at 5am I checked the brooder to see the little duckies all huddled together. The temperature was closer to 80º than 90º, and I had to adjust the heat lamp accordingly.

Yesterday, we spent a little more time allowing Holly the greyhound to spend time near the ducks. Of course it is always on a leash, and out of snapping distance. The ducks are not only cute, but the are crunchy too. Holly spent the first years of her life chasing small simulated crunchy things around the rail of a racetrack. She still gets excited about such things. Her favorite word is "squirrel."

We are beginning to see the personality of these little girls begin to emerge more and more from day to day. One girl tries to leap out of the brooder regularly. Another girl squeaks loudly for my attention when I am not in the room. One girl loves to sit in my cupped hands and nibble at my wedding ring. One girl loves to stand by my hands and nibble at the hair on my arm. Another is the first to go back to sleep after a feeding, and when she rests she sticks her legs behind her, and in the air a bit. One drinks by submerging her head completely, and she always looks like she is trying to get that BrylCream part your hair in the middle 50's hair do.

Okay. A few last photos for the day: