Ch ch ch CHANGES (ha! I'll bet you were expecting Chia pet!)

 

Wow, has it been a long time since I posted here.  Things have really changed for me.  And, I continue to have problems with Blogger, AND I have a new smart phone.  I downloaded all my picture4s to the computeer, and can't figure out where they went.  Ah, the life of a truly inept cyber geek.

 

Soooooooo, I backed out on the purchase of the condo.  I know enough about real estate and condos to make me really nervous.  I was waking up each morning with more doubts and questions, and finally decided this place was going to be another Money Pit, just like the farm.  I do not need that.

While I was in Seattle for Thanksgiving, I went apartment hunting in Ballard, my neighborhood of choice.  Darned if I didn't happen upon the sweetest place!  I am a block from Market Street, for those of you who know the area.  I can see the Hiram Chittenden Locks from my deck.  It's really amazing when a big ship goes through and you watch it making progress across the way.  So, back to the apartment.  I have landed in a wonderful little community of kind, helpful, artistic tennants and am having a blast.  The site manager is a doll, and just across the hall is a woman who creates the most incredible dolls.  I will catch up with pictures as soon as I can figure this out.

So anyway, I moved in on December 7.  I am less than two miles from my Grandson.  It is so heartwarming to have him smile at me in recognition.  Okay, I'm hooked.  Now I get the grandparent thing.  I am totally in love.

I have applied for my Seattle Business license and hope to be selling my yarns and such at the Ballard Market in a week or two.  When the weather warms up, the organic farmers that leased my land want me to work for them in their produce stalls at the various Farmer's Markets around town.  I'm anxious for all of this to get started.  I'm finally settled in and have my place just the way I like it.  Now it's time to get to work and make some money!

The Clock is Ticking

 

 

Things are moving right along on the sale of the farm.  The hardest part is the cleanup.  There is junk and more junk that has sat here for over 60 years.  That junk needs to be hauled away, and looks like the chore is mine, all mine.

As far as packing up my own things, I've done quite well.  I am saying good bye to all the stuff I have not used in a year, or that is Country related.  The Farmgirl has left the building, and the only memorabilia I am taking with me is the farm sign, which I will hang on my back porch, and the show banner I used at all of the Alpaca Events we attended.

At this rate, it looks like it will all fit into a U-Haul truck, and my boys and the neighbors will all help with that job.  I'm aiming for December 8th.

 

I also found about 5 quilt tops I had made back in the quilting days prior to Alan's death.  I haven't had time for any of that since then.  I knew I would not finish them, so I gave them to my church.  Two times a year, the ladies get together and make small quilts for the children who go to the local women's shelter with their moms.  Most of them have been abused and are in crises.   As they arrive, they are each given a quilt.  These quilts are all worked on by many women.  Some buy the fabric, some cut.  Others sew the pieces together, others iron the seams.  More do the quilting, and then finally the binding.  The quilts were dedicated last Sunday, and I am proud and honored to say that 4 of mine are now in the hands of some children who need a bright place in their lives.

 

I will be homeless for awhile and living in my brother's basement.  I have put an offer on a cute little condo in Seattle, at the base of Magnolia, and right across the ship canal from my kids and Cadel!  Wonderful walking zone.  I am going to become the Walking Queen.

The condo is a short sale, and is in quite a state.  The former owners seemed to be "Big Ship" afficianados, and attempted to decorate their living room to resemble the Captains Quarters on the Bounty.  They put in a false ceiling that is sagging and about to fall, resurfaced the houseing of the fireplace, and put in these god awful moldings all over.  These things will have to be dealt with immediately after I take possession, IF I actually get it.

 

Funny how a SHORT sale talks so long.  It's called a short sale because the sellers are short funds to pay off their bank.  The bank takes offers and decides which one they will lose the least amount of money on.  Well, I don't think they will have to think on this one too long.  I am paying cash, I'm the only offer they have had, and they are accruing costs evey day they keep this on their inventory.

 

One of the best things about this condo is that it has a HUGE back deck, as big as one of the bedrooms.  It only gets morning light, but I can have a nice shade garden out there with plenty of fushias and begonias.  But, I wont have to mow a lawn!!!

 

I've also got an application in to work at my favorite funky clothing store on a part time, flexible schedule.

 

Then, my big goal is to be in the Weekly Freemont Street Fair.  I've been told by several vendors there that my yarns will do really well.  No one has anything like it there.  I'm really looking forward to that.

 

As for Thanksgiving, I'm heading down on Monday to spend another week with my brother.  My allergies to mold just begin to subside as I am ready to return here, but I just can't stay here long, since I get so sick.  My boys and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Friday at a Natural, Vegetarian Restaurant.  I'm really looking forward to some great quality time with all my boys and Adrienne.

THE REAL STORY

 

 

This is going to be a very difficult post.  Most of you know that I started this blog as a journal to chart and keep track of the many happenings on my farm while being an alpaca breeder.  That was often very entertaining, and I rarely lacked in subject matter to write about.  But, with the death of my husband, my whole world turned upside down, and these last two years have been extremely difficult for me.  My cousin Carolyn knows that when I have not blogged for awhile, I am having hard times.  My Mother was the same way.  She always knew that if they had not received at least one letter a week from me while I was in college, it was time for her to bite the bullet and pay for a long distance call to check in on me.  It is hard to write when you are not feeling "up".

Many of you have commented on my strength and upbeat attitude during times of adversity, and I guess I acknowledge that to a certain extent.  The truth is it has been a long, torturous journey for me.  I go to bed crying, and I often wake up crying.  Fortunately, I have some of the most amazing friends a person could ever hope for.  On top of that is my brother who has been my rock

Staying in Nooksack, on the farm, has been a love/hate relationship.  There are so many memories here, yet I feel as if there is this oppressive giant thumb holding me down, preventing me from getting on with my life.  To complicate matters, I am still unable to drive on the freeways without having a panic attack.  I don't know if that is because my brain is still adjusting to the eye surgery and the shock of having two eyes in perfect alignment, or if I have caused a habitual fear based on the difficulties I had prior to having my vision corrected surgically. This has limited my independence and my ability to get away to visit my kids and friends on a regular basis.  Living out here in Nooksack, I am really quite isolated, and with the onset of Standard time with the darkness coning earlier, I realize how much I hate the winters here.

A year ago, I wanted to sell the farm and move back home to Seattle, but a conflict with a relative prevented me from doing so.  I tried my hardest to make it work, but I was working my tail off and my health was in jeopardy.  After months of doctor's visits, tests and trips to the emergency room, the discovery that I'm suffering from a mold allergy is such a relief.  I had gotten so tired of hearing "Linda, we don't know what is wrong with you".

That was the final straw that set me in action.  I've been through a "process", coming to the decision to move, and even my closest friends are finding it hard to believe I will be leaving them.

I have been at my brother's, housesitting while he and his wife are on vacation, and today I went looking at condominiums.  These are distressed properties, either short sales or forelosures.  I went with the Realtor, and told her up front that I didn't think I would be buying, but wouldn't you know I found a place I just love, and in the neighborhood I was hoping for.

It is going to be another process, and being a short sale, it will take time.  But, I'm being hopeful.

Can you imagine me living in a condominium?  No yard, no flower garden?  No lawnmowers to fight with.  Who ever said I had to be a lawnmower mechanic?  Or plumber, or gutter cleaner, or ditch digger.  Oh, I could go on and on.  Of course, you probably read my list.

 

The second anniversary of my husband's death is coming up on Dec. 21, and I hope to be living termporarily in my brother's basement by then.

But here is some wisdom for everyone.  Treasure your spouse, your better half..  Watch out for their health as seriously as you look out for your own.  

Have you ever been in a room full of people who love you, and feel completely alone?  I miss being able to look across the room to catch the eye of my man.  With just that simple look, an entire history passes between you, and no words are necessary.  You both know and feel it in your heart.

As exciting as the changes are coming my way, this is going to be a hard time for me

I'm looking forward to a new year and a new life..

 



LET ME COUNT THE WAYS

In an attempt to make leaving this place a little bit easier, I have been keeping a list of things I will not miss once I am gone.

#1.

First and foremost, the smell of the farmers spreading liquid cow manure on the fields.

#2

Fir needles everywhere in the house and store.

#3

Mold

#4

Digging trenches around the cement slabs to prevent the store and garage from flooding.

#5

The isolation and loneliness

#6

Mold

#7

Mud

#8

Weeds

#9

Did I happen to mention Mold? And mold.

Speaking of mold, I was reading an article in FIRST magazine the other night about allergies to common mold. Now was that timely, or what? They recommmend a Symptom stopper of Butterbur Extract. Well, you'd better believe I marched into the local health food store and told them I was looking for Butter Butt. Ooops. Well, they got a good laugh. The bottle says it is for Neurological Support. That makes sense to me because my brain feels like it is going to explode. I sure hope this works. The second thing they recommend is to have an English Ivy in your home. The Ivy actually acts as a filter. I found a very nice Ivy topiary to put in my living room.

#10

Getting up in the middle of the night to chase off coyotes. Since the alpacas are gone, I don't worry so much, but the gates are also gone, and the coyotes end up in my back yard. I'm so fierce wearing a barn jacket over . . .well, whatever, my muckboots, and my headlamp, carrying a pitchfork. Those darn coyotes are so smart, they have cleared out and are far gone as soon as I turn on the first light.

#11

Northeasters.

I am finding I need this list to make leaving easier. I am going to miss my dear friends and community so much, it is unspeakable. I cry alot.

But I am so happy and excited to be moving on and pursuing my new goals.

This blog is going to change quite a bit, and I plan to keep you all informed on my progress.



A Change is Gonna Come

 

 

I've had a very emotional month.  I finally figured out I'm allergic to my house.  I've done alot of work on it to get rid of the mold upstairs, but the basement is a problem.  I've been sick for at least two years, and just kept getting worse.  Sometimes, I can be a very slow learner.  Now that the decision is made, I feel so relieved.  For the next few months, I am moving into a gorgeous home in a beach side community, Birch Bay.  The house is on a bank above the bay with spectacular views.  I am able to rent the house month to month, and am close enough that I can go to the farm a few days a week to work on the clean-up and the yard sales.  Oh, have I got a lot of work to do.  But, at the end of it all, I will be heading back to Seattle where I am from.  There I will find a place to plant myself and blossom.  I have alot of life left to live, and a new Linda to nourish.

Wish me well, friends.

The Adventure Continues

I hooked up with my friends in Ellensburg, and this is what the sun looked like at about 11A.M.  It's a week later as I write this, and the fires are still burning.  The three separate fires have merged into one, which gives them a perimeter to work with, and they anticipate having it under control in another week.

I stayed with the In Laws of my friend Fabiola.  Karen and Doug are Llama breeders, and now that they are retired from their real jobs, they are raising beautiful orchard grass hay for sale.  Funny, as an alpaca breeder, I was so picky about my hay.  I would want to see the field it came from, walk through it and see if there were weeds and thistles.  The folks who are buying this hay do the same thing.  I swear to you, there is not a single weed in this field.  I wanted to buy it, just because!!!

So, anyhow, they have this adorable little cottage that I got to stay in.  I slept like the dead.  

Friday was Karen's Birthday, so Fabiola had made this Garden Cake for her.  It had alot of Bailey's Irish Cream in it.  The leaves on the carrots were tiny mint leaves.  The girl is so talented.

Karen and Doug have three St. Bernards.  Below is Max, enjoying one of his 30,000 naps of the day.  Doesn't he know how to relax?  One of the other dogs, Blue, shows he likes you by nipping you in the butt.  I'm proud to say I was nipped the first time I met him.  My goal each time I wanted to get in the house was to get past him without the nip, but he learned how to trip me!!  I thought for sure if I fell down, I would have three giant dogs standing on me slobbering drool all over me.  I didn't pack enough clothes to accommodate them, so I had to avoid the situation.  Otherwise, I would have been in heaven.

Karen has been very anxious for me to visit her so I could teach her my crock pot method of dying fiber.  She learned well, and below is the first cloud of dyed llama fiber we did.  We used three different colors to accomplish this.  Llama fiber is not nearly as dense as alpaca, so it fluffs and dries beautifully, creating a "cloud" of color.  

We were thrilled with the outcome.

Fabiola has a Peruvian dance troupe, TUSUYPERU, that needed a place to practice on 

Saturday morning.  Only three girls and one boy showed up, so as they were learning this dance, Karen and I stood in as boys.  I had seen this dance in Peru, and
Fabiola's mother had made me a national costume from this area, the mountains of Cuzco near Macchu Picchu.  I have the music, and dance around to it all the time at home, so I caught on to the routine rather quickly.  In a short hour, they had it down and were doing a run through in this video.    Well, Google wouldn't download that video, too long, I think, so I had to use this one.  You still get the energy.

Linda and Cynthia's Excellent Adventure

My friend Cynthia spends 10 days every year at the Yakima County Fair where she sets up a booth and paints children's faces.  Last week on Wednesday she was heading over, so I asked if I could hitch a ride as far as Ellensburg.  I've been wanting to visit Fabiola and her in laws since Spring, so this was the perfect opportunity.  We got started at about 4PM, with the car packed tight.

We arrived in Leavenworth on Hwy 2 around 7 and stopped at Micky D's for a quick bite and a potty stop. 

The young men there were kind enough to inform us that Bluett Pass was closed due to the forest fires.

OH, NO!!!!

WHAT TO DO??

It would be another 2 hours to take the alternate route.  We were tired.  Plan B was established.  We stopped to buy a bottle of wine and ask the clerk in the store where to stay.  He directed us to the sweetest little Motor Inn.

They don't make 'em like this anymore.  While we were checking in, Cynthia jokingly asked where the hot tub was and the clerk told us just across the parking lot.  Glory Be!

We got our room situated and enjoyed half of the wine.\

\\

Let's take a closer look at that wine.  It was GOOD.

These old Motor Inns come with standard two bedrooms.  I remember staying in these when I was a child.  Here is the main room and Cynthia's bed.

My bedroom.  Not fancy, but so quiet and cozy.

So, we had not packed swim suits for the hot tub and had to improvise.  Since it was right on the road, we didn't think nude would be appropriate.

We sat in the tub until it closed at 9:30.

Back to the room to finish the wine and fall into our beds.

This is our place in the morning.  Flower boxes were everywhere, containing massive amounts of petunias.

We went in to the office to have breakfast, and the clerk advised us Bluett Pass was now open.

This is what we drove through all the way to Yakima.  It seemed like dusk.

And here you can see the scorched land.  There had been three separate fires and one of them came back through this way again that day, closing the pass once again.

Many people have commented on how sorry they are that our plans were disrupted, but we just laugh and call it synchronicity.  We had a blast.

Harvest Time means WORK

I don't know what I would do without my little wagon.  Those of you who have followed me for a long time know her as the JennyMac2000.  My friend, Jenny, was visiting me from California, and wanting to help me with my chores.  Before long she said this work was too hard, she was going to buy me a wagon.  I couldn't believe it, but she really did, and I am eternally grateful to her for this gift.

Today it has hauled a bucket full of pears to be made into juice and pearsauce for a certain Grandson.

And, a bucket full of Glowing Coal apples for the same purpose.  I have enough adult style applesauce on the pantry shelves to get us through the rest of this year.

Below is my new Steamer/Juicer that can be used for oh, so many things.  It's much easier to make apple juice with this than with the cider press.

Also in the kitchen today is a big pile of coffee beans.  My friend gave them to me raw, and I have been attempting to roast them.  Quite honestly, I don't think it's worth the time.

Now we will go outdoors.  Since the chickens have left, I finally get to eat the strawberries in my back garden.  Yum.  These are everbearing.

These are the new raspberry plants I acquired this year.  It is named "Ann" and it ripens the end of the summer.  They are ripe now, yellow.  Huge and juicy.  And once again, I do not have to share them with the chickens.  I have to say, my little venture with the organic chickens and turkeys was not a good one, and I count the days until all of them are out of my barn.  The pastures will be tilled and reseeded, thank goodness, because they are destroyed.

About those moles, do you think they could cause any more damage?

This is my friend and neighbor from the 'hood, Hunter, with the turkeys.  Hunter is 23 and is a special needs boy.  I have never worked with people with special needs before, so this has been a learning experience for me.  Hunter lives up the street in an
Adult Care Facility. One day we went blackberry picking together, and I was showing him how to do something, and he tells me:  "Slow and easy is how I go, Linda".   He is bored and wants to work.  He comes around here every day, and I try to find jobs for him to do.  Today he took me back to where the turkeys are kept and showed me how he had cleaned up the area.

He had done this of his own accord.  (the barn is a total mess)

So, I put him to work with JennyMac2000 spreading bark in my flower beds.

When he left he told me his arms were killing him.  Glad he did this for me.  Thank you, friend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOOKSACK

I was at the City Park bright and early yesterday to start preparing for the big celebration.  I established a "command headquarters" for myself in the gazebo, and provided a table and chairs for the musicians to use while not playing.  I got to work washing down all of the picnic tables with bleach water.

Being me, I had floral arrangements on all of the tables.

One of the posters on display

 Here I am with my friend Char and Pastor Bob.  Bob provided the sound system as well as sang in the Barbershop chorus, the Bellingham Blend.

This is the historical display that was set up in City Hall.  There was always a crowd in here, going over the papers.  I did not get a chance to see them, since I was busy at the part.  However, I heard they even had the minutes of the very first meeting of the Nooksack City Council.

This handsome pair picked up passengers at City Hall about every 20 minutes.  They pulled a large carriage full of people on a tour of my farm.  My place is really the only place to go in Nooksack to see and experience what it might have been like 100 years ago.  With the Homestead house and the 100+ year old barn, along with the crazy turkeys and two mules who were very excited every time the horses came through, it was a huge success.

The highlight of my day was getting to drive the team on the tour in the late afternoon.  What a thrill!  It's quite a sensation to realize you have two very large and powerful animals at your control with just a gentle movement on the reins.  I was totally taken, and I'm thinking of taking driving lessons.

 Here are my two dear friends from the 'hood.

 Some of the crowd milling about.  Those men in the vests are part of the barbershop chorus.

 The food table.  We served 350 hot dogs and 336 pieces of cake.

This is the bluegrass group I found at the last minute.  They had never played together before, but they did a great job.  Thank you Hjardar, Jane, Jordan and Angus.  You were spectacular.

I will be getting many more pictures from others who were at the picnic, so I will be posting more in the days to come.  Today, at church, we are having a big potluck after services to welcome all of those former members who came "home to Nooksack" to join in the celebration.

Time to Catch my Breath

I have been so busy lately.  Work on the Nooksack Centennial Celebration has taken a lot of my time.  You think I would concentrate on that, but, nooooooooooo, I see things I want to do and just do it.  I had this small can of green paint and decided to paint the front door.  I like this.  It goes well with the new roof.

My son and his wife brought my Grandson, Cadel, for a visit on
Saturday.

Cadel is such a happy little guy.  He is very busy with his arms and legs, but is not crawling yet.

I made Blueberry/Blackberry cobbler for dessert.

My DIL was attempting to eat hers while holding Cadel, but he caught the dish with his foot and it ended up on the floor, whipped cream side down.  That was okay.  A carpet can be cleaned, and there was plenty more cobbler.

The next day, a new friend of mine came over to help me in the yard.  We got a real chuckle at the duck's curiosity.

They followed him all over as he spread the wood chips in the flower beds.

I'm getting my yard spruced up for the Nooksack Centenial Celebration.  People will have the opportunity to take carriage rides through the town, and it includes a trip through my farm.  I want everything to look perfect.

After a long day of work, I took my friend over to visit my old alpaca herd.

The other night at our church's Ladies Night Out, we had the opportunity to hear Sherri Sheppard speak about marriage and Faith.  Our Pastor's wife requested that we all bring our wedding pictures.  It was her anniversary, and she thought it would be fun.

I chose this picture, because it included our best man, who was my Pastor's older brother!

Gordon, our best man, unfortunately died three years later while working on ski Patrol on Mt. Baker.  I have duplicates of this picture, so I sent one home to Pastor Bob.  What a small world this is.  I didn't start attending this church until last winter.  To discover this connection was such a surprise.  But, it is a small world, and these kind of surprises are popping up all the time.

So, Saturday is the Celebration.  This week I lost three of my entertainers (Oh NO!) but serendipitously, found a bluegrass band to take their places.  It's going to be a beautiful, warm day, just right for a Birthday Party in the Park.

Catching up

I finally figured out that I have to make Google my browser in order to download pictures onto my blog.  Now where have I been?  I'm way behind, I'll tell you that.  Sooooooooo,

I'm going to try to catch you up on what's been going on here.

Below are the ribbons I won at the County Fair last week.  I still did not get a blue for my Raspberry Jelly, which was my goal.  They tasted it and wrote "Yummy!" on the scorecard, but also indicated I was to have 1/4 inch of space at the top of the jar.  I guess I had 3/8ths inch.  Afterall, I sew.

Here is the afghan I made out of my own alpaca yarns, together with a few novelty yarns for interest.  I was docked 2 points for the novelty yarns because "texture is distracting".  I laughed at that, because texture and color are my mantra.  In these competitions, the judges get very confused by artistic application.

I had to harvest my first potatoes early because the chickens that are residing at my place, owned by an organic farmer, get loose and are destroying all of my beds.  They scratched so much around the potato plants, the potatoes were exposed to the sun, so I had to save what I could before they dug to China.

Then, I canned some cherries.  There is a story to this.  My Grandmother, who lived across the street from us my first 10 years, canned cherries, and called them Cherros.  My brother and I loved them, and would have contests to see who could eat the most.  Since the pits were still in, it was easy to keep track, but my brother always won.  These are for him.

Now, due to the 1000 chickens on my property, causing me nothing but grief with the smell and the mess in the barn, and the destruction of the gardens, the owner is bribing me with a CSA box of goodies every two weeks.  I'm not sure what CSA stands for, but it is a program that you can subscribe to by paying ahead of time for boxes of fresh goodies every two weeks.  By paying for it up front at the start of the season, it gives the Farmer the collateral needed to plant and grow the goods.

The picture below is last weeks box.  I made juice out of the peaches and nectarines and canned the tomatoes.  I also made pickled dilly beans, but added lots of garlic, hot chilis, anaheim chilis, and small onions.

The Gravenstein apples are ripe, and I have made lots of canned applesauce and apple juice for my Grandson, Cadel, who is now 6 months and trying out foods.

I have several people coming to pick apples today, so guess I'd best get on the ball.

Anniversary

I have been trying to post here for a week now, but don't like to do so without at least ONE picture.  Blogger does not want to download any of my pics!!  I don't get it.  Does anyone have a clue?

So, writing seems to sooth my soul, and I have the need for some soothing.  Next Sunday marks the 40th wedding anniversary of my deceased DH and me.  I try so hard to be strong, and I continue to insist that dates and family traditions don't mean anything to me.  But here is the truth:  Your heart and your mind are in control.  I have been crying for three days now.  Even knowing why does not help.  I guess it's just another stage of grief.  I am so thankful for the support and prayers of my friends, and especially my friend Char who has been widowed for 6 years.  She's been here and can guide me.  Sometimes it hits like a sledgehammer, others it's just creeping in, lying below the surface.

I know this will pass.  I know I am strong.  I also know I am painfully lonely.

NOOKSACK CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Plans for the Nooksack Centennial Celebration are moving right along.  It is only about 7 weeks away, being held on September 8th.

I wound up handling publicity and entertainment, but I'm thrilled at how it is all falling together.

Above is one of the banners we have along Highway 9.

Here is the BIG banner, being carried by some kids I recruited the day before the parade for the Everson Nooksack Festival.

We will be serving hot dogs, ice cream and cake.  Afterall, it is a birthday party!!!  What else would you serve?

The entertainment includes two barbershop choruses, an Elvis impersonator, the Nooksack Indian Tribe with a drum ceremonial and dancing, and hopefully a Latina rock band.

Several businesses are having open house that day.

I'm hoping that Country Partners 4-H group decides to provide a petting zoo.

AND, we have a carriage drawn by draft horses that will give free rides through town and on my farm, past the homestead house of Mary Harkness and the 120 year old barn.  I'm really excited about sharing my farm for this purpose.  It is the only piece of agricultural zoned property left here in town, and it will provide a living history lesson to those who take the ride.

The Celebration will be held in Nooksack City Park on Saturday, September 8th from noon to 3pm.

Oh, I forgot to mention that my church, Nooksack Christian Fellowship, will be holding open house from 11am until 5pm.  Their building is also 100 years old this year, and they will be featuring on display the vintage quilt that I researched and traced back to this church.

Now, let's all pray for a bright sunny day!

Ducks in a Row

I LOVEMY DUCKS.

I never realized what wonderful personalities these birds have.  They are such characters!  I hear them each morning as I awake, and it reminds me I have animals to care for again.  They are pretty easy maintenance, but it's fun to go out and check on them.  If I can't find them, I just say "Here duck duck". and they will chirp back at me.  (being youngsters, they don't yet quack)  In the picture above they are on slug patrol.  Those slugs must be as good as a box of chocolates.  Oh, here's a big one!  Let's see, does this have a nougat filling?  They really know how to put them away.

Here they were following me so closely, I had difficulty getting a picture.

The other night I had my knitting group here.  We were sitting in the shade in the front yard.  The ducks could apparently hear the frivolity and came around to join us.  When the first person got up to leave, they escorted her to her car!!

Here is part of my back garden.  I decided to fill it with containers this year to give it height and interest.  I like it, but it does take more watering than flowers in the ground.  Good thing I have an irrigation well.

Last, but not least, here are the yarns I made this week.  I have been trying to rest my ribs so have gotten alot accomplished in this area.