the sun is shining again ...

After the disaster on Tuesday I didn't know how to pick myself up again.  The roll of wire I had ordered arrived yesterday morning, and after Luncheon Club duty I contructed a sort of mini Fort Knox around the hut with a net over the top for bird [and cat] protection:

Note: the offending bowl is still there, but I tipped it on its side so no little one could get trapped in there.  I didn't use it today, but put baby food into the hut with a safe water container and "grown-up" food outside with the bucket of water - and I was pleased to see both Gertie and Billie-Jean having a wash and brush-up.

Early this afternoon I just happened to look out of the window and saw Gertie standing on the ramp with the 3 little ones running up and down it - also scooting around on the ground, but I didn't catch that on camera.

 

 

I also noticed from the window that Gertie was pushing against the wire fencing as if she was trying to get to the pond for a swim, so when I went to put the new baby food [duck starter crumbs] and bowl into the hut a little later I left the fence open a bit to give her a chance to go for a swim.  She didn't, just went quacking and quacking around the enclosure until she found her way back in again.

Inside the hut, however, I was treated to a wonderful sight:

I'd forgotten to put the flash on for this photo in the excitement as there was an empty egg shell lying outside the box, but you can just see a fourth duckling where I've put the yellow arrow.

                                 The duckling perched on top of Billie is seriously cute, don't you think?

I'll just post this up for you to see and add photos from this morning a bit later!
________________________________________________________________________

OK, everyone's in bed, now for a few photos of sunshiny garden and 2 new ducks:

They're a mucky looking pair, but so were the first 6 we fetched and they soon cleaned up, especially after they got themselves into the frog pond.  Unfortunately the brown one is limping - couldn't tell last night as they were both in a cage when we arrived with the 2 drakes, and we carried them into the box and afterwards at home into the shed after the other 11 had gone in, so we didn't see them walk and run until this morning.  Tuts tried many times today to pin down the white one, but I never saw him being successful, she managed to dodge him every time.

I was thinking of calling them Pixie and Lott[i] .... but it's early days, I'll observe them a bit longer.

 

 I think this one is the nicest photo - so peaceful it looks, and it was, because that rampaging green-beaked drake was no longer there and Bless had a lovely, easy day.

The yellow day lily has been blooming for a while, but Petra's gift of an orange one from 2 years ago is about to open its first bud.  It stands here, under the Indian Bean Tree with its bronze leaves: