21st December, the shortest day

I love my ducks, they do make me smile. I put them to bed tonight instead of John, and I had to fetch them from the big pond at 4 - usually they're already gathered in front of the shed by that time. The two dozen didn't get going until I'd shut in Captain, Candy and Anke, then traipsed leisurely in front of me chatting to each other all the while. They halted at the garage while I went off-piste to shut the rear gate to the enclosure and only set off again when I came back - they obviously like to be accompanied.

I can't help but laugh every morning, too. The ramp at the duck shed is rather slippery [I've fallen off it twice], and it's very amusing to see ducks and drakes handling it in different ways, some flying out and landing on top of others, some falling off the edge in the hurry to get to breakfast, but Purdy looking serene, trippling daintily all the way down the ramp. Billie-Jean is nearly always first out of the other hut as if shot from a cannon, determined to be in pole position at the bigger breakfast bowl. It always amazes me how fast the two top groups polish off their noodles/rice/veg with wheat in water, within seconds there's not a grain left when first 13 and then 11 storm down to the big pond. HOWEVER, small groups come back very quickly and check to see if there isn't something left in the 5 upper bowls after all. Mostly I see the 4 girls from this year's hatch doing this, Winona, Jubilee, Dash and Vera, always accompanied by one of the boys from the same hatch; in this photo they're just running back to the pond again:

When I was finishing this sweetie house for friend Trish last weekend I needed a little more egg white, and when I cracked the egg open there were two yolks in it - I've not had one of those for ages, we would have had twins!

The observant among you will see that there is some pastry rolled out in this photo above, along with a jar lid ....... yes, I was making mince pies, delicious they are, too!

Also since the weekend I finally got around to decorating the house, as Annie would say: I've Christmassed!

Just my old home-made soft Christmas tree and some candle holders on the hall table, but there's a riot of colour in other places, as you can see. The wreath on the front door is rather subdued this year though: