I was doing my trick of waiting by the water tap, camera at the ready, in the hope of getting a good photo of Honey up in the air. No, I still haven't managed, but I caught some of the mob storming around the corner of the garage,
and the tail-enders flapping wildly to catch up while Honey was just coming in to land - or water, rather *lol*, both encircled in the morning-dark photo below:
Standing there a little disappointed at missing Honey-high-up-in-the-air again I suddenly heard this quack quack quack and Dotty appeared at the corner of the garage, well! The vet had said 'let her do what she wants' - which lately had been making almighty noise most of the day because all others were at the big pond and she was lonely. This morning she must have felt strong enough to follow everyone out and there she was:
She stopped and had a good feed at the bowl by the rebuilt conservatory and then limped towards the duck pond.
I let her be then and went indoors to have my breakfast. When I went out to check up on her she was still in the area of the heather bed. My turning up with the camera frightened her and she hobbled through the bushes to this side of the wildflower bed, where I left her again as she was sheltered.
I couldn't rest, of course, and went to check again if she'd got as far as the pond and YES, there she was next to Honey:
Dotty will be content now she's with the others. I saw her out of the water a little later, preening herself, I can see right down to the big pond again now that all the leaves are off the trees and shrubs. Bedtime tonight will be interesting!
PS: Dotty came out of the pond alright at bedtime but couldn't keep up with the others. John managed to pick her up at the formal garden and carried her straight into her hut. We'll see what happens tomorrow!
On my way back to the house I noticed the red crab apples were still shining out whereas all berries had been picked off the cotoneaster next to it [I plaited its stems when it was young].
Before I sign off for today I want to mention two lovely presents that arrived in the last two days.
When Alina left to go back to Oxford on 3rd November I packed some of the Tarte Tatin she liked into a plastic box with lid. Back home in Germany she'd done some Christmas baking and filled that box with delicious traditional Christmas biscuits - there are not many left now:
Also in the pretty and very neatly packed parcel was a lovely card thanking us again for our hospitality during her brief stay here [Alina's English is faultless, clever girl!] and a big baked heart - which I can't bring myself to eat ............... so I hung it up in our Christmas tree:
The second parcel I was delighted with I found yesterday on our return from Luncheon Duty - in the duck shed! With the forecast rain the postman had very cleverly placed it in the shed, which I had just come out to clean.
My lovely brother and sister [I'm posting this in here, G&M, because our emailing still doesn't seem to be working] had sent me yet another thank-you, a beautiful cyclamen; and the little one Maria had brought at the end of September is still flowering [behind the bubble plant below left]!
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