Cloudy with a Chance of...

No, not rain, though it might. No, not meatballs, whatever that means.

The answer is...Ducks!

Yes, it's obviously mating season for ducks. Mr. and Ms. Mallard Duck visited this morning and feasted on bread, since that's all I had in a pinch, and were wandering the yard when I left to go visit the school that three of my g-kids attend. This isn't the first year we've had a pair of ducks visiting. Last year they stayed around the neighborhood for at least a week, wading in the then-full gutters of water. But this year has been extremely dry, and there's very little wading water--or any other, for that matter--to be found. Still, they've returned, and it's always a joy when they visit.

But that isn't the end of today's duck story. When I was at the elementary school earlier this morning. There's a small courtyard with stone tables and benches in the center of the school, and as we passed by it, my two granddaughters pointed out the newest addition to the school: A Mallard hen and her tiny ducklings. Scarlett said that eleven ducklings had hatched, but it was hard to see much more than a ball of shades of brown from where I stood. They did all get up to move around, but the photo I took with my phone didn't do them justice, so I returned to the school later on another errand--and took my camera!

 

Mama Duck and Ducklings

The green wading pool and another, complete with steps and a ramp, were added by the school librarian.  The library is located to the left of the photos.




I guess it would be fair to say that it's been a ducky day! ☺



Green, Green, It's Green They Say

Okay, it's part of an old, old song, but it popped into my mind as I drove down our street on an errand run and saw all the green grass in the yards. The Bradford Pear trees that have been blooming for the past couple of weeks are now half and half--half white flowers, half green leaves. It's as if the world is waking up all at once. Too bad that also includes the dandelions. There was way too much yellow in the green yards already. The greening of spring is one of the good things about the season.

Add the weather to the spring list, except it's more on the maybe good and maybe bad list. A week ago, we set new records with 80 degree temps that changed to 40 degrees the next day. Then a warming trend, of course, which again went south. And by south, I don't mean the direction. I mean the temps. The temp is slowly climbing into the 70s again, but with spring, it's a toss up as to how to dress in the morning, and usually means a change by midday.

And then there are the storms. My heart goes out to those in the southeast part of the country who dealt with tornadoes early this week. Having grown up keeping an eye to the sky and a clear path to the basement, I know the devastation they wreak. L. Frank Baum knew what he was doing when he chose Kansas for the setting of the beginning of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But it seems the big baddies are spreading their badness around more. I think Tornado Alley has grown over the years and encompasses an even broader area than it did back then.

With the violent weather getting in full swing this spring, let's hope it's only the grass that's getting green, and not the sky. Be careful out there. And that means everyone!