Respite Open Thread: Butterflies and Classic Cars

by 11:35 am. It has 129 Comments.

 

monarch butterfly on lantana

JeffreyW has been wowing me with his butterfly photos over on our blog. so I had to share.

black swallowtail on lantana

 

 

I tracked down this video because of the telephone car…but the entire video is full of fun classic cars.

I’m still completely tuned out and my energy level is much better. I feel like I’ll better be able to fight for the racist-in-chief’s ouster if I’m not completely overwhelmed by the awfulness of it all.

Yesterday, a full-length mirror fell from the wall and shatter, so I’m assuming I’m doomed anyway.

Respite open thread.

ETA: Bonus ducks because I know what you really want.

mud covered ducks

Ducks are messy. They can make mud in a drought. Here are three mud-covered quackers. Of course, Penelope is the only one it really shows on.





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Respite Open Thread: Formal Protest

by 2:27 pm. It has 56 Comments.

three ducks gathers at door

So the ducks LOVE dog food. I’m assuming whoever raised and abandoned Mabel (l) and Maddie (c) fed it to them. I’ve had little luck moving them to duck crumbles. I finally resorted to very expensive duck seed, so it’s not processed into a pellet. They will eat that, but not until after their dog food is gone.

After discovering Bixby is sensitive to chicken (of all things) I had to change the pups food to a different type and brand. Over the summer the duck eggshells have become thinner and thinner and the only change I could think of was the dog food. So I’ve stopped giving it to them.  Monday.

What you see above is the result. They stand outside my patio door and bitch at me because I have not provided them with the proper nutrition for the day. In protest, I have not gotten an egg from either of them in two days.

Penelope has not been as picky, but in solidarity, she has joined the picket line.

(And there, Cole, are your ducks for the day)

Open thread…

(oh, and I just finished the first cookbook (of 4) over the weekend and should have it up on Kindle by the end of the week. I know I’ve promised many people I’d do it…so finally)





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Respite Open Thread: A Little Bixby and Scout

by 1:17 pm. It has 81 Comments.

great dane lying in the grass

Look at this happy girl. She is ALWAYS happy, even when I’m scolding her. And let me tell you, it’s difficult to discipline that face. But, now that Bixby is his old self, we’ve gotten serious again about training. Nothing worse than a 100+ lb dog who is out of control. Happy, bouncy, jumpy is great, except when it’s aimed at guests, strangers and other animals.

Speaking of the Beast:

great dane splashing in a baby pool

He’s enjoying the pool the ducks shunned. I’ve been filling it because Scout has been climbing in the duck pools, making them very unhappy. She and Bixby both enjoy cooling off in the larger pool. I just have to laugh because I have no children, yet there are 4 baby pools of varying sizes in my backyard (one is the old damaged duck pool that I turned into a “salad garden” for them).

great dane in a baby pool

You can kind of see in the background, my vegetable garden is doing well. Picked my first tomatoes and peppers this week. Plums are almost ripe and I’m not sure yet how the grapes are going to do.  I will not be canning anything. If I can’t prep it and freeze it, I give it away. Unlike our fearless blog leader, I do not enjoy canning.

I’ve been cooking though.

al pastor on crispy tortilla

I made instant pot Al Pastor (recipe here) and Sour Dough Bread (recipe here) with starter a friend gave me.

sour dough breads

And finally, just a snap of the snow on our hike last week:

 

I’m heading out to do some weeding and probably relax in the backyard before it gets too hot. Penelope enjoys that, if I’m reading in the lounge chair, she comes over for scritches. She’s been very, very needy the last few days and wants lots of attention. Me or Bixby, it doesn’t matter. This morning she had an entire conversation with me, following me around while I took care of food and water, chattering away at me. This is all new to me and I am completely charmed.

Respite open thread.

 





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Respite Open Thread: So I Hear You Want Ducks

by 8:47 pm. It has 56 Comments.

Mountain Lake at tree line

Spent most of my week at or above tree line. Mostly hiking, but today on a horse. It has been a perfect week. So I thought I’d end it by sharing some respite with you.

Three ducks in the yard

Here’s the gang. They just finished their baths in fresh pool water and are strutting around the yard. Penelope looks like a gangly teenager. And that’s not an optical illusion, she really is that much bigger than her yard mates.

White Pekin Duck in yard

And of course, as requested by the royal blog host. Here is Penelope.

I know you want video of Bixby and Penelope hanging. I’m still trying.

Respite open thread. Sounds like we could use it.





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Sunday Night Open Thread: Sweetest Couple On The Block

by 8:08 pm. It has 37 Comments.

Gr

I was going to wait until I had video before posting about these two, but who knows when that will be. When I go out into the yard, it disrupts the dynamic.

Penelope Pearl has a crush on Bixby (more photos here) and I melt watching her follow him around.

I mentioned in a previous thread that her hormones have hit hard. She comes to me for skritches when it gets to be too much. Which is adorable.  But her main focus has been Bixby and he’s all cool with it. I just worry about him stepping on her accidentally.

I’ll keep trying for video, because she calls after him as she goes.

Open thread

 





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