Thursday, May 14, 2009

It's Spring time

Spring is here. The yard is mowed, the gardens are...started. I have cleaned out the front flower beds (two small ones and one large one about fifty feet long). I also have my peas planted in the vegetable garden, managed that in between rain showers so they should have a good start. And I have my tomato plants ready to go on as soon as I'm sure all threat of frost is past. I need these plants for the spaghetti sauce I'll make. I need it now because since I've been doing the homemade sauce my family refuses to eat the "store bought" stuff. We also have three additions to our family.

My daughter's fourth grade class raised ducks from eggs this year. The children who were able to offer them a good home were to fill out a paper to be put in for a drawing. Ducks - I thought - need a natural pond - which we do not have although there is one close. I told her I didn't think it was a good idea. She asked dad. Then, the other night I got a phone call from my youngest's teacher. Her name had been pulled - she was the new owner of three baby ducks. And the first thing that popped into my head was "who filled out that paper?" See, we already have two dogs, eight fish, one rabbit and a slew of wild birds we feed. When my husband came home, the only thing I could say was "what did you do?" LOL.

Turns out my oldest's boyfriend knew a few things about ducks. Within two days, we had a pen fit for royal ducks and I now know they don't really need a pond, just fresh water. We can manage that. And our littlest dog, a cockapoo, has taken on the rule of surrogate mother even annoying my middle daughter (Bambie's main caretaker) with waking her up in the middle of the night so Bams could go check on the peeps in the front room.

As always, we've adjusted. We're so very good at doing so. Onward and forward - as always no matter how muddy the road ahead.

I'll forget we have no wood to burn and the furnace quit. I'll forget that allergy season is in full swing, work is slowing way down, and the checkbook is nearly empty. Life is much better when you just focus on the good things like the joy a 9 year old gets from holding a fluffy yellow duck or the fresh new leaves uncurling on the trees.