A little Sad News..... and Happy Memorial Day!

Mike and I both left town for the Mother's day weekend. When we returned, Henrietta and her babies were gone. There were some scattered eggshells laying around, so we hoped for the best that she had hatched her eggs and left the nest (they do so within 12 hours of hatching).

The neighbors told us that on the Monday night that we were gone, that a flock of about 50 crows had attacked Henrietta at about 9 that evening - around the same time that she usually left the nest each night, presumably to find food. We continued to hope for the best and that we would see her again - with her babies.

She came home yesterday afternoon and sat under a tree just a few feet away from her nest - which we haven't yet had the heart to clean out from under the bush - without her babies. So it looks like the predators got the eggs. We are hoping that she decided to try for a second brood, but it doesn't look like it.

On a happier note, it's Memorial Day weekend - the official kick off of summer! A/C is on for the first time today, going to be 88 and muggy today. My garden is pretty much in and growing...here are some of the pics, including the beautiful garden fairies my mom gave me for my birthday!


















Here is a picture of Mom and me, and Chip and Mom, from Mother's Day in Florida:










And some new pictures of Hayley (left) and Raven (right) that Amy sent me on her cel phone this past week:










Well, we are off to a barbeque at the neighbor's today. Love to all and have a safe and happy holiday!

love,
Gail and Mike

Babies to Be!

Mike was out in the yard yesterday trimming and mowing. He went to attack the bushes in the front yard......fired up the hedge trimmer...and instead got attacked himself when our resident duck, Henrietta, flew out of the bushes and right at him! Needless to say, he dropped everything and backed off.....she hung around a few minutes hissing at us then flew away, but knowing she and partner Mort have been hanging around, I peered into the bushes and found out why - there are 11 babies-to-be in her nest!

Here is a picture of the nest - what we could see without disturbing it. I'm sure there will be more pictures soon - duck eggs take 28-32 days to incubate and we think she's been there a week or so nesting. Looking towards the end of the month before the whole brood appears.

xoxox
Gail and Mike