Ducks and Eggs

Backyard Poultry

Grown Duck Pullets

Did you recognize Daffy in this picture? Yes, in three short months, we exchanged our fuzzy yellow duckling for a beautiful snow-white duck! Daffy the Pekin now well outweighed the Khakis as it neared its full nine pounds. Cocoa and Piney switched from chewing on Daffy to following it around like their mother duck. Weighing only 3 1/2 pounds, they now were almost fully decked out in their brown lacey feathers.

Duck Eggs

You can only imagine our surprise and delight upon the sighting of a little white egg hidden in the corner of the duck house one morning! The monotonous chores suddenly take on a new appeal with the hope of finding two or even three eggs in the litter. Daffy's eggs were the real treasures, weighing in at 4 1/2 ounces. The left-hand egg above is one such Pekin egg, compared to the Khakis' smaller one on the right. They were both bigger than chicken eggs. The flavor and rich texture of a duck egg cannot be compared with any other food, and was truly a luxury we did not take for granted.

Chickens Plus Ducks = Adventure

The ducks got along quite amiably with their next-door neighbors the chickens, so long as there was a fence between them. The ducks loved to sit outside the chicken pen, watching their antics. When frightened, whether of a genuine predator or the lawnmower, the ducks would run to the hens for safety.
The chickens, on the other hand, loved to gobble the ducks' food (although it was identical to chicken feed) and drink from the ducks' (muddy) water dishes. It wasn't unusual to see six chickens gathered round the duck pool for drinks! However, the ducks weren't usually in the pool, as in the photo above! Most of the chickens were scared of the ducks, but a few brave hens would chase them and try to peck them. In return, all three ducks began to sportfully chase after any chickens in their way (which could easily outrun the ducks). Daffy did have its good nature to its advantage and did win some standing with the chickens.

Growing Ducks

Backyard Poultry

First Swim

It was when the growing ducklings were four weeks old that they had their first swim. The "pond" was a blue kiddie pool filled from the garden hose. The ducks became attached to it for life. Right now it must have seemed like a lake as they splashed and dived in the clear water. Alas, as they grew, the pond did not, and became more like a bathtub than a spacious pond.

The Water Hole

Already, at six weeks, Daffy was near to outgrowing the Khakis! The white Pekin, being a meat duck, was very plump and still had only its down feathers. On the other hand, Cocoa and Piney boasted beautiful, patterned outer feathers and fast-developing wings. The Khakis were very lightweight at this age and loved to fly, getting almost three feet off the ground sometimes!

What's For Dinner?

The mischieveous side of the ducks remained as well, and they loved to chew on everything from grass to tennis shoes! They were so friendly at this age, and ran over to huddle by my sister whenever they were frightened. In the photo above, Piney is actually chewing on the wrist strap of the camera that took this picture! I wonder how it tasted.

Three Little Ducklings

Backyard Poultry

Ducks at Three Weeks

This is the story of three of the world's most lovable and good-natured ducks. They were pampered every day by their owner, my little sister, for almost two years. Tragically, they became the first victims of the infamous mink. This is the same mink which also destroyed almost half our chicken flock (see the story here).

It was Thanksgiving day and the ducks were free-ranging behind their duck house as usual. The cunning mink must have cornered one of the two smaller Khakis, Piney, in the greenhouse, and made its first casualty. We quickly put the other Khaki and Pekin safely inside their little house; but, alas, no one noticed the inch-wide crack running along the roof. This mink proved its ability to slither through tiny spaces as it made its next strike. We lost our entire flock of three ducks in one day -- Thanksgiving day.

Day-Old Khakis

The two Khaki Campbells came first, in early April of 2012. They were literally walking fluff balls, just bigger than a chick. I've never seen a platypus, but with the tiny bills and wing tuffs, I think this might be a pretty good replica. They loved slurping water, sleeping in their food, and making messes in general. We named them Pineapple and Coconut, both brown furry fruits, but they came to be known affectionately as Piney and Cocoa.

Pekin Duckling

Daffy duckling arrived two weeks later. Eventually this Pekin duckling would grow triple the size of the Khakis. But for the moment, two-week-old Cocoa and Piney thought this was their toy. They would not stop pulling on its bright-orange bill and feet! The "rubber ducky" was consequently separated by a piece of wire from its coop mates for its first few weeks of life. Lonely little Daffodil, or Daffy as we called it, cheaped so constantly that we put in a stuffed bean-bag duckling for it to cuddle with. It loved the stuffed duck, as well as having its water tub all to itself!

Cattails

Artist's Gallery

Artist's Puzzle

And one last picture from that beautiful lake . . . These cattails grew in one corner of the lake's marshy bank. They were ripe but not yet releasing their seeds. The sun seemed to make them shine too. I remember when I was little, we lived beside a stream that always had lots of cattails in the summer. It was so funny to take one in your hands and rub it til the seeds started coming off. I was always amazed at how such a little stick turned into so much fluff trailing out into the wind!

Water Lilies

Artist's Gallery

Water Lilies and Dock

It was fun to walk out onto the lake's dock. Did you spot it in my painting--from the side view, of course? The granddaughter of one of our art group's artists came along, and spent most her time lying on the dock, gazing down at the fish in the lake. Our group's teacher painted a close-up of the dock, about from this angle I think, and included the girl. He spent quite a while afterward trying to get her drawn right. I think at one point he had to cover the whole figure with white paint and start over!

Water Lilies

The lily pads were in full bloom, and gorgeous in the morning sunlight. I would have loved to paint a close-up, if I could have gotten close enough to see into one! (And if I could paint decent flowers, too...)

Little Windmill

Artist's Gallery

Sun on the Lake

This windmill was so cute, I just had to include it in my painting. As you can see, I got more into my painting than I actually could in one photo. That's the artist's advantage for you! The morning sun was at just the right angle to silhouette the windmill against the trees. The sunshine created a brilliant reflection and sparkled beautifully off the lily pads. Did you spot the windmill's reflection too? It would be fun to sit on that little floating dock and fish!

Water Lily Lake 3

Artist's Gallery

Completed Painting

And, the painting is complete. I had the hardest time figuring out a frame--plain wood does not seem to fit, somehow--but had this yellow one on hand and thought it looked nice. As far as how it came out, I think it's a fresh, spring painting with the bright, soft colors.

On the other hand, take a look at the actual scene in the photo below. The subject, arrangement, and view are about the same. However, the yellows and deep greens portray more of a mid-summer scene, which it actually was. I don't think I've ever had a painting come out so differently from the photo before! But it certainly is interesting. Which look do you like better?

Photo of Lake at Paint-Out

Water Lily Lake 2

Artist's Gallery

Finishing the Painting

All too soon, it was time to leave the paint-out. I was far from being finished, and so quickly snapped some pictures of the scene before going home. I continued to work on it for the next few days. That's often how painting outdoors is--you put in the basic sketch and mood of the painting and then finish it at home. Although, the fastest painters can actually complete a painting (or even several!) on the spot. I am not one of those.

Anyway, my painting seemed rather dull, so I decided to add some burgundy red flowers all around the lake. I modeled them after some very dark flowers I actually saw there, but placed them where I wanted to give the photo depth. Layers of white paint gave the lily pads and flowers a fluorescent brilliance to contrast with the sky-blue lake and spring-green trees. I had a lot of fun on the windmill.

Water Lily Pond 1

Artist's Gallery

Outdoor Painting

I never enjoyed painting outdoors. After a couple frustrating tries, I decided for sure I couldn't do it. Too messy, too much wind and sun, too hard to capture the images without using a photograph. But when my art class announced a paint-out at one of the member's beautiful backyard gardens, I couldn't say no.

 

As I dragged my lawn chair, painting supplies, easel, and hat across the yard, I marveled at the beautiful lake spread out before me. Soon I was splashing paint (randomly) across the paper, sketching in the blue lake and sky and green trees and bushes. I wanted to include all the pretty things around the lake as well - the dock, board walk, windmill, and lots of lily pads. I took a lot of photographs, but I will show you my painting first since it looks very pitiful against the pictures!

Ohio Statehouse

Ohio History

Statehouse from Above

The Rhodes Tower also happens to be just a few blocks from the Ohio Statehouse. This allowed us a front-seat view of the Statehouse from the air. The unusual green roof has always been a characteristic of our statehouse, as well as the rounded cupola on top. The wing on the front (left-hand) side houses the legislature meeting rooms, while the governor's office is near the dome in the main building. The smaller breezeway was built to connect the two, and has beautiful windows and pillars. Yes, now I'm going to have to do a series on the Statehouse!

Not Any Old Trailer

Last of all, we spotted this truck trailer parked in an alley nearby. Made me wonder what its story was. It looked like it was being loaded or something, and would soon be moving on. I guess we were there at just the right moment.

Columbus Aerial View

Ohio History

View From Above

Looking out over the city was like viewing a live miniature diorama or model train layout. There were tiny cars, buses, and pedestrians in constant motion around toothpick-sized roads and buildings. Though a still picture, the photo above has a couple points of interest too. Did you spot the building under construction, covered with green insulation? How about the long highway exit ramps to the left? I believe those belong either to I-70 or 670, which both bisect the city from east to west. I was also surprised at the number of trees Columbus has!

East Broad Street

We had a head-on view down Broad Street, or State Route 40. It runs straight through downtown as far as the eye can see. This was certainly a different experience from our first visit to the Rhodes Tower (you can see it here), during a rainstorm! 

Columbus Horizon

Ohio History

Summer Skyline

My family returned to the Rhodes Tower viewing windows this past summer, several years after our first visit. The sky was bright through puffy white clouds. The view was magnificent, far off into the horizon. It's amazing what difference a little moisture in the air makes! We could see the tall office buildings of the downtown and off into the residential areas. On the far right side of the photo, there was even a bunch of tiny tents set up in an open area. A wedding or festival? We never found out.

Scioto River

Ohio History

Church and River

Soon, the fog had lifted entirely and the cumulus storm clouds were nearly cleared. The sky was almost pink in the hazy afternoon sun. From a smaller window on the opposite side of the Rhodes Tower, we had a clear view of a beautiful church nearby. Just beyond we could see the Scioto River. The Scioto flows north to south through Columbus on its way to the Ohio River. How many bridges can you see over the river from this shot?

Columbus Rainbow

Ohio History

Fog and Rainbows

As the fog lifted, it was amazing to watch the tiny roads and rooftops appear. It was as though a curtain was going up from the front of a stage. We even spotted a rainbow in the bottom of the fog, arching over the city.

Cloud Display

The array of clouds was also breathtaking. The layers of fog seemed to fade into the massive thunderhead far above the city. The sun seemed to be illuminating the upper clouds while the lower ones were very dark and shadowed. I suppose this would be the view if you got to ride up in a weather balloon. It was certainly more pleasant to be safe inside the huge glass windows of the Rhodes Tower!

Retreating Fog

Ohio History

Clearing Sky

We were about to turn back for home as we stared into the bleak fog hanging over Columbus. However, suddenly the cloud began to blow off before our very eyes! It was amazing to watch the mass of water vapor clear away from the city from south to north. We had never seen anything quite like it! It left a beautiful--though not quite sunny--sky and rain-washed city behind.

Rhodes Tower

Ohio History

Columbus Fog

Although we have traveled far and wide across Ohio to find interesting history and geography, we've not yet visited one site in the state's capital city! A couple years ago my family went into Columbus to tour one of its historical places, a replica of the Santa Maria. Sadly, there was a rainstorm and the threat of lightening caused the tall-masted ship to close just as we arrived! We improvised on the spot and changed our destination to the Rhodes Tower in downtown Columbus. This 450-foot skyscraper had a special feature: large glass windows on three sides of the fortieth floor allowed visitors an aerial view of the city.

Aerial View of . . . Fog and Rain?

Of course, bad weather down below also means bad weather up above. When we stepped out of the elevator on the fortieth floor of the Rhodes Tower, we saw a haze of fog obscuring the city skyline. Aerial visibility couldn't have been more than a couple blocks.

Winter White Soup

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Cream of Potato Soup

This steaming, creamy soup will dispel the chill on any of these blistery winter days. Using time-saving shortcuts, it requires less work than most cream of potato soups and can be whipped up an hour from dinner. Plus, it compliments meat entrees, salad, or even tacos (which is what my sister served together for her birthday!).

To start, peel and chop in 1/2 inch pieces:

6 potatoes                      1 carrot                    2 celery stalks 

1/2 to 2 onions - to suit your taste     

Place in a pot with:

 2 c. water (or enough to cover)                     1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. basil               1/4 t. thyme                  1/2 t. celery seed

Bring to a boil and simmer til tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the cream sauce, melt 4 T. of butter on low heat. Stir in 1/4 c. flour until smooth, and then gradually add 2 c. milk (we used a mixture of whipping cream plus water, which gave a nice smooth texture). Once the sauce has thickened, stir it into the simmering vegetables.

Serve piping hot and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese.