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<font size=3>It's emphatically Spring here. Hot days followed by
cold, rainy ones and the iris in bloom all over the place. Ethel
has made her nest in the iris again, and she lays her egg-a-day there for
me to steal (if Bear doesn't get there first.) This make Fred
grouchy, and he pecks my ankles. When I feed them, I have to grab
him by the beak with one hand while I wash out their bowl and refill it,
or he nips my arms with just the tip of his beak and raises welts.
The brat. Gerry says it is one of the best shows in town, watching
me holding that silly duck by the beak and him desperately trying to free
himself. It's almost as funny as watching Fred herd the dogs around
the yard by pecking them on their tails.<br>
<br>
We have had strange water birds on the lake these past couple of
weeks. There were a dozen or so surf scoters a few days ago.
They normally stay in the brackish waters of the Delta, so they got blown
a hundred miles off course. Or maybe they came for the frog buffet
we are offering down at the pond. I've never seen so many
frogs. They make so much noise at night that we can't sit outside
and hold a quiet conversation.<br>
<br>
"What did you say? The frogs are too loud and I can't hear
you." Then when something flies overhead or a motorcycle roars
along the road down the hill, the frogs go silent and there is blessed
quiet for a few minutes. Then one intrepid soul gives a tentative
croak, a few others answer him and then they all start talking at
"caps lock" volume again. The old dog, Sam, loves to go
down to the pond and chase all the frogs into the water. It's just
about the only thing that gets him moving at speed. It is fun to
see him prancing back, proud of doing his job of frog herding so
well. But his excursions are shorter than they used to be and he is
ready to come back up to the house and collapse on his bed again for a
well-earned rest.<br>
<br>
We are none of us getting any younger.<br>
<br>
But Spring makes us feel younger than we are.<br>
<br>
Theta<br>
<br>
<br>
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