Macrotous Monday

macrotous ~ big-eared

Thanks to some serious rain we had last week, the snow is finally gone. At least from our yard it is. The house behind us still has some snow showing in the grove of trees in their side yard, but not a great deal of it. But while our days are warming up, the nights are still cool enough that there's a skim of ice on the pool in the mornings. This is not making our feathered friends very happy.

Yes, that's right, our little ducky friends are back.

Daphne and Donald checked out the pool early last week, but it was still mostly frozen. So by the time the water on the tarp had thawed enough they could be swimming in it, they kind of disappeared. But they were back on Saturday. The only spent a little while in the pool, then they relocated to the pond garden in the back of the yard where they hunkered down for the day.

I didn't get a picture of them, but I did get a picture of this guy yesterday:

Isn't he pretty? He was a little skittish though and jumped up on the side of the pool as soon as he heard the sliding door open. Then a little while later he was joined by another male but neither of them wanted their picture taken. I'm sure it would have been a different story if I'd had any bread crusts for them. ;-)

I was actually surprised to see him. I heard him this morning, but when I looked out there was a film of ice over the pool and he was standing on the edge. Normally once the ducks have visited in the morning they rarely come back during the day. Of course this might have been a totally different duck, it's not like I've tagged them.

I've been trying to spend more time working in my office lately, and I've had some company:

As you know, my cats are weirdoes. Most of them will sleep in a specific spot, and only that spot, for a few weeks or months and then find a new spot. The exception is Romi - he has a cave in the workroom and he's been sleeping in that during the day for years.

Taz and Julius had been sleeping on our bed for the last few months, but only after we've both vacated it in the morning. As soon as they hear the curtains open, they're there. But Taz got tired of waiting for the bed to be free, so he started sleeping in the nook instead.

But wherever else you find them during the day you'll still find them sprawled all over the carpet in the dining room when the sun is shining. 'Cause that's just the way my cats roll. ;-)