It’s been a long wait for these ducklings – as of today, 34 days. Muscovy ducklings take longer than Mallard-derived breeds (like Indian Runners or Pekins) to hatch, but they’re definitely as cute!
Author: Carrie
Haiku: Quintet In Blue
Sometimes small objects fail to catch our attention, and that’s a shame because there’s such beauty in the tiny world. In the waterfowl enclosure, on the hard-packed mud that I’ve been spraying to try to resurrect the grass (and it’s trying mightily to rebound), a group of miniscule and delicate butterflies flitted around each other, as if dancing.
These pale lavender dancers are Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies – specifically, females. Males of the species are a striking cobalt blue; while the females may be more subtly colored, their pastel daintiness is nonetheless a pleasure to behold.
As summer transitions to fall, the butterflies will soon be gone…so enjoy them while you can!
Haiku: Fall Reflections
A storm blew through last night, and it left fallen branches and leaves in its wake. When I was refreshing the pigs’ water (the “pond” above is their water bowl), I was struck by the image created by the multicolored leaves that had been swept into the water: it so clearly was, to me, a harbinger of Autumn.
Haiku: A Gift Of Raindrops
It’s been very dry here – so dry, the grass is beginning to look like hay, wan and crispy. Clouds gathered this afternoon, angry and threatening, displaying the glowering undersides that portend storms. Unfortunately, we’ve had near misses with storms recently, so I refused to get my hopes up. And then, it came.
Haiku: Ephemera Captured
I’ve been trying for some time now to photograph the Monarchs that flit about the pastures. They always seem to foil my hasty photographic attempts by flying off as soon as I almost have the shot lined up on my phone – and they won’t let me get very close, adding challenge to an already difficult endeavor. Today, though, this one let me get close enough for this photo. Maybe it was under the spell of the red clover nectar it was sampling…but regardless of the reason, I seized the opportunity, gladly. It’s butterfly season here: all sizes, shapes, and colors mingle in the pastures. And each one is welcome.
Haiku: The Stillness Of Frog
I was walking by the patio at the back of our house and a stray stone (and something else) caught my eye. When I looked more closely, it became clear that a frog was looking back at me. It was the essence of stillness, as motionless as that rock. The frog didn’t move as I took photos, and was still in the same spot when I left.