Where is Jemima Puddleduck?

Herb had a breakfast meeting one morning last week, so I went out to feed alone.  Poor Hero was eagerly waiting at the gate, barking loudly to remind me that he was done with his guard duty and it was time to let him out!

The first thing I noticed before even opening the gate was that there was no sign of Jemima Puddleduck.  She wasn't on the barn roof, the chicken coop, the gatepost or the tractor (her favorite perches), nor was she outside on the ground getting a head start on breakfast.

"Silly Jemima," I said out loud.  "You just won't let us shut you up where it's safe, will you?  And now the fox has gotten you."  A corner full of white feathers in one stall seemed to forensically back up my theory.  I went about my chores with a heavy heart.

Misty followed me into the barnyard and started exploring while I let the chickens out.  I was happy to see that when Misty came face to face with Mercy, Misty stopped and dropped her head.  When Mercy turned and hurried away, Misty didn't follow her.  Thanks to our new Storeys' Guide to Livestock Guardians, I realized that what Misty had just demonstrated was desirable behavior in an LGD puppy.

When I opened the Duck Mobile to let  Ping and the drakes out, they came out running and flapping their wings.  It's like their wings have gone to sleep overnight, and they're waking them up again.  They run on their tiptoes, too, which is just too funny to watch.

Then suddenly I heard a noise from the back of the barn roof, and Jemima came sailing over my head and landed just outside the fence.  One of the drakes hurried over to join her, and she bobbed her head along the fence line as if she could find a way in there--as if she doesn't fly over that fence every single day!

I finally had to go outside and shoo her until she finally flapped her wings and soared up onto the gatepost.  One of the drakes tried to join her, but couldn't get his heavier body airborne, so Jemima sat in solitary splendor, basking in the morning sun.

I wish I could shake some sense into her silly head because I like her so much, but I'm just glad every morning that I see she made it through another night.