Three New Things

Another duckling!  This duckling came to us via a previous owner and a drafted rescuer who was unable to give it a safe place to live.  Hopefully, third time's the charm . . .

The moral of this story is:  Do not take home cute baby animals without knowing that you can keep them!  Not only is this poor duckling peeping in loneliness, but it may end up being eaten if it can't be integrated into one of our flocks.

Purple bean blossoms!  Charis' pole bean plant is putting out bright purple blossoms which will become purple beans that are easy for us to find on the vine.  Once they're blanched, they'll be green again--another advantage of these beans as they take the guesswork out of blanching time.  Now if only they taste good!

I never saw a purple bean,

I never thought to see one.

But I can tell you anyhow,

I'd rather eat than be one!

Esmerelda's large brown egg!  (Middle right)  Not only have her feathers recovered from Wren's attentions, but apparently her stress level has resolved itself to the point that she has started laying again after months of egg-lessness.  She's back!  And it's official--EVERYONE likes Wren better in the freezer than in the flesh!