Friday bullets, March 29, 2019

I'm here and things are fine. I've been doing a lot of things, just not writing. Plus, J. was out of town one night this week which does not lend itself to finding the time to blog.

• On Tuesday morning, we took an impromptu field trip. A woman who bought some eggs from me said that the migrating white pelicans were back and resting on a lake in a nearby forest preserve. I had heard about them last year, but never got to see them. So off we went. Having now gone once, we will know to take binoculars with us next time. The white dots are pelicans on their way to Canada, having come up from the Gulf of Mexico.

I thought it was cool, I'm not sure how much the children with me enjoyed it.

• We are loving the warmer weather and many children have been playing outside quite a bit. (Most of these photos I'm sharing today are by TM.)

• I've gotten to spend more time with Emmy.

• I've also been working on finishing up the things to go in TM's fund raising basket. There will be a couple of embroidered butterflies with clips on them so they can be attached to things.

Making wax wraps for the basket is on tomorrow's docket.

• The footing inside the barn is all done so I was able to move all the tack and horse supplies to the barn and out of my living room. This means I think I can fit a table in the living room by the large sliding glass door so there is more room for the seedlings which have temporarily taken over my life. I ordered some more grow lights to put them under. They are doing quite well. The seedlings, that is.

This is just peppers, cabbages, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts for the most part. All the tomatoes are planted and in a separate flat as I wait for them to sprout. Next week I will need to start the basil. It never ends.

• P. has left the Azores and is now on her way to London. Because they made such good time crossing the Atlantic, they will have to extra days in London.
• The ducklings are still figuring out life in the coop. They don't run every time they see a chicken, but they are still very much living on the periphery of coop life. Each night either J. or I have to go outside and heave them into the coop. At least they stay in the coop when put inside. At least they usually do. Last night, I don't know whether I missed one or if one came out, but at about 10 pm, M. was being driven a little mad by the incessant quacking coming through the window and went out to investigate. M. found one lone duckling all alone in the pen wandering where her friends went, making piteous noises. Once caught and deposited in the coop, the piteous noises were replaced with quacks of joy as the lost duckling had been miraculously restored. The entire flock is still on lock down because of the ducklings and not very happy about it at all. I am shouted at every time I walk by the coop.
• Fence posts have been delivered. That's a good sign, right?
• I'm still excited about the new grocery store that opened. I can get the produce that I need and their sales are good enough that I'm keeping my weekly food costs to under $200. 
• Tickets for the day we want to see the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam have finally gone on sale, so I will be buying those as soon as I finish this. 
• D. informs me that we are now around day 52 until we leave.
• In thinking of our trip, I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to squeeze everything I want to see in London into the two days that we are there. I suppose I will have to begin to prioritize my list.
• Boy, I hope that R. sleeps tonight. Last night was not good since J. was gone, and things are not looking terribly positive at this very moment. 

And on that happy note, I will wish you a happy weekend.