Friday bullets, June 14, 2019

We've had two late nights in a row, so I don't know how long this will be.

• We think the baby ducks might be starting to lay some eggs. We are finding little white eggs, about the size of a chicken egg, every so often. We don't have chickens who lay white eggs, so they must be from the ducks. Often eggs are smaller when a hen is first starting to lay. Once they get going, though, I'm going to need to create a bigger market for duck eggs. 
• I've done a whole bunch of nothing this week. The weather has been beautiful; the perfect temperature for just sitting outside and enjoying the sun. So that is what I've been doing.
• H. has totally embraced the reading game this year. She has been dutifully reading and reading and reading. Her card is about one third filled with stickers after just one week. I never am really sure how much she is actually getting out of her silent reading, but all that sitting and staring and sounding out words on her own certainly cannot hurt.
• TM leaves on Monday to go to Ecuador on our church's high school mission trip.
• Yesterday, we had unexpected visitors in the form of two county tax assessors. It seems they are visiting every house in the township to be sure that their records match what is actually there on the property. It was the first time I've ever actually met the person doing the property record and they were both very nice. We spent a long time discussing property assessments and taxes, and they answered a lot of my questions. But, I and my older children were still a bit shaken from having the property tax people show up. I think we are still recovering from our property tax experience at the Big Ugly House, and haven't forgotten that property taxes were the reason we had to sell it and move. The appearance of a tax assessor highlighted exactly how tender those feelings still really are.
• Rosebud is doing well. Both M. and I were concerned for the first couple of days because she didn't seem to be eating very much at all. This is concerning when you can see a cat's hip bones. But then, she turned a corner and is now happily downing three cans of wet food a day. Of course she won't be able to eat like this forever, but for right now, she can use the calories. She also comes out of her box more and very occasionally lets us give her a small scratch on the head.
• Have I mentioned that the family collective name for the three dogs in the house is Cerberus? You know, the three-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld in Greek mythology? Whenever anyone comes to the door, the sound that the three of them make must be fairly close to what Cerberus must sound like. 
• B.'s beehive is doing well, and he added a second super to it when he was out the other day. For those who don't have a son who is a beekeeper, this would be adding a new level to the hive to give the bees more room to spread out. It means the hive is doing well.
• Emmy is now in her brand new stall. I meant to get pictures, but those will have to come another day.
• Tomorrow is G., L., and B.'s birthdays, but we will be celebrating on Sunday because that is when everyone is free.
• R. has had a pretty rough time gaining her equilibrium from us being gone and returning. I am growing weary.

And with that I'm tapped out. Enjoy your weekend everyone!