Direct Hit

So I guess we all though I had dodged a bullet last week with the starter on the car. Sunday morning I found a HUGE puddle of oil under the front end. Some mysterious gasket decided to blow only hours after I retrieved my car from the mechanic. Actually, not a huge surprise since it has been dripping for a while. But this repair will be even more expensive than the starter. Oof. BASTARD! Gah!

OK, move on.

I am still determined to have the ducks. I shall post a notice and take on more babysitting (temporarily of course) if necessary. My next steps are to come up with a suitable brooder for them. Ducklings need to stay warm, and they need to not be eaten by my cat, which is something that I definitely fear in the early stages. My cat has a taste for the soft bodied and helpless in the animal world.... Anything that is completely defenseless is on the top of the menu. I visited a lady that brooded ducks using a heating pad instead of a light. Which sort of makes sense to me, except I am a little more concerned about that catching fire than just having the light on.... Anyway, figuring that part out is next on the list of things to do. I am going to try to work something out over the weekend - just to keep the ball rolling. Then when the SB comes home for break we can work on the duck house and yard. I also ordered a new colony of bees for arrival in late March.

I had a really nice weekend. Full of friends and family, exercise, some volunteer work (sewing for the theater), errands completed, a bit of cooking done and some house cleaning. You know, sometimes it just all falls into place. No rush, no struggle, just things done along with some fun. Lovely. I made hamburger stroganoff and some chocolate coffee ice cream.

The seedlings are coming along... The beets and chard are a little leggy but I think they will be ok. The onions and lettuces look lovely. I have to figure out how to move some things out and get the summer stuff going. Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, etc. etc. Theoretically it is only 8 weeks until last frost as of Wednesday. But who is counting? Doesn't seem possible since we have single digit wind chills predicted for tonight.