Clipping along.

Time is going much too quickly...whoa!  We've been experiencing the massive heat wave that has blanketed much of the country.  I was slogging around this weekend, feeling as if I had been transported to Florida.  Against my will.  Everything is wilty, including me.  Even my Mobile (AL) Maiden (Lovey) became a damp golden puddle.  If The Pepperoni had had access to a hair trimmer, he would have given himself a shade-do.

We finally got some rain - so very little - yesterday afternoon, but it was enough to perk things up for a moment or two.  I am sure everything will be back to limp-mode by this afternoon.  I had been told that Accuweather was THE weather service to follow.  I'm not a fan (pardon the intended pun).  My app said that the rain would start in 9 minutes and last 49 minutes.  It started in 25 minutes and lasted all of 15 minutes and "rain" was a misnomer.  Drizzle came to mind. 

Last Friday night, as I staggered into the house at dusk, toting the (non) little ducks into their night-time digs, I stopped, unloaded the little buggers and vowed that was THE END.  They are so big now (except for Gimpy) that I had to make two trips of three.  Can we all say, "R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S."?  I had located a dog house (after much fevered viewing of craigslist offerings) that was in the ballpark of what I was willing to spend.  It was a fair piece away, but I was desperate and contacted the seller.  He and I dickered a bit and the price dropped in my favor.  Then I got the measurements and realized it would not fit in my car.  (Insert sounds of a cork popping and a glass filling multiple times here.)  I thanked him and said it would not fit so I was still looking.  He offered to deliver it for some outrageously high amount.  (More glass filling.)  I thanked him but declined.  He offered to do it for less.  (Hic) Decline.  He offered a very reasonable amount - apparently, he wanted it out of his yard.  We agreed on a price and he ended up bringing it under threat of rain (which never materialized - thanks, again, Accuweather) and was I ever glad it didn't fit in my car!  We may have muscled the bad boy into the back, but I would never have been able to get it out.  It's massive!

In the gloam of Saturday night, I was busy herding ducks and stapling bits of hardware cloth across the gaping hole in the front of the dog house.  BUT, there were NO ducks in the house Saturday night.  (Sound of second cork popping...)  I had to do some quick thinking and managed to work out a rather convoluted duck arrangement:

Biggies - get about 15 minutes to enjoy their food and water dishes after being let out of Duck Hut #1, before they are hustled out to the yard with the chickens.

Middles - nothing has changed, bless their hearts - they have Duck Hut #2 and its surrounds all to themselves.  For now.

Kentucky Babes - get hustled out of their dog house (aka Duck Hut #3) through a series of loosely erected chutes into Duck Hut #1's fenced area, where they spend the day.

I quickly realized that stapling and re-stapling pieces of hardware cloth (and then ripping off same every morning) was not the best idea I've had.  So I poked around in my wood pile and found some leftover bits and fashioned a door - after rebuilding the front a tad.  It is far from ideal, but it will do for now.  I will post before/after pictures tomorrow.  I had a houseguest from Sunday-Monday and it threw off my already-shaky schedule.

Not much else got done, as I do not function well at all in heat and humidity.  This was why I moved north.  I'm so glad there is no global warming problem...she says, dripping with sarcasm and sweat in equal amounts....