Spring is in the Air!

When we landed at the airport Saturday, we were greeted with snow!! It wasn't sticking to the ground, but it was coming down sideways! The calendar says it's April, right? Should be raining, not snowing. But have no fear, we have beautiful spring weather this week.

The true sign that spring has arrived is the opening of our pool. Granted it is too cold to swim, but being able to look out at the sparkling water daily lifts one's spirits. We are not shy though to want to swim when the temperature outside is in the 70's, we just have to crank up the heater in the pool.

I wanted to share with you this picture of a mother duck and her ducklings that happened to get into our pool a few years ago:

I was shocked to say the least when I saw this. Mind you, people always assume we live in the middle of nowhere, but we actually live in the city. Yes, we still have corn fields around the area, but we are very much city dwellers. I was baffled as to how to get them out. I didn't want to chase them out and have them get lost in the backyards of my neighbors that have dogs. I called a neighbor and asked her opinion on what I should do. A few minutes later, she came over with her brood of little kids she watches during the day. She called it a 'field trip' for them; so cute seeing them peer thru the fence at the ducks and ducklings.

I had called the Humane Society on what to do and ask for help, but they were too busy to come out and help. My neighbor had brought over a dog kennel and butterfly nets. So imagine the two of us trying to catch the ducklings one by one and putting them into the kennel. The mother was able to 'fly' out of the pool, but the ducklings were too small to follow her lead. It was sad seeing them trying so hard to get out. My neighbor and I were successful in getting all the ducklings into the kennel, but then they started squeezing out the openings and some went back into the pool and one ran out around the house, into the street and across to another neighbor's backyard and they have a pool too!

Now I was back to square one, but with one duckling in another pool across the street! My neighbor had to get her kids back to her house for lunch so now I sat there looking at the ducklings. The mother had eventually come back and into the pool with her babies. I called the Humane Society again. A little later, someone came and helped catch the ducklings again. Catching the mother was not successful, she ended up flying off. We were able to track down the duckling from across the street, but that little thing ended up trekking across the street back into my pool before we captured it. The ducklings were going to be transported to a wildlife refuge nearby. I only hoped their mother would find them somehow. I kept looking in my backyard to see if she would return, she didn't.

What an experience that was and quite funny too. I haven't had any ducks since, but you never know! Good thing I was able to take a picture of them in the pool or no one would have believed me!