It's hot...

You know it's hot outside when even the ducks start panting. Yes..they do pant..it's strange when I first saw it I was like"what is wrong with my ducks? do they have something caught in their

throats?" but the more I watched..the more I realized..when a duck gets hot..it pants..alot like a dog would.They sit with their beaks partly open and sort of huff.Luckily my ducks have a favorite nice big drake elm that they sit under with their large water trough within very short waddling distance away.

I just hope that our temperatures do not get much hotter when the "dog days of summer" are fully upon us.

It's just kind of different to see a duck pant.

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Hey, did you notice the picture above?..I couldn't resist capturing this during a visit to Seaside several years ago. Those goofy dogs were busy watching the courtyard area while the shop owners and town folk of Seaside were preparing for a wine tasting festival.

Just loved their droopy ears and their heads sticking through the railing.Hope it gives you a smile too.

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Well, I did a bit of research on my ducks..and when ducks start egg laying..some start as soon as 20-24 weeks old...but some don't start laying until they are anywhere from 9 months to a year old.

I really am not expecting mine to start laying until next Spring.

I think I will do some looking online for crafting ideas to use the egg shells with. Maybe a blown egg craft. I am a "halfway" decent painter...and think it would be kind of neat to create a few handpainted duck egg ornaments ..but we'll see.----------

I'm wanting to put a really pretty Victorian/cottage garden looking pillow that I am making..on my etsy shop this evening..it is really pretty. I have to finish decorating it though and getting it stuffed...but we'll see how that does online.

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I was delighted to see that one of my farmgirl friends found my tea :0) I really hope that she'll enjoy it..I find it to be yummy I just hope that she will too.(thanks Jenny)

I also wanted to say a thank you to farmgirls Mikki and Kim for also being customers at my little shop..I really appreciate it(hope you both enjoyed your items) :0)

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Well, I wanted to share another recipe today with you all...

this time for:

Sweet Potato Cookies

1 c. sweet potato, cooked & mashed

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

3/4 c. margarine

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 c. quick cooking oatmeal

1 c. pecans

1 c. raisins

Mix butter and sugar together. Add eggs and dry ingredients and then pecans and raisins. Drop by teaspoons. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

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Well, I had something neat happen this week..an old classmate looked me up after I had emailed his cousin way back in 1999, I had totally forgotten about having done so way back then..but apparently this classmate had kept the piece of paper his cousin had given to him from the email way back then..it had fallen behind his desk at his home and just a few days ago when he decided to rearrange furniture he found it..a whole 8 yrs later..ha. So he's been filling me in on a few of the folks we went to highschool with and it's been interesting.

Seems a few of us have turned out to be photographers, some professional ..as is this classmate.

Nice to know what has happened to a few folks from "way back then".

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Well, that's all for now.

Hope you all have a very nice weekend.

~The Garden Goose~