A Duck Family Reunion

So, I like wildlife.  And we live out in the country, so I get to see a fair amount of the usual suspects - deer, birds, raccoons, possums, the occasional skunk, nutria, coyotes, and even spotted a rare (in these parts) cougar, several years ago when the boys were small.

We have a group of deer (I suppose I should call it a herd) that roam around the fields eating the yummy new shoots of whatever's been planted.  A couple of years ago we had a massive acorn season.  There were tons, literally TONS of acorns all around us.  On the driveway, the cars crush them open and the deer would actually come that close to the house to eat the acorns.  It was awesome.  We feed the birds and laugh as the squirrel hangs upside down on the deck eating the suet.

Ken and I have lived out here for as long as we've been married - 28 years this coming November.  It's been great.  It's quiet.  Peaceful.  And for the most part, fairly secluded unless you have binoculars and want to watch us from the road.  Since we've lived here, along our driveway runs a creek.  Every year we have ducks on the creek.  Now, I don't know if they are the same ones -- I am assuming not, since I don't think I've heard of ducks living 28 years before, but every year they come back in late winter/early spring.  Usually a pair or two or three.  They always fly up out of the creek when we drive by early in the season, but by mid-spring, they just paddle by because they are used to us driving by.  And when one of us spots the ducks for the season, we can't wait to share that information with the other one.

Today was cool beyond cool.  As I drove down the driveway to go work out, out flew not just one or two pair, or even three or four pair . . . today we had 26 ducks on the creek.  26!  I had to stop the car and count them twice.  I know they lay their eggs somewhere along the creek, or perhaps down more towards the pond where the creek ends, but we have never, EVER had that many at once on the creek.  I figure all the ducklings must have come home to roost this year.

I felt bad that I interrupted the Duck Family Reunion.  But honestly -- not really.  It was an awesome start to my day.  The ducks are back.  Spring is just around the corner!!