alms for an old dog

after the christmas eve meal
leftovers gathered on a paper plate
alms for an old dog
who's been hanging about the neighborhood
the oldest boy has come with me
he's enchanted with the ancient husky's mismatched eyes
“like marbles”
one so pale blue it's nearly white
the other amber brown
later
as we say goodbyes to family in the front yard
the old dog slowly wanders over from across the street
a huge woolly mass on stiff legs
i interpret his effort as a gesture of thanks
i stroke his head
thank him for the gift he has given me
and wish him well

winter solstice

winter is officially here and with it came our first frost.  up 'til now the weather has been very mild and mostly dry although we did have a mix of rain and wet snow come down for a little while yesterday morning.

frozen solid kale leaf sporting some neat ice crystals

the ducks' drink pans and pools were frozen over.

after i removed the ice i topped the pans off with a little warm water that i brought out in a bucket from the kitchen.  the ducks don't mind dipping their bills into frigid water first thing in the morning but it makes me feel better to warm things up a bit.

business as usual

i thought this would be it for the tomato plants but some of them seem to still be hanging on just fine.

meanwhile the little ones are still enjoying a cushy lifestyle.  little do they know i'm almost finished bobcat proofing their outdoor enclosure and in another day or two they'll be moving to their new digs.

may the lengthening days bring with them peace and happiness to all.

wreath

snipped a few sprigs of toyon and manzanita and decorated the wreath today...

sweet duckie dreams

afternoon study group

the trees

the trees stand in silent wisdom
hundreds of years
meticulously recorded
in the very fiber of their being
the chant of an endless, wordless mantra
circling round and round deep within
a secret told only to the passing wind
the breeze picks up
i stand below
and eavesdrop

the way home

took the ducklings out to the fig orchard with me today so they could have some outside time and i could get a little weeding done.  

when the sun and the temperature started dropping we called it a day.  staal led the way home,   walking backward and encouraging them to follow.

they raced after him and ran right up onto the front porch and into the house where we helped them back into the brooder for a well-deserved nap.

making feathers

the little ones are starting to put out feathers (mostly on their bellies, wings, and tails).

here they are sporting little fawn bibs.  taken yesterday 12/2/2017 in the orchard garden

here's what they'll look like when they're completely feathered and a bit older... fawn and white runners