Try Try Again

Do you remember my telling you about the ducks on the roof?

Well, those ducks haven't stopped sleeping on the roof at night.  That's there spot.  They've picked it, and i think they plan to stay.  But then there's Wally.  Wally is in the picture above.  He's the drake, the male duck.  And he outweighs the girls by 7 or 8 pounds.  I haven't weighed him, since he's not into standing still on scales, but he definitely looks to be a good 15 pounds as is likely for his breed.  The girls, at a mere 7-8 pounds, are much lighter on the wing than Wally.  Flying up to the roof is pretty easy for them.  But poor Wally.

At first, when the girls started sleeping on the roof, he instinctually/habitually kept sleeping in the coop with the chickens.  But eventually he got lonely for his family, and we found him in the front yard, trying to be as close to his roofed friends as he could be.

One night, i found all four of them on top of the brooder (a much lower roof), and i thought Wally had negotiated some compromise.  But soon the girls were on the roof, and Wally was in the front yard again.

I started noticing little training sessions among the ducks.  I imagined that the four of them were trying to work something out.  Finding stair-step surfaces that could lead to the roof (a process which the girls just don't need at all).  The top of my car, the top of the brooder, etc.  And then a few mornings ago, when i was leaving for work, i saw Wally, on the roof, with  his girls.  I was so excited for him.  I've been rooting for him all this time.  And there he was....trying to gain the courage to fly down.    That's when i took the picture.  He did make it down a few minutes later.  He just had to think it through or something.  

What a sweet guy.  

Well, if ducks can try, try again, so can i. 

The other day, i asked y'all what i'd done wrong with the sprouting produce, and my cousin, Adam, patiently explained that plants need dirt.  Novel idea.

I never claimed to know what i was doing here.

So today (Saturday), i visited our small town Wal-mart, Family Dollar, and picked up, potting soil, cow manure, and several adorable little plastic pots, proudly made in the U.S.A., by Outdoor Designs.  I threw out my old rotting lettuce sprouts, started one new lettuce bottom in water, and planted my chives/green onions in those cute pots in my window sill.  See below.

When i figure out how to get the lettuce going successfully, then i'll have to try the celery and carrot re-sprouts that Laura suggested.  Produce that keeps on giving is a plan i can get into.