ducks are amazing! and other small windows on life

it's not too cold this morning but apparently cold enough.
i watched out the window while the woodstove was heating up
to see falstaff my drake break the thin layer of ice on the top of his water bucket.....
he broke it out enough for not only himself to drink
but for his duck serafina to drink as well.
just when i think that drake really IS a falstaff.......he does something sweet, and human
and then i am so grateful i did NOT eat him with orange sauce in the fall........


right now
i am watching the thermometer on the woodstove stove pipe.
it is registering almost 500 degrees
every morning and every evening i try to burn the stove this hot to clean out the chimney and the stovepipe of any built up creosote
when i first come down, i rake the ash to the front, sift the coals out, remove half the ash and then stack the fire
large stuff in the back,
small stuff and kindling to the front
and get enough wood up high

( just in case anyone needs to know how to run a woodstove)

some folks hate to heat the chimney, but i found that it does three things......

1)it heats the room fast ( with a soapstone stove that is a plus)

2)it cleans the chimney

3)it sets up a very good draft for a good hot clean burn


now while that is heating, i feed the cats.....
it's funny how we have a routine

right now i am sitting with coffee.....
the cats are watching the birds at the feeder we put out on the clothes line JUST for the cats to watch the birds....
they are only marginally interested though

a few weeks ago they caught a mouse......
i have three la perm cats
the breed that originated in a barn out in oregon.......

three cats.....

one tiny little 2" long field mouse

the cats could NOT figure out how to kill this mouse

they only were interested in it if it

a) moved
b) AND made noise

that mouse naturally got away

after all.......
was there every any doubt?


oh man
three cats.....

and i PAY an exterminator to get rid of the mice


oye

vi