More rain... more ducks... more painting.

It's been raining for two days now... sometimes pouring, but mostly just a nice steady rain that is probably filling up the rain gauge in the backyard-- but it's been too wet to get out there to check it. The pond looks beautiful... and there are more ducks-- 18 of them, at last count. The number keeps growing. Today's rain and thunder didn't seem to bother the ducks, but if a truck goes by and makes too much noise down by the road, they will fly out of the pond and into the woods, and then fly back into the water when the quiet returns.

The stray cat that I've seen around the house is still here... and he/she has been hiding and living under the gazebo. While Gatsby was inside late this afternoon, the stray cat was out on the porch eating the food I left out for him. Sweet face on that stray, mostly gray fur with some swirls..... not a lot of stripes, but a few on his tail. He ate so fast, looking all around as he ate... he may be a feral cat, but he looks healthier than he did when I first saw him-- regular meals will do that. Actually, it may be a female since it's not a very big cat.

Gatsby still isn't happy that another cat is out there... he has forgotten that he was once a starving and stray cat himself. I will keep putting food out there for the stray, and bringing Gatsby into the house so the stray can eat in peace.

I've started painting the kitchen.... started with the island.... the same "Whitened Sage" that I used on the hallway bathroom and the little half-bath downstairs. Such a pale, pastel shade of green.... in the sunlight it looks like an antique white, but when the lights are on, you can see the soft green shade. It will take a while to do all the cabinets and built-ins, but I'll just keep on painting like I have been.... one wall at a time till it's all done. My intention is to do the kitchen and the breakfast room with the same soft green.

Wonder of wonders today....... our oldest chicken laid an egg in the nesting box. She had been in that box for so long that I thought something was wrong with her. I even petted her to make sure she was still breathing, and she didn't ruffle her feathers at me and fly out of the box.... she just sat there and let me pet her. I fully expected to find her lifeless feathered self when I locked up the coop tonight, but I found the egg instead. And I know it was Audrey's egg because both Scarlett and PittyPat had laid their eggs today, and all three hens lay different colored eggs. I checked my notebook... the last time Audrey laid an egg was on June 3rd of last year.... so it's no wonder that she had such a hard time of it today.

More rain.... more eggs..... more painting..... more ducks..... and another stray cat. And... another party on the way....... "March Cookie Madness" is coming up before the month is over. JS and I had talked about doing a cookie exchange get-together (ladies only) before the holidays. But everyone was busy with the holidays.... who had time for that much baking? So we thought the Spring would be a good time for cookies..... I invited just about all of the ladies here to bake their favorite cookies...... bring some to eat and some to share.... and we will all get together here for cookies and tea and pineapple punch.

"A little madness in the Spring is wholesome even for a Queen." -- Emily Dickinson