The little Coffee Ducks are settling in nicely. They are still very scared of us, so I only go into their pen to quickly change water and bring them fresh food and watermelon treats.

Carmella, Bean and Hazel (L-R)

An interesting thing happened today... in the midst of a draught a sudden deluge of water came down the streambed and began filling Pekin Pond (our reservoir). I smelled the water, but couldn't smell any chlorine, so someone above us wasn't emptying a pool. Tony and Isabel tested the water and found a normal PH, but I still wasn't comfortable with it.

Once Pekin Pond fills, the water goes down stream and is diverted into The Courtyard. I was worried maybe a farmer's irrigation lines broke or something and there might be fertilizer in the water, so I got in my car and drove up the street to see if it was flowing into the neighbor's pond as well. It wasn't. Their pond was stone dry. I drove down one house and found that the neighbor right above us (through the woods) was pumping out his HUGE pond to weed out the cattails. PHEW! Thank goodness! Just pond water!

I drove home and celebrated by opening the lines and letting the water pour through all the pens! Our ducks and geese were very pleased with the surprise!