Good news today, we got 2 chicken eggs in box 10, and I'm pretty sure a duck egg from the Indian Runner hen.  I found one yesterday in a nice neat little round bed of straw on the floor next to the nesting boxes.  Mrs Mallard used that spot sometimes, too.  It's a little more secluded.  SO, this is so exciting!  It wasn't any bigger than my chicken eggs, but it's cream colored and oblong.  No one else before the new ducklings or chicks have laid eggs this color or shape.  As she gets older, I imagine her eggs will get a little bigger.  They aren't very big ducks, not like the mallards.

A friend of mine gave me 2 ladders that she had made and suggested I put them in the coop.  Sure enough, one of the California chicks jumped up there the first night.  So cute.  Those girls will try anything first!  They're the ones that like the swing, too.  And the garden.

Mrs Owl made an appearance this morning.  I let the pups out at 6am and Owl was over in the west lot past the barn hooting to her hearts content.  About 7am I was standing at the kitchen window when I saw her fly east to those woods to bed down.  I'm glad she didn't decide to swoop in on the flock and have a late dinner.  I'm hoping she nabbed a mouse or rat from the storage bins or barn through the night and was good enough.

Nothing of great value happened at closing time.  Everyone was ready for bed, including the pups and Merlin.