The Black Swans

On Good Friday, dad opened the fence at the water end of their pen and set the black swans free.  They have been having a blast exploring all over the land, in the brook and all over the pond.  Don't laugh, but Buster thinks he's a girl and Gussie is the protective male. They're both male swans.
 Before dad let them out of their pen, they made a nest out of their sawdust bedding and Buster was pretending to be a "mom".  The story gets even more funny but unfortunately, we don't have a picture so you have to use your imagination.  The NY bathtub black duckies sneaked into Buster and Gussie's pen one morning and one of the females laid an egg in Buster's nest.   So now Buster had an egg to hatch!  The black duckies have been laying eggs all winter long and something keeps eating them.  Dad let Buster play "mom" for a few days and then he removed the egg.  He thought it would be best.

Getting back to the story, Tuesday morning, Gussie and Buster didn't come for breakie and dad was worried.  He checked on them all day long and no black swans so after dindin, he got into his canoe and headed to the back of the pond to try to find them.  He had help from Penny and Margaret.   Dad was whistling and calling to them and they answered faintly but loudly enough that we heard them and knew which direction to head in.

 Mom decided that being on the left hand side of the pond was not doing her a bit of good because the black swan peep was coming from the right hand side of the pond so around the pond she went.  It takes about 5 minutes to walk from one side of the pond to the other side.
 
These are the black duckies that dad rescued from the NY bathtub.    They're free too and having a great time.  This is breeding season and the male was chasing mom trying to bite her.    Why does he look like he's laughing!

 Mom saw skunk cabbage along the way and had to take a picture. 

 They they are!  Gussie and Buster are happy as larks playing Gilligan's Island back here all by themselves.  They're on their own mini island with mucky water surrounding them. 

Dad goes back twice a day to make sure they're safe and still having fun and they are!

So until next time.............

Love ya lots,
Mitch and Molly