Cornucopia of creatures

We have ducks today. Ducks and butterflies, actually. For Christmas, Ellie received a butterfly set. You send off for caterpillers, watch them eat for about a week, watch them pupate for about a week. Today the adult butterflies emerged from their chrysalises. We are feeding 5 painted lady butterflies a diet of sugar water for the next day or two before we release them outside.

The ducks came from school. Last year they had a lamb a school which you could check out overnight. This year there was a set of ducklings and a set of chicks. We checked out the ducks today, so with the butterflies, there is a lot to keep a girl busy.

As if that weren't enough. In the pre-4H club, they are checking out chicks. So tomorrow we take the ducklings back to school, but we bring home some chicks. You can keep your chicks for 2 weeks if you like, but we've worked out an arrangement to keep them for 4 days and then take them to a local farm.

Hide the cat

Ellie has been very concerned about Kate, our cat. If you are going to have duckling and chicks around the house, you have to be careful that the cat doesn't make lunch of them. What Ellie hasn't realized is that we gave Kate away a week ago. She's been living at Aunt Mary's house since Friday. So we can have butterflies, ducks, chicks, and there's no danger of any of them being eaten.

When we got rid of the cat, Linda and I discussed how long it would be before Ellie noticed. We figured it would either take at least a week, or she would know somehow instantly. Ellie has gone looking for Kate a couple of times, and I thought the game was up. But each time she becomes distracted and forgets about it. Of course the first time we go to Mary's and Kate is there, there will be no hiding it. Of course I'll be able to say, "You didn't notice the cat was gone for a whole month." I expect a tantrum anyway.