I expect the older chick to fly today or tomorrow. They usually stand and exercise their wings for a day or so. She's just starting to do that. Plus, mom has been demonstrating flying for them. I've set the cam to record all day just in case. --Joe

Obviously my criticisms of Hallmark over the years found fertile ground in my kids as I don't always get flowers or even a card. However, over the years they have proven their love for me many times by actions for which I am always grateful. Two out of 3 will visit in the next 2 weeks so that will be lovely. There is a family function tomorrow to which most of the family will go but it's too far for me this year so I will celebrate by thinking good thoughts of previous Mom's Days, dress in a favorite outfit, let other non-family cater to me, and have an enjoyable day regardless of all the media hype. I'm old enough to not let other people's expectations, or even my own unrealistic expectations color how I feel. I have so much to be grateful for. Does anyone else remember dressing up for church, always wearing a hat, and a carnation corsage whose color signified whether one's DM was still alive. White if she had died and red or pink if still alive. And we'd usually go to a restaurant for lunch which was less common than today. None of that generation are here now. That day was very special when I still lived at home with my parents. After my marriage my late DH always made it special by giving me carte blanche at a garden centre and either eating out or doing all the cooking. It was one of the things I missed the most after he died, not just the buying of plants but the love that came with them. Hope all Mothers here have a wonderful day whether or not they have to DIY or someone does it for them.

LOL, I don't think there was teasing involved. They tend to be the mean ones. Perhaps they like to be part of the smarter group of domesticated birds. It was funny one of the first few days we had them they were hanging out in the barn and a chicken bumped into the male as she walked over to one of the feeders. He lunged at her, but she just hopped out of the way. Then one of my male and female pekins came into the barn right after and the new pair actually lunged at them. So my male, being quite a bit larger just lunged back (they never seem to bite, just threaten) and they scurried off. I have 4 males and I never see them fight, but the person I adopted them from she said where they were kept over winter, the male would fight all their peacocks, or might have been pheasants, I can remember which. They seem to be working out well though here though. No fights, just displays so far. They were outside the barn quite a bit today so that's a good sign. I do find it odd that the male will not go in the water. Pekin ducks are water fowl, they LOVE water. Muscovies are not water fowl. She has that boy wrapped right around her webbed foot. It's not that the pekin female wandered off because the eggs weren't hers. I think it's because it was right around the time the weather started getting nicer and they were getting water to play in outside. She started spending more and more time outside. They aren't the brightest. Hubby wouldn't have a problem with hatching the eggs, just buying new adult birds. A decent female adult is usually around $20.

Quick report: The roulade came out pretty good. The puff pastry was not as crisp as I’d hoped, possibly because I baked it for an hour, then transported it, then finished baking it at the dinner location. It was very popular nonetheless. The goose ”stew” was fine, but was kind of over shadowed by the other fancy Thanksgiving foods. It deserved to be the center of a daily family meal. The duck with red wine reduction and mushrooms was very tasty although I thought the meat was a little over done. I talked to the guy who shot these birds. He said this early in the season, the birds are smaller and younger; in March the big geese and fat ducks come through. He offered to give me a piece of venison for a dinner I have to cook Saturday (welcome home for the friends whose house/dog we are sitting). I am not sure I’m going to take him up on it - it would be a very cool dinner if I don’t mess it up, but I’d be a lot more likely to mess it up than if I chose a main dish more familiar to me.