Sheldon

		Day 85 Monday 4th August It was a day for visitors! Martin came with Caroline to let us out this morning. They stayed for a while and watched us catching big slugs in the dew soaked grass. My little brothers and sisters played with Martin's laces and clambered over Caroline's feet. I had to have another scrap with Marty because he was spending too much time with my Caroline again! This afternoon, Kate, Beth and Madeline came to visit us and, later, Chendy came to put us to bed!
		Day 86 Tuesday 5th August Caroline let us out this morning and then David brought her breakfast up so she could stay a bit longer. It was a lovely sunny morning and we were all pleased to see her so we clambered on her legs and lap. Yes, I know I've been a bit jumpy lately but even I opted for several cuddles. Caroline came back to see us later too but there was thunder and rain so she had to take the camera back indoors. She did stay long enough to see my attempt at "up tails" in the pond. Unfortunately, Mummy duck had just demonstrated how it should be done so my effort looked poor in comparison!
		Day 87 Wednesday 6th August Beth came for the day today so she let us out and fed us by hand next to the pond. After we had clambered all over her feet and pecked at her toes, she played my favourite hose game with me; holding the hose jet steady so that I could catch the water in my beak! After lunch, she and Caroline brought Beth's Nan, Nina, up for a visit and we crowded round Beth again as she sat on a sheet on the ground. It was just like old times in the dining room! Lizzie and Martin paid us a visit later too. It was good to see them as they will be looking after us next week!
		Day 88 Thursday 7th August David let us out this morning as Caroline's joints were playing her up. Later, though, she did come up to see us for almost an hour. She sat on cushions on the ground and we pecked at her and ate from her hand. Marty, Titch and I all had cuddles. She was trying to take photos for the ducklings' individual photo albums but she didn't quite capture everyone! It was the hottest day of the year so far today, but it is nice and shady up here under the apple tree and the rill is cool too so we were ok. We had mail from the USA today! Click here to see my ducky fans Ruck and Puck from West Virginia.
		Day 89 Friday 8th August I'm playing statues in this photo! Something startled us and we stood very still until we were sure it was safe. After that, it was back to Caroline for more fun and games. Martin arrived too early to start any DIY so he came to sit with us for a while. We followed him to the Calm Corner and foraged nearby then he cleaned out our rill for us. We had duck garden to ourselves after that today. I don't think those humans can handle the heat!
		Day 90 Saturday 9th August A sad day today! After constant companionship this last three months, Caroline is well enough to go to the holiday cottage they booked months ago and so she and David have gone away for a week. Before they went, they clipped my brothers and sisters' wings. It was quite a show with seven of them to catch and inspect! It was decided to allow Titchy to keep hers as she is so small and bedraggled anyway. After that, we played catch the splash with Martin (see left)! This evening, Chenda came to stay by herself and she spent part of the evening sitting up here with us! We gathered round her, ate from her hand for the first time ever, and pecked at her clothes. She calls us her ducklings now. What a turnaround that is!
Caroline went away with the digital camera so photos for this week will follow once the film is developed!		Huge thanks to Liz who helped me with the following six diary entries and looked after me so well!
		Day 91 Sunday 10th August Liz arrived for her week of duck, cat and house sitting (I think that's the order of importance!) Liz, Chenda and Martin sat up with us in the late afternoon sun, feeding us grass and spraying us with the hose. I, Sheldon, particularly enjoyed this. I even had a quick cuddle with Liz! We heard Chenda ask for her photo to be taken with us! I knew she was fond of us really!
		Day 92 Monday 11th August We were all trying desperately to fly today much to Liz's amusement! Despite having had our flight feathers trimmed, we were convinced we might fly if we tried hard enough. Sadly, all we could manage was a lot of flapping that took us round and round in circles and a few of us toppled over with our efforts! We weren't keen to go to bed tonight and it was a group decision to stay on the pond for as long as possible! Liz wised up to this eventually and began to pick us off the pond one-by-one. A few of us let her know we weren't impressed by splashing the pond water all over her and quacking very loudly!
		Day 93 Tuesday 12th August Chenda and Martin came over again tonight to watch the fireworks. They came and sat with us for a while and then we demonstrated to Martin and Chenda how efficient we are at going to bed...much to Liz's surprise!
		Day 94 Wednesday 13th August There were more fireworks tonight and yet another visitor! Bryony, who visited when I was 8 weeks old and my brothers and sisters were only 4 weeks old came to see how big and grown up we are now! I think she liked us as she sat on the grass with us for ages and let us play with her shoe laces and jeans! She helped Liz herd us into our run as we just didn't want to go to bed...we were having too much fun!
		Day 95 Thursday 14th August Woo Hoo! More visitors...who seemed to find us very amusing! Kylie, who hasn't seen me since I was one day old, and Helen, who visited when I was three weeks old, came up to see us tonight. Neither of them had met my brothers and sisters and were surprised at how alike we all look. I think they were having trouble telling the difference between us. I was quick to notice kylie was wearing open toed shoes and made a bee-line to investigate them! This made kylie laugh out loud...a lot! But I think she like it because she kept letting us do it!!! When Helen stood still long enough (I'm not sure what she thinks of us?!) kylie convinced her that the toe tickling was good fun. So then we were allowed to bury our beaks in Helen's shoes too! While Liz herded my mum, dad and auntie Quackers into bed, kylie and Helen followed behind with my brothers and sisters. We were quite civilised tonight!
		Day 96 Friday 15th August Liz's last day looking after us, so we gave her a good display of early morning quacking and swimming! She cleaned the ponds out last night so we jumped in quickly to show our appreciation! The group was quite vocal today, so much so that Martin came up the garden to see if we were all ok. A few of the ducklings were having an in-depth conversation with the mummy ducks while, for once, I looked on in silence and bewilderment! He stayed with us for a while and sprayed us with the hose...I like catching the drips, but I don't seem to catch many! At last it started raining this evening and Chenda and Liz came to put us to bed. I think Liz is going to miss seeing us so much but I'm sure she'll be over again to see us all soon!
		Day 97 Saturday 16th August Yippee! Caroline is home. They travelled home late last night to avoid the traffic and so she was here to let us out this morning. This meant that she discovered my secret. I've taken to sleeping with the other ducklings in the big house instead of with our parents! Caroline brought a cushion and sat with us for a while so we could play with the toggle on her shoe and eat from her hand. Marty, Titch and I each had a cuddle and the others were happy to be stroked too. Later, Chenda came round and Caroline came up again with her. BQ and I did so much quacking that Martin wandered up the garden to investigate what all the fuss was about.
		Day 98 Sunday 17th August Caroline let us out again this morning and we played with her for ages. Even Daddy duck joined in pecking Caroline's back. Sometimes the others forget I am Caroline's top duck so, as you can see in the photo, I get so close that they can't get near her! After lunch, Caroline, Chenda and Martin brought us up some huge slugs they found under a log pile. There was a lot of chasing and slug tug-of-war going on but Marge proved to be supreme hunter and was constantly stealing them from Mummy duck's beak! Click here to see him trying to steal one from BQ!