Elle

I came home yesterday and Elle was not alive.  I miss her. She was born Noelle Schweder, 11 years ago, and spent most of her life with the Schweder family in Oglethorpe County. They suddenly died within hours of each other in suspicious circumstances (apparently mauled by feral dogs) and their 9 or so dogs ended up in the shelter.  The family didn't want them.  I believe in forward karma, and so in the hopes that some kind person would adopt and love my dogs were I to suddenly die, Kevin and I adopted her.  That was in August of 2009.  It didn't make sense to call a dog NO elle, so we shortened it to Elle.  Or L.  

I called her Ehdotes.  Or Edoh-edoh-oodle-loo.

Every time I came home, after the majority of the pack greeted me, she would hang back.  I would ask her for a kiss and she would always give me such a gentle one.  I will miss that the most.

Blue snorzles Elle

Elle does not like wearing Easter bonnets

Elle soon after arrival

Pensive and in her first favorite spot

Wolfin eyes, beautiful smile

Totally gratuitous self photo

If I was not looking at you I would look like this.  And since this is a blog and I am not looking at you, this is probably what you would see anyways.

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What I ate for dinner tonight

It was delicious.

On the left we have a carrot and cauliflower casserole, made with steamed veggies tossed with silken tofu, mustard, turmeric, garlic, cayenne, smoked paprika, lemon juice and salt, then covered in cheese and baked.

On top is bok choy sauteed in sesame oil.

On bottom is brown rice.

The duck

So, I share my home and land with Quackers, a Rouen duck. He's about 7 years old and was purchased locally as a companion to Cheese. Cheese met an Unfortunate Ending during which the viewing of it made Quackers go mad. He decided he was a dog.
He is mostly free-range, with full use of the yard- except during mating season when he gets too randy with the Pug and Peanut.
Recently he figured out how to use the dog door, so I often come home to this:

And sometimes even this

Here is a close up of his handsomeness.

Rouens are meat and egg ducks, so their large breast renders them too heavy to fly. They are also 'dabblers' and don't need ponds as long as they have bathing areas and puddles to sploosh in.


This was taken at Christmas.

He spends a lot of time (when he isn't chasing cars with the pack) under the birdfeeder. He'll take naps there, and it's funny to see such a big bird with all the little birds.