Thanks all for the answer to my mysterious tree growing in my fence. We have redbuds in the front yard so I was pretty sure it wasn't one of those but I hadn't considered catalpas because I've never seen them around here. We go out to the salt plains though and they are all over the place out there. I brought back some bean pods to use in my weaving last year so I wonder if I accidentally planted some beans that grew.
Now that I know what they are I think I'll move a couple to the front yard.
Letting a "sort of" broody hen have a few eggs to see what she'll do with them. She isn't sitting on them completely all the time but she does stay on them all night and most of the day. She gets off them to let others lay eggs in the nest but sits in the next nest waiting then she'll climb back in and tuck all the eggs under her very carefully. We figure we're paying for feeding them if we can raise a few of our own to send to freezer camp, so much the better in these uncertain times.
The ducks are finally doing the mating dance ... our swedish blues or blacks (we don't really know - they were just too cute) have paired off and our buff/runner has taken up with our khaki campbell.
I don't think they're quite old enough to lay yet but I'm sure that will come soon enough. We were just thrilled that the males weren't fighting with one another and have each got their own girl.
Well, off to bed. I have to work in the morning. First day this week. Wish it was more often.