The security screen to my back door (it's also the door into/out of the kitchen) doesn't latch by itself. I have to pull it tight and turn the lock to make sure it's secure, but don't usually bother with that until I go to bed. It's been so warm lately I also keep the front and back doors open for cross breezes.
Also, when I get up to go outside, my two doxies go with me, and the younger one noses the screen open ahead of us. It's a ritual. And they nose it open again to come back inside if they stay out longer than I do. (Dooley is safe around chickens, Zorro is not unless he's supervised; I make sure HE comes back in with me.)
Anyway, I am at my computer and also watching TV, when I hear the sound of water slapping in the Bistro Dog Waterer. Hmmm. Both dogs are crapped out on the sofa. So I get up to go look, and there are Louie and Thelma, my only ducks, a pair of Cayugas. Louie is dabbling in the water to the left and Thelma is picking up individual dog kibbles from the other Bistro unit to the right.
"Well, hello," I say, and the ducks look up. Hi, mom! their tails wiggle. Back to the water and kibble. So, I gently shoo them outside.
An hour or so later, when it's getting close to dusk and about time for me to check on all the chickens to make sure they've gone to their coops, I turn in my chair and right behind me, about two feet away, is the pair of ducks, just looking at me. Both doxies are sitting up on the sofa watching them. (No worries, the ducks have put those dogs in their places!) Nobody had made a sound. No soft whiffling "burf" from the dogs, no little gabbling from the ducks.
They're just standing there on the carpet, heads up high, looking at me, looking around, looking back at me. Hmm, what an interesting place Mom spends so much time in, ignoring US. Hmmmm.
When I laugh and ask, "What ARE you up to?" both ducks gabble a little bit. Louie bobs his head. So I get up and herd them back outside. However, we have to make a turn to head towards the back door, and both ducks miss that turn. Now they're padding along further on the carpet, turning their heads in both directions to see what's in that part of the house. (It's a Great Room situation with furniture making the divisions and routes of travel.)
This time I had to pick up Louie and carry him outside. Thelma followed to the edge of the carpet but stopped. I went back to get her and she heard Louie outside complaining, and she trundled onto the kitchen tile and out the back door ahead of me.
In protest, both ducks slept on the back door stoop so any door opening would smack their bodies if I wasn't careful.
Love my ducks. I'd have taken photos but I'm a horrible housekeeper and don't want that evidence on the Internet! But hey, neither of the ducks pooped in the house!! Amazing. They did poop on the threshold on their way out, though.
Also, when I get up to go outside, my two doxies go with me, and the younger one noses the screen open ahead of us. It's a ritual. And they nose it open again to come back inside if they stay out longer than I do. (Dooley is safe around chickens, Zorro is not unless he's supervised; I make sure HE comes back in with me.)
Anyway, I am at my computer and also watching TV, when I hear the sound of water slapping in the Bistro Dog Waterer. Hmmm. Both dogs are crapped out on the sofa. So I get up to go look, and there are Louie and Thelma, my only ducks, a pair of Cayugas. Louie is dabbling in the water to the left and Thelma is picking up individual dog kibbles from the other Bistro unit to the right.
"Well, hello," I say, and the ducks look up. Hi, mom! their tails wiggle. Back to the water and kibble. So, I gently shoo them outside.
An hour or so later, when it's getting close to dusk and about time for me to check on all the chickens to make sure they've gone to their coops, I turn in my chair and right behind me, about two feet away, is the pair of ducks, just looking at me. Both doxies are sitting up on the sofa watching them. (No worries, the ducks have put those dogs in their places!) Nobody had made a sound. No soft whiffling "burf" from the dogs, no little gabbling from the ducks.
They're just standing there on the carpet, heads up high, looking at me, looking around, looking back at me. Hmm, what an interesting place Mom spends so much time in, ignoring US. Hmmmm.
When I laugh and ask, "What ARE you up to?" both ducks gabble a little bit. Louie bobs his head. So I get up and herd them back outside. However, we have to make a turn to head towards the back door, and both ducks miss that turn. Now they're padding along further on the carpet, turning their heads in both directions to see what's in that part of the house. (It's a Great Room situation with furniture making the divisions and routes of travel.)
This time I had to pick up Louie and carry him outside. Thelma followed to the edge of the carpet but stopped. I went back to get her and she heard Louie outside complaining, and she trundled onto the kitchen tile and out the back door ahead of me.
In protest, both ducks slept on the back door stoop so any door opening would smack their bodies if I wasn't careful.
Love my ducks. I'd have taken photos but I'm a horrible housekeeper and don't want that evidence on the Internet! But hey, neither of the ducks pooped in the house!! Amazing. They did poop on the threshold on their way out, though.
