He said he'd set something up tomorrow morning, but I doubt it since he works a 12 hour shift tomorrow. Short of sitting outside to guard the plants, I'm not sure what else I can do. Maybe I can get kids to help use sticks as stakes and put the chicken wire fencing up ourselves.
The plans for #3 to go hang out with her friend fell through. Poor kid did extra chores to earn time with a friend too. It was nice to have her home today though. She's very helpful.
This afternoon we finally had our funeral for Elizabeth - #4's rabbit that died months ago. We've had her in the freezer waiting for a nice day. As per #4's request, we buried Elizabeth and planted a lilac bush over her. I hope it grows well. The package said well draining soil, and it wasn't draining at all due to the clay soil. Bonus points - more room in the freezer now, and one more plant off the window ledge in the entryway needing to be planted. I even put down the landscape fabric and mulched the tiny seedling. Rest in peace Elizabeth.
This evening #3, #4, and #5 helped me to re-pot the 37 apple tree seedlings from the winter sown jug into individual cups. I have no idea where I'm going to put these for right now. I can't put them outside - the birds would have a good time ripping them all out. The window ledge is already full with the 11 pear seedlings from yesterday, the raspberries and blackberries I still haven't managed to get beds set up for, the grapes that I'm waiting on trellising systems for, the blueberries that I haven't even attempted to put out yet, and the gooseberry plant that I have no idea where I'm going to put. It'll all eventually find somewhere to be. In the meantime I've got 37 cups sitting on my kitchen floor in front of my refrigerator. I need to get them moved before kids or pets knock them all over the kitchen. I'm open to suggestions on where to move them to but it seems I have over-stocked myself and have run out of window space for my plants. Time to start getting more out the door and planted!
One brave (or perhaps just clumbsy) duckling left the nest for a moment causing a short burst of chaos as it ran around and chickens scattered to get away from it. Dashi was having a fit but wouldn't leave the nest, and the duckling ran right up to Ralphie (photo below). Ralphie is a tiny bird but truly takes being a chicken to heart. He fluffed up his hackles like I see the bigger cockerels do when they are about to fight, and for half a moment I was concerned he might pick on this duckling as it's smaller than him and Ralphie is out smallest bird... But when the duckling didn't back down, Ralphie turned tail and ran away. I carefully directed the ducking toward the nest while avoiding putting my hands within reach of Dashi's bill. It did make it safely back into the nest and all the birds calmed down again.