Strange noises

Sure wish I had a picture for this tale! It happened yesterday around 3:30. I was on my way to the compost bin with a pot of kitchen scraps in one arm and a large pan of bean ends and strings in the other when I heard an unusual bumping and knocking sound. I stopped and listened. I heard it again. Was there some animal in the shed? I put the pans down and ran back to the house yelling for Poppy. Listen, I said to Poppy, lots of times I get excited and my imagination runs away with me, but I heard a strange noise. It sounds like an animal trying to fight it's way out of a wooden box. Poppy gave me that look, like "yeah right! Will you come with me? Wait, he said getting the shotgun from the corner. We walked back to the shed. Poppy stepped back a little as he reached for the lock on the shed door. I held my ears and shut one eye. The door opened. Nothing! But then we heard the noise again. The bumping was coming from under the shed. We ran around back. There was Nellie, the duck, desperately trying to free herself from a big rat snake. The snake was biting her and holding her by one leg. Both Nellie and the snake were only partially visible under the edge of the shed. Poppy aimed the gun. This time I held both ears and closed both eyes. The gun fired. Did you hit the snake or the duck I asked. The snake! Nellie was free. The snake was dead. Nellie looked flustered. She wagged her tail, like Muscovies do, looked at us both and went back under the shed. The bumping had been Nellie fighting this snake, protecting her nest of eggs. It was some fight and I think the snake was about to win. 

It makes me sad to see anything killed. Anything! But in a case like this we had to do something.

This is the back of the shed. There are lots of small feathers on the ground near the old barrel. Scattered, I suppose, during the fight...

Nellie is the duck in the back...

Okay, on to something else. Like "Sweet Pea". He's growing and he is not going to look like his mom or dad. This chick has "Big Boy" written all over him...

Just a quick story here. Sunday afternoon I sat down in the living room. Poppy was in his chair watching the race. Weetie was asleep on the couch and Eli was dragging out toys. Well, if I ever sit down, I drop off to sleep and that's exactly what happened. After sleeping about fifteen minutes I woke up. Poppy was asleep, Weetie was asleep, and this was Eli...

I've got beans canning. Better get busy. Thank you for visiting.

Love,
Henny