It is one of those wonderful mornings when you stay in bed and enjoy being cozy there. The rain fell this time on us! It seems to be dropping at different places around town. You may get a gully washer and a mile away they don't even get a sprinkle. But now it is our turn, and the pattering on the tin roof sounds so nice. For the first time all week I have slept through the night and I feel like doing it again. Perhaps a cup of tea and a warm biscuit would perk me up. I often forget to mention to people that we have ducks. They arrived this past summer from my uncle in CA, and they make so little noise and really don't require work, that I often forget about them. Except that they are very messy; their feathers fall out all over the place and they like to get in the watering tub and get it filthy. Anyway, they have finally reached adulthood and are laying eggs. I am leaving them out there in hopes that they will start to sit soon and give us a new meat source. We have about a dozen eggs so far. They usually lay 10-18 before they set, according to the internet sources. A friend let me borrow her butter churn- she wasn't using it, can you imagine that!- and I have been making butter from the cream I skim off the farmer's milk. The first time we did it, before I borrowed the churn, we shook the cream in a jar. That was hard work and mind numbing- your head shakes with it! So now we have fresh milk, butter, and buttermilk. I will have to try cheese soon.