Rutland Water ( Whitwell) to Exton, Fort Henry and back

Monday 23 May . With Eddie and Barry O. Just under 10 miles, about 3 hours. Weather conditions: strong winds!



From Whitwell car park, out along Church Lane in Whitwell, across the main road (A606), through the Noel Arms car park, along the Viking Way, waymarked by a tiny viking helmet. Through a stile into a field, labelled Bull in Field - though there was none. Stile at other end. Carry on up hill, over another stile (?). The path is clearly marked as it climbs gradually then descends towards Exton. You reach a minor road which you cross, then continue straight ahead for a short distance before turning right (leaving the Viking Way). Follow the footpath slightly to the right down towards a stream. The stream is on your right. Follow the path across a footbridge, and keep the stream on your left until you cross another footbridge. The path climbs briefly and continues west, passing Cuckoo Farm a little way off. It curves south towards the minor road which we crossed earlier. Less than half a mile of road walking, takes us round a right hand right-angled bend

and on to Horn Mill and the Trout Hatchery. Just before this, take the footpath to the left, marked Footpath to Fort Henry and Greetham.

Follow the path over another stile, and over a stream towards the private woodlands. The path hugs the edge of the woods, then make for Lower Lake. Follow the path until you reach the metalled road. Turn right, then take the footpath to Greetham on the left. This passes Fort Henry and the lake, covered with water lilies in May - with an artificial heron looking out for the fish.





From the lake we walked along the path through a wooded area, until we reached steps leading up to a track. At this point there is a path more or less straight on leading to Greetham across the golf course. Instead of following that we turned left, then slightly right along a path which has been filled in with chunks of stone - hard underfoot. This goes directly east for almost a mile, then turns left and shortly over a stile into a field where we should once again beware of a (non-existent, again) bull. At the other end of the field, turn right and follow the Viking Way signs for a fair distance, past the R.C Cemetery and the Estate offices into the village of Exton.

These animals can bite!

Follow the main road through, passing Pudding Bag Lane, the old school, avoiding the pub and green. You rejoin the minor road and cross it before retracing the route we followed at the beginning of the walk, up the incline, down to the Noel Arms in Whitwell, along Church Lane to the Whitwell car park. For the sake of mileage, and the ritual that's in it, we went to the Water and dipped fingers in.





There is a slightly longer (11 mile) walk on Ken Brockway's Walking Englishman website, which covers some of the same ground, though not all.

Better late than never

Santa brought 1/4 inch (.6 cm) on Christmas, but waited until yesterday to deliver the main gift: a whole inch (2.5 cm) of rain!

You know you're deep into drought when just an inch of rain makes you so happy. Of course, when you're this far gone, one inch doesn't help that much, but we'll take every little bit we can get.

We still need something like 12 - 15 inches (30 - 38 cm) 24 inches (76 cm) to catch up. I don't think it's going to happen. Weather experts are predicting more dry, dry, dry, at least through spring.

But I can't think about that now... it may rain again tomorrow.

-----

Updated:
I was wrong about the rain deficit -- it was worse than I'd thought.

Beavers on the ice

Last night I drove to a local lake near my house to see if the beavers were active yet. As I approached the lake I could see an opening in the ice near the beaver lodge and figured they would be out. Sure enough, as I got closer I could see two large lumps on top of the ice near the water... it was the beavers! I spent about an hour sitting on the bank of the lake watching and photographing the beaver family. There were four total... the parents and two young ones. They sure were fun to watch as they took turns sitting on the ice and going for a swim. We got a bunch of rain this morning so yesterday may have been the only opportunity to watch them on the ice. The ice might be gone today!

Oregon Inlet

While driving home from our trip, we enjoyed the scenery. I started to get emotional as we got closer to OBX. As soon as we hit the first bridge, I yelled out, "We're home".



I got really excited when we hit the Oregon Inlet, because I knew we were really close to home. I think the inlet is so beautiful. Something about the contrast of the blue water with the green and tan grass is just peaceful to me.

It has an interesting history too. From Wikipedia:



Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by a 2.5 mile bridge that spans the inlet. As one of the few access points to the ocean along this stretch of coast, Oregon Inlet is a major departure point for charter fishing trips, with a nearby harbor serving as the base for many large boats that travel miles out towards the Gulf Stream almost every day. The area is also home to a U.S. Coast Guard station.



Oregon Inlet was formed when a hurricane lashed the Outer Banks in 1846, separating Bodie Island from Pea Island. One ship that rode out that storm in Pamlico Sound was named the Oregon. After the storm the crew members of this ship were the first to tell those on the mainland about the inlet's formation. Hence, it has been known as Oregon Inlet ever since.

Akin to many other inlets along the Outer Banks, Oregon Inlet moves southward due to drifting sands during tides and storms. It has moved south over two miles since 1846, averaging around 66 feet per year.

It's just beautiful, isn't it?



Living the life in North Carolina!

Mountains

Would have liked to go to the mountains on this 3 day weekend, but I know they are always packed on the first holiday of the summer. Besides we can't afford the gas, and neither of us is feeling that good to take that long of a drive. So guess we will just hang out here at the house. Pet the dogs, cats, and horses, and watch the car races. I did give Sonny a bath this morning. The horses were attached yesterday by some sort of horrid bitting, bloodsucking nat (gnat). Each one I killed was full of blood. So I made a stronger fly spray and sprayed them good yesterday and today and got out the fly masks. I had bathed Nita and Star a few weeks ago but hadn't done Sonny yet this spring. He really likes his bath and to be pampered with grooming. Now to teach the ponies, Trave and Stormy that they can like it, too.

Grassy Yard

Jim complained he hadn't had a chance to mow the several acreas of lawn they have, but I thought it looked so great with the tall grass and dandelions in bloom. After looking at nutural brown desert dirt for as long as I have any green looks good.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

My friend Patti asked me this past week if I ever fall in love with some of the cute small towns and want to stay there. We get asked things along those lines quite a bit. The short answer is yes I do fall in love and no I don't want to stay there. Because I want to move on and see the other cute small towns too.

There's more to it than just that though. I had been chewing on this very topic for a blog post when she wrote to me. Because I'd been pondering how surprised I am that I still get emotional when we leave a place. I get attached and do fall in love and am always sad to be saying goodbye. Part of it is just my personality, meaning I hate saying goodbye.

The other part is that there is just something so uniquely endearing about each and every place we visit. Each place has a way of worming itself into our hearts. We find some good there. We find something we admire there. We find something that is beautiful there. We find people that inspire us there.

That might sound really cheesy to those that haven't experienced this way of living and seeing the world. It might sound like someone who says they still love every girl/boyfriend they ever had. Really though, it is quite a bit like all of the relationships one has. There is always some downside or something that is snark worthy, and trust me we do our share of those observations when visiting. We are human after all. Like past loves though, there is always something that touched your heart and becomes a part of you when you live in a place. Even if you do only live there for a week or two.



So yup, I sure do fall in love and as impossible as it might sound-not sometimes. Every time. It's a pretty amazing thing to me even two years later. I hope I never become jaded in this area, because it's a pretty cool part of this journey.



Living the life in our beautiful country!

Scarpa 6000 double boot review by Dave Searle

High in the Dru Coulior all photos courtesy of Dave Searle



This is Dave's first gearreview on Cold Thistle, but hopefully not the last. Dave and a few other Brits are living and climbing hard in Cham. Likely more good alpine climbing done in a typical weekend there than in all of the USA every winter.



I respect the opinions of climbers out there and actually doing things. Ally, Jon, Willare a few I met in Chamlast winterthat are "doing it". Dave is right in there as well. His opinions are hard earned and worth the read.



You can read more about what Dave is up to here:



http://searler.com/



Scarpa 6000 review.





I have been using my Scarpa 6000 now for about a year and on the most part I have been really impressed with them.







Dave in his red chuck hut slippers, Spantik and 6000 at his side.

General Design and Features



When I was first on the market for a pair of winter boots (and this was my first pair) I was strongly recommend by lots of people to go for the La Sportiva Spantik. I tried them both on in the shop for hours, in different sizes and came to the conclusion that the 6000 fit me slightly better. This was perhaps the main reason I went for them in the end however I also prefered the design of the 6000 too. They seemed to be more nimble and precise and I prefer having a gaitered boot any day of the week as it keeps them drier when your wading through snow and it means that the laces aren't subject to any wear. The sole unit it thinner than on the Spantik which sacrifices warmth but gains precision.



Fit



I had a slight problem with heel lift after using them maybe three of four times. I didn't have this problem in the shop and it was strange that it developed over time. I have rectified that now with sticky back foam stuck to the liners around my heel and a heel raiser to lock my heel into the back of the boot. I would have probably had this problem in any boot as I do have particularly narrow heels. Now they fit like a dream. If your set on these boots then it is worth remembering that if you have a low volume foot like mine then they can be made to fit.



Lacing



To start with I was a fan of the lacing system, it seemed easy to tighten up and easy to use with big gloves but I pretty soon realized that the locking cleat eventually works itself loose after a few hours of climbing or walking. I originally combated this problem by tying a normal shoe knot over the top of the cleat but now I have taken it off completely and now I just use a reef knot to fasten them. I never feel the need to adjust the laces when I'm climbing so now when I'm tying them in the hut or at the bivi I use a knot that won't come lose and this seems to be the best option for me. I think the lacing system could do with a rethink in my opinion as I have had other friends who have had similar problems with it. Perhaps a beefier cleat or thicker, less slick laces which are easier tie?



Warmth



I have been really impressed with the warmth of these boots as well. I thought that they weren't going to be as warm as a Spantik but I have since realised it depemds entirely on your circulation and the fit as to whether or not you'll feel the cold. I have sat two nights out in them without a sleeping bag and I didn't have any major issues. The first and worst of the two was on the Colton/Macintyre on the Grandes Jorrasses. Me and my two buddies got benighted at about 4300m with only a two man man bothy shelter and half a karimat to share. It was November here in Cham and the ambient temperature was close to -15C and felt much more with windchill. Jim and Gav both had Spantiks and I was in my 6000ers and I was really worried about my feet but the only option was to sit and suffer.... which we did.... for 8 hours. The night passed slowly and I emerged with very minor nerve damage to my big toe (phew). Jim had the same and Gav was fine. I don't think the 6000ers are as warm as the Spantiks but if you have good circulation then these should be fine for what they are recommend for (winter alpinism and greater range climbing up to 6000m). I think my circulation is average and for most of the climbing I have done with them (alpine north faces in autumn and spring) they have been spot on. Light and dexterous enough for mixed climbing, warm enough for the kind of temperatures you encounter out here and stiff enough to plough up a 1000m of ice without your calves exploding out the back of your trousers.



Eiger N face

Wear



They haven't shown much sign of wear yet. I had a small nick in the orange fabric after their first days use scrambling over sharp granite boulders on my way up to the Carrington/Rouse on the north face of the Pelerins. I though that was going to set the tone for how they were going to fair but that is the only damage they have sustained in the year I have had them which I think is pretty impressive as I have done some long approaches on sharp granite moraine, mixed climbed in Scotland and they have been up six 1000m+ north face routes as well as a load of shorter mixed routes.



Crampon Compatabilty



One issue that I encountered with these boots was getting my crampons to fit. When I first got these boots I had a pair of plastic bailed G14 (older version). I strapped them on and started off up without really paying a huge amount of attention to how they fit. I felt pretty insecure on the first route and it was only on closed inspection when I looked at the set up that I realised the front points were only forward about 5mm or so from the front of the boot as supposed to 25-35mm as I would normally expect. I worked out that it was because the sole unit is really narrow at the front and it doesn't hold the crampon far enough forward. So back to the shop I went for a new pair of crampons (G20s). It was a hungry month after that! So be warned check your crampons on them first.



In an ideal world I would change two things about these boot.



1. I would make them tighter around the heel to combat heel lift. It might just be that I have really skinny heels but some other guy's I know who have them would say the same thing.



2. I would change the lacing system to something more reliable. Its pretty frustrating having your boots come undone on you when your ankle deep in snow, trying to hop about getting them done up again.



All in all they are really great boot, and have definitely become very popular out here in Chamonix and for good reason. After all Ueli Steck was the main man behind the design of these boots and he knows what to look for in a good boot! I'd change a few things like I've said but I'm really happy with them and if I was on market for a pair of winter boots again I'd make the same choice.



Colton/ Macintyre on the Grand Jorasses

Vermont and New Hampshire Landscape From My Window

The landscape is just stunning here. There is green, green and more green everywhere. I found myself snapping like a mad woman today while driving away. I love it here!

Edmunds Headwall and Romance

A pair of climbers took on the Edmunds Headwall last week. They opted for the climbing line after witnessing a fair amount of rockfall off Ptarmigan Ridge and Mowich Face... It seems that the west face of Mt Rainier is melting rather quickly.

On the fun side of things, I found this. It seems that romance for the broken hearted is alive and well on Mt. Rainier. According to Seattle author and dating maven "Breakup Babe" (AKA Rebecca Agiewich,) climbing could be good for your personal life (or not)! Of course, you’d have to read the book to find out how and why. But one fan was compelled enough to carry his copy to the summit. Maybe Ms. Agiewich will send us her Rainier trip reports for public consumption???

The weather looks quite good this weekend; the standard routes seem to be in good climbing shape.

is two!

Two years ago today, I wrote my first blog post, which was no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a beginning. So, now, can I say I'm one of the Old Timers?

It was while lurking on the blogs of those Old Timers, and being inspired by them, that I decided that, hey, I could do that too! And I'm so glad that I did. It's been fun, educational, challenging, and immensely satisfying. For me, one of the best parts of blogging has been making connections, not only with extended family, but with other bloggers and readers. There is a definite sense of community, a sense of belonging to something good, that cannot be surpassed.

In September, as part of the Genea-Blogger Games, I wrote a summary of what kinexxions is all about and just a few days ago reviewed my "best" or favorite posts of last year, so I'm not going to include another list of "favorite" posts here.

Thank you everyone for reading kinexxions, for leaving your comments, for providing help and moral support when needed, for the inspiration, and for the great research tips! It's been an interesting two year journey. It's not over. Hopefully the best is yet to come!

New Beginnings

Earlier this week I finally made it to 12 Channel Street in South Boston - the new home of Royal H. Cycles, Geekhouse Bikes, Hubway Bikeshare and a number of other local bicycle-related ventures.





Organised by the intrepid Marty Walsh of Geekhouse, HQ Boston is a new collective space in an industrial waterfront area dubbed the "Innovation District," and its acquisition has been the talk of the town among bikey people. It is big news. The space is big (24,000 sq ft), the commitment is big (10 year lease), and the scope of the project is big. The move shows there is growth in the local small scale bicycle industry, and implies a collective faith in this growth continuing.






Seeing the venue for the first time - an entire second floor of a warehouse-type building, still mostly open floor space - I was overwhelmed by the sheer blank canvas potential of it. Anything could happen here. Many things will, soon.







All morning long there was energy, movement. Planks scattered, walls going up. Men at work. At the same time it was oddly peaceful for a place with so much going on. The size of the space diffuses the construction noise. The light coming in from the outside casts a soft white glow over the debris.






The floor space occupied by Geekhouse and Royal H has been set up and operational for months.There are beautiful machines, jigs, tools, frames and wheels suspended along the walls.





The presence of the framebuilders is there.





Oh yes.






Walking through the space, I admit to feeling some nostalgia. The new venue lacks the personality of the oldGeekhouse shack in Allstonwith its famous graffiti mural. It lacks the charm of the tiny old Royal H workshop in Somervilleby the railroad tracks, just minutes from my house. There is no small neighbourhood feel here. Huge industrial buildings greeted me as I looked out the window, blocking the view of the Harbor. But even as I thought these things, I knew that it was the sentimentalist in me talking. Any place can become a neighbourhood once filled with neighbours, and the Innovation District is attracting new creative small businesses every day. Murals will be painted in due course. The personality of a space takes time to develop.





This place has the potential for growth and collaboration that was not available to either of the occupants beforehand, and the excitement of this is almost tangible.







The spirit of working together is in the air. Though I came to meet with Bryan of Royal H., I later encountered Shane - the man behind BostonBiker. I've corresponded with Shane in the past and I thought that we'd met before, but obviously we haven't because this was a totally different person. It took me a bit just to wrap my head around that and readjust my mental image of him, but soon we were giddy with talk of joint projects involving Shane's skillz and mine.






But back to the main purpose of my visit: I am working on a new mixte prototype with Royal H. Cycles. I sold the mixte Bryan made for me in to finance this, and although this was difficult I don't regret it. The new collaboration will be my design and Bryan's framebuilding. If the prototype works out and is cost-effective, the idea is that it would become a model available to order. I am not thinking of this as my personal bike and not getting attached to it. Very possibly I will sell the prototype, particularly if we end up having to make another. There is so much to say about what I hope this bicycle will be, but in these early stages I am too nervous and excited to talk about it too much. As far as form, I can say that it will be a low-trail 650B mixte with curved twin lateral stays. Fully lugged, with lots of modified lugwork. As far as function, my hope is to make a bike that will be suitable for both urban and long-distance transportation, including over hilly terrain, optimised for women who ride in their everyday clothing. There are lots of details regarding what this involves in my mind and why, and I look forward to sharing them.






In the meantime, it looks like I will be paying these gentlemen more visits over the summer, which is certainly not a bad thing. It will be wonderful to watch HQ Boston develop. If anyone local is interested in joining, there is space available and rent is cheap. Things are happening in Boston. Here's to new beginnings.

Rough Start to - 3 fatalities

2007 has become a dangerous year at Mount Rainier, even with the roads closed. Since mid-February, there have been three fatalities within the park boundary, a terrible trend as the park prepares to reopen this spring.

The first incident involved a skier who ducked a ropeline at Crystal Mountain Resort for backcountry turns. The intent was to catch fresh tracks down the White River drainage (and into the park). That skier was caught and killed in an avalanche and the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol recovered the body.

The most recent accident involved a married couple who drowned in Ipsut Creek. The pair were crossing a footlog when Annette Blakely slipped, fell, and was quickly swept downstream in the frigid current. Her husband, Robert, immediately shed his backpack and leaped into the stream in an attempt to save her life. Sadly, both were caught in a log jam and drowned.

The News Tribune, Seattle Times, and Seattle PI have been covering the accident and recovery in detail, but a few details have emerged in the stories that are inaccurate. Some are minor, for example, a helicopter did not spot the body from the air. Another, however, is misleading. That is that the footlog to get across the washout was clearly established and marked. Here in this photo, you can see the two foot logs in question. The lower log was the one where the accident occurred, the upper is the preferred log to cross...

An accurate point about all of this is that the park, the roads, and the trail system are in very rough condition. With so much damage, climbers, backpackers, skiers and hikers will need to take extra precautions when visiting this spring and summer. Normally minor incidents in places like Ipsut Creek will be more difficult to respond to and manage.

As for the latest recovery, my thoughts are with the family and friends of the Blakely's. I would also like to thank the Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue team (and the bomb team, the dive team, and the SAR team too) for the outstanding assistance in this incident. In the image above, the field operations leader views the screen of an underwater camera.

Storm Shadow

Stormy is our Miniture Horse and Shetland cross.

The Dunfee Family :: Eliza and Aquilla Hoff

Eliza is presumed to be the daughter of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee. The primary link is the fact that Eliza was living with Jonathan Haslett in Mifflin Twp, Ashland County, Ohio in 1850. We're making the assumption that Jonathan is probably the father of Sophia. Bottom line is that I really don't have any “proof” that Eliza is the daughter of James and Sophia.



Census records put the year of birth for Eliza Dunfee at 1811, 1813, or 1815 and place of birth in Maryland or Pennsylvania. In 1850, she is 39 years old and born in Maryland. In 1860 she is 47 and born in Pennsylvania. And in 1870 she is 55 and born in Pennsylvania. Chances are, her age in 1850 is probably closer to the truth ;-) since she seems to lose a few years with each census.



Eliza married Aquilla Hoff on September 4, 1851 in Ashland County, Ohio as recorded in volume 2, page 70 (license 1134) of Ashland County Marriage Records.





The image above is from the FamilySearch online database of Ohio County Marriages. There seems to be some “confusion” on the part of the clerk that recorded the marriage or the “authority” who performed the ceremony. Under “Names of Parties” it shows that the record is for Aquilla Hoff and Eliza Dunfee. In the far right column, it states that R. D. Emerson is certifying that “on the 4th day of September Eighteen hundred and fifty one I joined in Marriage Mr. George W. Brown and Miss Eliza Dunfee.”



In actuality, it was Eliza Dunfee who married Aquilla Hoff. When the property of Jonathan Hazlett was sold on October 25, 1853, the majority of the items were sold to Aquila Hoff.





Sale Bill from the estate file (#190) of Jonathan Hazlett. Ashland County, Ohio.





The last entry in the above image (a portion of page 299 of the Ashland County Tract Book) shows that Luke Selby, administrator of the estate of Jonathan Hazlett sold in March 1854 the land that had been owned by Jonathan to Aquilla Hoff. The transaction is also recorded in Ashland County Deed Book 10 page 206.



Aquilla Hoff and his wife Eliza, sold that land to Christian Vesper on March 27, 1857 (Ashland County Deed Book 15 pages 162-163).



That was, essentially, all the information I had on Aquilla and Eliza. Until in November .., when I received an email in response to an 11 year old query I had posted on the Hoff Family Genealogy Forum. My correspondent passed along the information that Aquilla and Eliza had moved to LaGrange County, Indiana where she had found them in the 1860 census.



I'm guessing that they probably moved to LaGrange County in the spring of 1857 after they sold the land that had belonged to Jonathan Hazlett. They are listed in the 1860 and 1870 census in Bloomfield Township, LaGrange County, Indiana.



Aquilla Hoff is 45 years old in 1860. He is a farmer with real estate valued at $3000 and a personal estate of $342. He was born in Maryland. Listed in his household was Eliza, age 47 and born in Pennsylvania; Jonathan, age 6 and born in Ohio. Also included was Lucetta Dumbar, 12 years old and born in Indiana.



In 1870, Aqula Hoff is 54 years old. He is still a farmer but has real estate valued at $5000 and a personal estate of $1000. He was born in Maryland. Included in his household were Eliza, now 55 but still stating she was born in Pennsylvania; and Jonathon, who is 16 years old and born in Ohio.



Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff died on August 6, 1876 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Lagrange County, Indiana. There is a memorial for her on Find A Grave. Looking closely at the photo of her gravestone it appears that the word “AGED” is written below the date of death. If so, it might pinpoint her year of birth a little better than the census records.



In the 1880 census, Aquilla Hoff was found in Drum Creek Township, Montgomery County, Kansas. He was 65 years old, retired and born in Maryland. Listed with Aquilla was his son, Jonathan H. Hoff, who was 26 years old, a farmer, and born in Ohio. He gave his father's place of birth as Maryland and that of his mother as Pennsylvania.



According to my correspondent, Aquilla Hoff was born February 15, 1815 in Washington County, Maryland and died June 27, 1883 in LaGrange County, Indiana. However, I suspected that he died in Kansas since that was where he was living in 1880. Turns out, Aquilla really did die in LaGrange County. There is an entry for him in the book “Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920” that was compiled by the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration). It shows that he died in Newbury Township and was 68 years old.



What happened to their son Jonathan H. Hoff? Jonathan does not appear to be in the census records after 1880 (ancestry online index).



I did find a John H. Hoff in Kansas census records, 1900 through 1930, that I think is a likely candidate to be Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza. However, there is a six year discrepancy in their ages.



But, this John H. Hoff has a daughter, his first born child, named Eliza... and his middle name is Hazelet!



See The Dunfee Family :: Are Jonathan H. Hoff and John H. Hoff the same man?



See the Index for previous posts on the Dunfee family.

More ducks

I had to work the garden hotline yesterday and was exhausted by the time I got home. It was a day full of characters, which was interesting but not exactly relaxing. So, no time for new pictures, but here are a few more of the ducks.



My original description of Duckie's top-knot/crest/pouf is here. Basically it's a skull deformity. (But a cute one.)

Here are some views from other angles. Yes, it's very soft! But the capturing nearly gives her a heart attack, so we don't feel it too often.



I mentioned the other day that male ducks like to grab onto the crest for umm, balance, so she'd lost a few feathers. Here is the other female Runner duck, Runt, who's missing a few feathers herself.



Poor dear. Chickens do this too, by the way. Roosters seem to know their business better, though. It's quickly over. Ducks I've observed in the wild don't mess around either.

Our ducks however... well, maybe they need a how-to video. Boss-duck, and especially Tuxedo, sometimes just walk back and forth across the backs of the female ducks. Up and down, circle around, back up, back down, etc. Quacking the whole time but not really, well, doing anything.

Often the female gets tired of waiting I guess, or tired of being stepped on, and manages to escape. Sometimes they are caught again within a few steps, and the process starts all over again.

I'm not sure if all domestic ducks are this way, or just Indian Runner ducks. Or just ours.