There was a moment last week when it looked like rain – and the members of The Great Urban Ark got quite excited. 

The Ark's Indian Runner Ducks.

We raced around bringing in laundry and shutting windows and ensuring dog buckets were strategically placed. It was with slightly less enthusiasm that we rehung, reopened and refilled from the tank some five minutes later.

Things are so dry at the Ark the ducks’ paddling pool has dried up.  Now I know that for those of you on real farms this is nothing – but tell it to Scooter and Quackers who are most upset with the current state of affairs. 

I walked around the side of the house recently to find them standing in the empty pond, quacking loudly – and I would bet a month’s salary the translation would have been along the lines of “what the heck is going on here?  The service around here has really gone to the dogs.”  The slobradogs would dispute this by pointing out that their water buckets are not as full as they once were either. 

We even have to water the Pink Gumboot Garden from the house supply of water – as the garden tanks are pretty much empty. But we’re getting off lightly compared to those of you with farms to run – and I do hope we see some rain very soon.

Meanwhile Quackers has settled in to her new home reasonably well – although The Henny Penny Gang was not as welcoming as we would have liked. I don’t know how they know she’s not the duck they used to see – but they do. 

They have a nasty habit of ambushing her and on one occasion I fear the results would have been dramatic had The Man of the  House not intervened when he did. 

On a brighter note, while she’s not prepared to be hand fed she does now realise the appearance of a person with a slice of bread means she will get a treat so no longer runs away the minute she sees one.

Being in full clean up mode we have been looking at the trees on the section and the decision was made to chop down the two silver birches that were planted right in front of the Ark. 

For about two months of the year these trees look beautiful and do provide some privacy.  The rest of the year they just provide mess. Having the little seed pods everywhere – including in the toothpaste – is bad enough but when Master 11 got one in his eye we knew the trees were on borrowed time. 

Last weekend TMoTH got that look in his eye that only a man thinking of using a chainsaw can get and the job was underway.  Preferring to work alone he suggested the rest of us go about our business elsewhere  – which Miss 9, her visiting grandmother and I took to be permission to go shopping.  Mid way through a text message arrived stating somewhat cryptically that there was a problem with a tree. 

Telling myself this was not a euphemism for “it’s fallen on me”, I enquired as to the nature of the problem and was asked to phone home. I’m happy to say the problem had nothing to do with being trapped under a tree and everything to do with the chainsaw being stuck and the tree in question leaning the wrong way. 

When asked to define ‘wrong way’ TMoTH admitted our exterior stairs were in definite danger. 

The three generations of women drove home as fast as legally possible all avoiding the topic of what would happen if the tree decided to topple.  We arrived to find one tree on the lawn and the other creaking ominously as it champed down on the chainsaw. 

Some quick discussion, a barked order to The Offspring to take all pets indoors and to stay there, and a hunt on the boat for an anchor later and we were set to remedy the situation. TMoTH threw the anchor over a branch, Grandma and I grabbed the rope and pulled. He grabbed the chainsaw, gave the tree a shove and down she came – in the right direction. 

Of course we now have trees laying on our lawns waiting to be turned into firewood – something the ducks are in no rush to see happen. They seem to be amusing themselves hiding under various branches and keeping away from THPG. Heaven only knows what mayhem will erupt when their hidey hole is stacked neatly in the carport.

Until next month, stay safe, stay well, stay happy.