For the last several months, I’ve been puzzling over what could be wrong with my shallots. I planted two beds worth in the fall, which I’ve done for several years. Last spring’s crop was stunning – dark green tops standing straight up, with a profusion of golden bulbs popping out of the dirt. This year, not so much. They look flattened, and somewhat miserable. I did everything I could think of – I mulched, I un-mulched, I altered the amount of water they were getting, I took a look at the soil, but nothing worked – the more I worried, the flatter they got. Today, while I was pruning tomatoes, I finally figured it out. Shallots and 86-pounds of napping German Shepherd don’t go well together.

Ceri wasn’t the only beast out crushing plants in her free time – Cinnabun decided she needed a break from the kids. I found her relaxing in my mint bed, atop no less than three different types of mints I dry and use for tea. Apparently she got fed up after being locked in with her eight little ones for so long, so she put her thunderous paws up against the door and shoved with all the might a cooped-up new mama can summon. After spotting her in the garden, I went in the Bunny Ranch, and sure enough, her cage doors were blown wide open. At least the little ones stayed inside. By the time I got back to her, she’d moved over to lounge in Harvey’s favorite sunny spot, right next to Harvey. I’m fairly certain we’re going to have more bunnies in about 28 days. Sigh.

In drama-free news, the 8 Pekin ducks made the transition from the garage brooding facility to the Duck Mansion. They are loving their new freedom, as they have full range of the pasture and yard, but they adore the deep pond even more. I know ducks love water, but these ducks LOVE water. Six hours they spent zooming around the pond, splashing and hooting and hollering. I was amazed to see them finally exploring the grass and daisy patches this afternoon. I was worried they’d forgotten how to walk.