Duck update and PUPPIES!!!

It's been a VERY hectic week. We now have 2 litters of chihuahua puppies! It's been happy/sad for me. I lost one and have been working to save my littlest guy. I'm crossing my fingers, so far so good. He seems to be getting a bit stronger. I am getting up several times a night to feed him and also supplement him throughout the day. Mostly I'm doing "puppy, puppy, puppy"!
I have managed to fit in a bit of work on my art. I've added some darkness to the water, but I just can not get the color right on the computer. It looks too yellow and dull. It has a bit more life to it. Computers are wonderful things, but... I'm also working on another landscape miniature and hope to complete that tomorrow.

Here is the finished hen mallard...


I hope you enjoy seeing my babies. I absolutely love to have these puppies, even with all the work, heartache, and sleepless nights. They are little miracles to me.
This is the tiny fellow...
I show him with a quarter so you can hopefully get an idea of just how tiny he is.






Here's daddy. The baby by birth weight is weighing in to be a lb. smaller than his daddy, who is a bit less than 3.5 lbs!

Here are the two mamas. Both are good mamas, but poor Pooka seems to me to know her baby is having troubles, so she is more protective (with me) and seems to be "worried". I hope that is soon in the past. Widget, the black mama is protective with strangers, but not nasty, just very "on top of things". Otherwise she is laid back and relaxed with her babies. They are eating so well they even have chubby legs!

Ducklings, Ducklings, Turtles and More!

WOW- What a gorgeous day I had Wed.! The weather was spectacular, the sights at Como even better! I went intending to try and find the ducklings- hardly was out of the car when I saw the cutest little boy with a HUGE hat playing in the dirt. Couldn't get to the camera quick enough so missed that shot but got a wonderful one of his "dandelion for mom". Would have loved to just follow him around the lake! But I was there for a purpose- ducklings, so... Ducklings I got! I can't believe the lovely shots I got- what fun they will be to paint. I even splurged and got some enlarged just to put up in my studio to enjoy when next winter hits! As always-turtles galore as well. They are so fun to watch, but so wary. You can't get too close- they're gone, ker-splash!
I had hoped to go out again yesterday in another direction but my back and leg just wouldn't let me. Perhaps next week. If so, I'll be glad I waited! This is the most beautiful time of year and so short.