Our New Pet Delilah?

A few months ago I really wanted to get a few chickens to raise in our backyard. I was totally on a Chicken Kick. There were articles about them in several magazines at the time, I had a great conversation with a woman working at the Easter Petting Zoo about care and feeding of chickens, and several of the blogs I read were posting about chicks. I saw it all as a sign that I should be raising chickens (never mind the fact that I didn't bother to see if our zoning allows?).

Dear hubby squashed that dream (he is my voice of reason) - despite the wonderful design plans for an enclosed chicken coup/yard I created - he was not impressed.

Much to my delight, 10 days ago, a fine feathered visitor arrived in our yard. NO, it's not a chicken (although rouge farm animals have been known to show up at our neighbors house from time to time)...but a sweet female Duck.

I think she is a bit of a Daffy Duck - I don't know why she chose our yard. We have several regular stray cats around, as well as our own. Not to mention that I'm pretty sure Ducks like water...and here is Arizona, there is not a lot of that around.

She seems to be happy here. She likes to keep cool under the shade of the diving board of our swimming pool (plus it keeps her safe from our feline friends).

She was a little scared at first, and would hop out of the pool as soon as she saw me coming.

She doesn't much like the gravel - I imagine it's a bit hard on her cute little feet. Not to mention very hot (it's been close to 100 degrees lately).

She's been venturing to other parts of the yard - pecking at the bugs and stray bird seed.

She can fly, but so far has chosen to stay. I don't imagine we will be able to keep her forever. I'm sure we will end up enticing her into a carrier and moving her to the nearby golf course, where there are other feathery friends she can play with.

But for now - we are enjoying being Delilah's Care Taker.

If anyone has any tips - I'd love to hear from you.