Now that September is over, I wonder what my home life will be.  I became part of the family in the summer, so season changes are new to me.  This is what my summer home life was like.

Hot days require cool water for ducks.  My humans agree, so we spend much time in the swimming pool.  Here I am swimming alone;

Zeb swimming

sometimes I swim with human friends and with my duck relatives.  A distant relative duck was swimming,

Distant relative swimming

before the human swimmers arrived.   I did my part to keep this duck out of the pool.  Sometimes I lounge under this palm tree.

Palm tree in Colorado

Humans need food and cold beverages on hot days, so we have both available for us and for guests.  Very convenient!  Floating on rafts, swimming with help from foam noodles treading water while visiting with friends, or harder exercise swimming is a favorite way for my humans to spend hot summer days.  I, of course, join in and am usually the star of the day.

To conserve energy and money, we have solar panels on the roof to heat the pool.  Works well and keeps my humans happier.  For all our pool needs and questions, we see Peg at Marina Pools and Spas in Lakewood, Colorado.  Our pool owner friends love her too.   Visit her at www.marinapoolspaandpatio.com

Our garden certainly is no a farm, but it is large for a city garden.  We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini,

Zucchini Plant

parsley and bell peppers of various colors.  These were purchased as small plants.  We also planted green beans, purple string beans, beets and radishes from seed.  The raspberries and strawberries come back each year.  The humans say corn takes too much space, so corn was purchased from various farm stands.  Picking and eating fresh vegetables were enjoyable, but hours of weeding were not what I expected.  Hot, back breaking labor.  This duck is anxious to get back to the pool.  I, of course, am willing to pose for photos as the garden progresses.  I am in the raspberry plant, next to some of the first raspberries.

Fresh raspberries

A rather prickly situation.  After this picture, we sampled a few.  Very good!!  Gardening in the Denver area is a challenge, since this is a semi arid climate and gardens, especially the raspberries, require a lot of water.  We use straw and grass clippings as a mulch to retain water and discourage weed growth.  Here I am in a tomato plant.

I’m in a tomato plant

Don’t leave me here!!

In my backyard, there are small cracks in the cement between flagstone.  Marigold seeds get in the cracks and soon the marigolds take over.

Lots of marigolds.

They are much taller then I am.

Marigold invasion

Remember where I am mom!!

This is my Colorado home, and I love it, but I also love seeing new places and having new experiences.  My fellow Colorado Traveling Ducks and I will show you travel from the duck’s point of view.  Please keep reading and commenting on this blog.  Thanks.  See you again soon.