Only a mother...

...could love an offspring looking like this. I always smile when I see baby coots, they really are the most unfortunate looking chicks, not sure how old this one is, but he was motoring around in the reeds forever looking to be fed by mum and dad who were sharing the job.

The house seems strangely quiet this afternoon, there has been so much chatter and laughs over the past few weeks with Norene and Heatherbelle staying...it will take awhile to adjust.