Alfalfa looking out for his best friend? Or a security blanket named Monkey?

Alfalfa hanging out with me on the patio by the Lake.  He's leaning a little to the right to take pressure off of his left foot which he injured.  Not exactly sure how, but suspect he slipped getting out of his pool.  Maybe he is related to the AFLAC duck!

Alfalfa either sees or hears something above.

 Here's what happens behind the scenes...Alfalfa lately will not follow me to the patio unless we invite Monkey also.

Is Alfalfa's Monkey his BFF?

Kind of reminds me of Kermit and Miss Piggy.

Alfalfa in the Lake :)

My daughter was successful in getting Alfalfa into the Lake by standing in the lake with waders on and either coaxing him into the water or picking Alfalfa up and putting him in the water.  However, Alfalfa still is not really interested in interacting with other ducks and Alfalfa rarely will give any eye contact to any ducks or geese although he's aware of their presence.  After all, in order to ignore and not look at someone you have to know where they are and where not to look.  :)

Alfalfa swimming ever so close to my daughter who is standing in the lake with waders on.

The important thing is that Alfalfa is still in the water.

Notice that Alfalfa has not turned around to face other ducks in the lake.

We're pleased that he likes to drink from the lake and look for food in the lake.  Yeah!

Oh.  He's turned away from the wall.  Maybe he's casually checking to see what the other ducks are doing?

Four baby mallards came over to check things out and Alfalfa is not leaving his post.

Alfalfa puts his head on our lap when he wants some help/sympathy

Seems not to mind being in the lake..... as long as he's close to my daughter.

Funny, Alfalfa normally isn't THAT close to any of us.  :)

Once again, Alfalfa won't acknowledge the Call Ducks.  He doesn't seem to realize that his behavior towards them only encourages them to pick on him :(

Huh.  All the Call Ducks are seeing is the back of Alfalfa's head and his tail feathers.

Alfalfa got his wish, I guess.  The Call Ducks eventually got bored and left.  You can lead a duck to water.......

He's so not interested in checking out his natural habitat

We were trying to introduce Alfalfa to the lake water in hopes that he'll eventually prefer the much larger lake over his kiddie pool.  No such luck!  He could not be coerced into getting any more than his feet wet.  Notice his back is to the lake?   We'll keep trying!

        

Peeking from behind the bench

This is Alfalfa's favorite place to stay while I sit on the bench next to the lake.  He hides from the other ducks and geese, peeking from behind the bench.  We're convinced that Alfalfa does not know he is a duck.

A happy dance by Alfalfa?

Alfalfa still peeps when I walk away from him when we're outside.  He's OK when he's inside because he still has his stuffed monkey :)  While I was in the house getting my camera, Alfalfa jumped onto our stone wall next to my daughter.  He'd never done that so I snapped a pic of him as I got to the last step.  By the time my camera focused for a second pic Alfalfa was on the ground peeping at me.  Glad I got my picture!

When my husband saw the picture he asked why Alfalfa looked so happy.  My daughter said Alfalfa was all excited to see me.  So, I guess that makes this pic his happy dance.

 

Can ducks be photogenic?

So cute!

Mmmmm Water!

I've got my eye on you.

Looks like fun!

Compare 5 week old Alfalfa and Monkey to their first days

Above, Alfalfa is 2 days old next to his monkey. Below, he is one day from  being 5 weeks old, next to the same monkey

Above, 3 days old & resting on monkey.  And, below, again, one day from being 5 weeks old (on 6/24/12)

Above, 5 days old with his monkey protecting him and below just shy of 5 weeks old and we're not sure who does the protecting.  Probably... A Duck And His Best Friend.