Ducks and rows

Anne McAllister has a post about getting all her doucks in a row and getting her book finished.

I had to laugh as my ducks are seldom in a row. they tend move far more as a phalanx. Last night, it was total confusion. The ducklings had decided to stay up late, and then panicked as I went to put htem away. They ended up getting mixed up with the older ducks. Eventually, I shut the duck pen and left them to it as I fed the dogs. Ducklings are unreliable and apt to panic, forgetting where their duck house is and rushing from one place to another, totally ignoring the duck house.
When I came back, the last of the ducklings were disappearing into their duck house, having eventually calmed down... and I was able to shut their door. But because I had not brought the dogs out, the big ducks refused to go to bed. they went into the house, and came out again, round and round the duck house we went until one decided that flying through the netting and going into the Dene was a good idea. I retreated, got the dogs, and then they were perfectly behaved.

My advice therefore is if you want to get your ducks in a row -- use older ducks and make sure you have a dog stationed near by.

In other news: my wip is going slowly, but it is moving ahead. I did some plotting yesterday and now know far more what happens in the middle bit. This in theory should make everything go faster. For the moment, my ducks are scattered and not in a row or even a phalanx.