Meet the Newest Member of the 1-800-Bakery.com Family

While doing some routine cleanup behind La Patisserie yesterday, we were surprised to find that someone had taken up residence in the small patch of land outside our back door.

We haven't given her a name yet, but she's the mother to 10 healthy looking eggs, and she's become quite the source of fascination for everyone here.

It's unusual for a duck to nest in an area like this. The closest body of water is a very small river that's across two parking lots. On the plus side, stray dogs are rare in town, so the only enemies she needs to worry about are a handful of squirrels and curious middle school students who cut through the parking lot on their way home.

She's shown no interest in the potato chips that someone offered her, but she has been wolfing down any bit of La Patisserie bread that we offer (a sure sign that she's a duck of excellent taste!).

This second shot shows just how close she is to the kitchen entrance at the bakery. She's about halfway between the bakery and the sidewalk that runs in front of the parking lot. Despite the tall weeds being gone, she's still camoflauged enough that most of the people who walk by don't notice her.

We don't know how long she's been there, or when her eggs will hatch. If anyone out there wants to supply us with some information on the care and feeding of ducks, I'll share it with the bakery staff.

In the meantime, we're all keeping an eye on her and making sure she's not disturbed. I'll keep you up to date on any developments, which I hope will include adorable pictures of duckings.