I was wrong about the mallards prefering the pool over the flooded yard.  Spotted them when I came back from sprucing up the guest house this morning and snapped this with my cellphone.

Our bottlebrush trees have started blooming.  They are SO pretty!

Tilly "helped" me over at the guest house this morning, and now is hanging out in her doghouse out back.  This afternoon, when I get back from the gym, she can spend time inside with me.  But mornings she's in & out, and in & out, and in & out. I can't keep walking her every 5 minutes, but sometimes when I get tired of musical chairs and don't let her out she's rewarded me with a puddle.  She doesn't seem at all unhappy out back, 'surveying her acres'.

I let the water go right on time this morning, at 5:00, but around 10:00 Tom noticed it had started backing up to our property so he had to open up our gates again to keep from overflowing.  I immediately called Terry (the zanjero) and he came right over to figure out where the problem is originating.  It's often 'something' with irrigation, and we certainly got a very thorough watering this time; the water is onto the cement and practically to the back door!  It's also leaked out under the front yard walls onto the driveway (so it's a good thing I just swept it this morning.)