The Finished Duck Run

It was such a beautiful sunny day yesterday I managed to finish nearly all the last little bits in the duck run. I painted their house, I just have one more side to go but ran out of time. The whole time I was painting naughty Carue our male duck pecked away at my ankles making it all much harder than it should have been. I just ignore him and carry on and I can see the annoyance on his little face I don't react! As I have said before we drove a 100 mile round trip to a farm to pick him when he was two weeks old. We had hatched one solitary duckling and wanted a companion for her. We rang around duck sellers and eventually found a farmer who said we could have a male call duckling as he had hatched too many and if we didn't take him he would have his neck rung anyway. I sometimes wonder whether a hatred of people developed in those first two weeks as he has never liked us despite all our salad treats! Scoot however who spent her first two weeks in our house and having a daily swim in the bath, loves being carried about and having her neck scratched. Carue looks so cute though waddling about we forgive him anything (almost!).

Even Scoot let me down when I was trying to film her enjoying a swim on such a lovely sunny day!

Although she really does enjoy her swimming. Our next job, now we have a bigger run, is to try and find her a bigger pool. She would love it.

This morning is a horrible comparison to yesterday, cold and wet with a forecast of heavy winds. I spent yesterday evening before it went dark checking the run and greenhouse were as weighted down as they could be. The last thing we want is it blowing away! All my planted seeds are back in the greenhouse so fingers crossed it's not too bad. I'm off to do my Dad's shopping today so I hope the rain isn't too heavy as queuing outside shops in the rain isn't much fun! I hope the coming storms are not too bad for everyone and you all manage to stay safe and enjoy your day. xx

Old Friends

 We finally finished the duck run yesterday evening. It was not the best day as by the time lunch time came it poured and poured. We were soaked through and very cold. I spent an hour as it was going dark checking every corner and edge of the run. It was as safe as I thought we could possibly get it. It certainly looks a bit like Fort Knox rather than a garden duck run but I have plans for honeysuckle growing up the edges which will hopefully make it a bit more attractive. It's quite exciting to start planning planting in a new area. I'll take some photos this weekend, even though at the moment it simply resembles a mud filled farmyard!

I spent yesterday evening chatting with an old school friend of mine. A group of us from school have been talking about having a reunion in September this year to mark 50 years since we all started together at secondary school! Where did that time go to! We even have acquired a teacher in our group. Not just any teacher but one that would regularly throw black board rubbers or chalk at us (Depending on how bad the misdemeanour!) It was his first job as a young 23 year old newly qualified teacher and to be honest he was a bit of a bully. Now as a man only 12 years older than us, all of a sudden he is on our level, although it was a battle for all of us not to call him "Sir". I wonder some days whether he feels a bit embarrassed about the way he treated us, particularly the boys, who some days were put through hell. None of us hold grudges as we're not really that kind of people, not even the naughty boy of the group who was regularly beaten by him, they were different days, but I can't help but wonder how he feels. It has been a strange shift in balances.

The main topic of conversation between my friend and I though was that we think we have found an address for a very close friend of ours. Four of us went everywhere together, we were so close and then in the few years after we left school we drifted apart. How wonderful it would be if we were back together again. We chatted all evening about those happy days and how wonderful it would be. I'm going to write the letter this weekend. If this pandemic has taught me anything it's not to waste time, to spend time with special people is so important. 

No time for rest today, Scarlett will be here at 7.30 so a busy day ahead but much more fun than standing in the mud and rain battling with chicken wire! I hope everyone has a lovely day whatever your plans. xx

The Ducks Are In The Dining Room

 Oh well! After working from 9.30 to darkness I'm afraid to say the duck run wasn't finished. The paving slabs were all levelled. The framework went together quite easily but the chicken wire was hopeless. I kept saying as we were attaching it. "The foxes are going to laugh at us when they see this wire!" We might as well just have said "Foxes come and get your dinner!" At the end of the day it just wasn't safe enough.  I'm not giving up. I read somewhere when you are thinking about foxes you must remember they have the agility of a cat and the strength of a dog. I will check every corner of the run to secure it somehow before the ducks go back in so we have another busy day ahead of us. I really love our garden foxes but I know they are wild animals. The vixen is probably pregnant now, which will make her even more determined to care for her young by providing food. We don't want our ducks part of that food! 

The ducks however are blissfully unaware of all these problems and are perfectly happy in the warm in the dining room! I think they have quite enjoyed their day yesterday, a bit of a change of scene!

I'm off outside again now. I really wish I could sit with a cup of coffee and look through some blogs but not this morning again. I hope everyone has a lovely day and it's a bit more restful than mine is set to be! xx