I have written hundred of blogs, all with amazing photographs, keeping you up to date with my life. However these fantastic brain blogs, never ever make it to the real blog. I get frustrated, cross and even very upset with myself and then sulk and don’t bother – what am I like.
But I thought I would have a go today ...
I have so much to share, lots to share, but please do not hold you breathe, you all now know what I am like, a pretty crappy blog poster –opps.
My duck story,
Once upon a time, in Hamble-le-Rice, the village, where I was born and I have returned to several times in the past, for the first 40 years of my life. The last time of living there, I got some ducks, Poppy was just 2, she loved those ducks and would sit with them and cuddle them and they would sit between her chubby legs and be stroked and chatted too by this little girl who was struggling with severe epilepsy.
However one summer night, a fox, came and killed our ducks. They all had puncture marks in their necks, oh those poor ducks. Now these ducks did not go to waste, I tied and boxed them up and promptly took them to our local butcher, who plucked, prepared and sold them. I later heard that they were extremely succulent and had been enjoyed by other villagers. All I asked was for the feathers. I still have those feathers in my loft; they may just come in useful for something, sometime.
This was all 14 years ago, now bringing the story up to date ...
Approximately a month ago, I went on my first Gardeners Club coach trip, to the Malvern Autumn Show. The weather was superb, the right sort of warm, the ground was dry and this all helped to make everybody relaxed.
I spent a lovely day, looking round the large livestock, which included two Bearded Collies (same breed as my Hannah, but from a different part of the country). There was the biggest vegetable show/competition marquee I have ever seen. A big shed with beautiful flower arrangements and more vegetables. Craft tents by the dozen, flower sellers, clothes sellers, you name it for a country fair it was all there.
Including ducks, beautiful ducks and especially two Indian Runner ducks (1 x drake and 1x female), I bought them, £50.00 for the pair. I bought them at the end of the day, and then slowly walked back to my coach.
The coach driver, looked at me, looked at my box and at first said “they will have to go in the hold”, “ok, I said as long as they are boxed in and breathe, this is not a problem”, but he then changed his mind and said “do you have a spare seat next to you? “I said I can move and then I will”. So that is what I did, I sat the box on my jumper (you know just in case, didn’t want the seat to get damp!)
The ducks were beautifully behaved and sat quiet for the whole journey home. My friends and other members of the club thought I was barmy and laughed but all agreed they were lovely ducks.
Now the next bit, Noel and I had talked about getting ducks this decision took a few years (Noel takes his time over this sort of thing, I did not bring the subject up again. He would do, every now and again and then out of the blue, he said "do you want to get some ducks then"?
Noel did not know I was going for ducks, to be honest, it never occurred to me to buy ducks; I just saw them, fell in love with them and bought them. Now picture this, I am stood at the front door, knocking, my hands laden with ducks and other goodies. Noel opens the door, proceeds to ask all about my day, as I am walking through the house, to the garden. I am now stood by the conservatory door, as Noel then asks “what is in the box?” and by magic a ‘bill’ pops out of the hole. Noel, “that will be a duck then”, me “two actually”.
As it was chicken bed time, we took the ducks out to the chicken house and put them to bed, stood around for quite a while, but everything was very quiet and stayed quiet.
Noel, “I have always wanted a pond, so I had better dig one, now.”
All four ducks get on really well, and 8/9 chickens do too, we just have one chicken, hatched on St. Valentine’s Day, who we call the sister, she will not let one of the little ducks to bed until she is ready. However the drake is very good and just waits with this little duck until the ‘sister’ settles down and then he escorts her in to the house, how sweet is that.
This weekend saw the completion of the duck pond; we bought a plastic mould for the shape. Noel dug the hole, layered it with 5cm of fine sand, trapping a layer of woven webbing round the outside of the pond, so that we could place large pebbles around the pond, without the pebbles disappearing into mud over time.
Above : My husband in the pond! Below : The start of the water!
On Sunday afternoon, which was dry and very sunny, I dragged my very embarrassed husband and daughter to a posh, tree lined street in Old Town, where we gathered, Poppy sweeping and Noel and I picking up, a large estate car’s. Now imagine trying to shut the boot and car doors with huge bags of leaves popping out all over the place, we had fits of giggles while trying to do this. The whole process took just 7 minutes of sweeping/collecting leaves; I have never seen my family work so fast, I must remember ‘embarrassment’ works a treat. We then managed to lift the bags above our heads to wobble through the over packed garage, to get the leaves into the back garden, we then used the dry leaves to spread all over the chicken/duck area of the garden as it was becoming very thick with sloppy mud. It has worked a treat and we were all really pleased with the effort.
After a week the leaves have now bedded down, so I really need to go and collect another layer, which will then last for most of the winter.
We filled the pond from the water butt, we didn’t have quite enough to fill it to the top, but this has also given the chickens, including the younger ones time to get use to having the pond in their area. It took the ducks 48 hours before they used it and when they were brave enough to get in, the racket of excitement was just thrilling to listen to, worth all the hard work, especially Noel’s. This week it has rained some more, so hopefully, even with Noel away, we can find the time to attach the hose and fill the pond to the top.
Happy ducks, swimming and drinking from their new pond.
Wishing them a very happy ending!
