UPDATE: The winner is…Pansy Petal!
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It’s Saturday after the first full week the kids have been out of school. Not much happening for me other than swimming, editing, and cleaning. The kids and my dd have had their hands full.
If you saw the video of the ducks being released to the pond recently, that did not last long. We lost two ducks that first night, so it was back to the chicken pen for the rest. The poor things followed my SIL like he was the Pied Piper all the way back to the enclosure because they were so stressed out. So, we filled a kiddy pool for them and they’re perfectly happy. We have 4 ducks now. My daughter got the idea of adding geese to the mix because they are larger and more intimidating, and if they like the ducks, they’ll defend them. We have 3. Maybe, one day, we can try the pond again. But in the meantime, we have baby geese and they are smellier and ugly. Gah, we really do have a menagerie.
My dd put lawn chairs in the chicken pen and they sit out there in the evenings petting the fowl and watching them. I think it’s a bit weird, but then, they think my hermit-like existence when I’m in work-mode is a bit weird, too.
Yesterday, I spotted this beside the fence surrounding the pool. Ignore my weedy grass! We live in the country, and nicely manicured lawns are stupid here.
I’m not sure what kind of snake it was. The thought that a shed skin could be that big and that close to the pool was a tad disturbing. I did have a snake slip over the side of the pool once when I was swimming. I’ve never climbed out that quickly.
And the fact that those two pictures were worthy of sharing with you tells you how peaceful and uneventful it’s been. I do love my life. The past couple of days, the 14-year-old has been helping me with cleaning and organizing my art room. I have 1980s square industrial tile on the floor. It gets gross and dull. She cleaned it and waxed it yesterday for me. I like the old tile. It’s utilitarian, and it doesn’t break my heart when I drop paint on the floor that dries and is there forever. The 9-year-old’s rabbit had been outside during the nice Spring weather, but now that temperatures are approaching the 90s, he’s back in his indoor cage—on my art room floor. I bought a big rubber pad and paper puppy pads to put under it to try to save the wax. The 14-year-old has been doing a slew of special chores for me because she wants a betta fish (like my Loki) with tank, etc., so she’s been looking for little jobs to save up. She’s almost there—and then we’ll be adding to our menagerie.
Puzzle-Contest
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, give me some suggestions about what to do with the geese and ducks. Have fun with it. Even silly ideas count!
And isn’t this painting lovely? I’ll have to try something like this. I love the texture!
Open Contests
- Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Along came an exo-whatsit? — Win an Amazon gift card!
- Word Puzzle: Possible Boys Behaving Badly Themes — Win an Amazon gift card!
- A Poll! Help me choose the next BOYS BEHAVING BADLY theme! — Win an Amazon gift card!
- Gabbi Grey: Being one of the cool kids (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
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Once upon a time, a long time ago, in another place and time, my family also had a menagerie that included a couple of ducks and geese. Now the chickens had their own house with a nice fenced run. The pigs had their pen, and the bunnies their hutches. The cats rules the barn and kept the vermin down. The dog, well she was a boarder collie so she pretty much herded anything that would let her. But the ducks and geese, they kind of ran wild all over the place. We called the geese our guard geese because they tended to be anti-social and didn’t like strange vehicles coming into the yard. They tended to be a bit mean. But mom wanted them, so we tolerated them. There was no pond on the property, so there were aluminum tubs scattered around for them. And an old horse trough. But their favorite place seemed to be the bucket kept under the spigot for the dog. One goose could barely fit in it, but their it would be, keeping the dog from getting a drink. (Yes, we also had another water dish for her in the barn.) It was the funniest sight. Mom did finally have enough of these beasts and passed them on to someone else, in the meantime, they tended to rule the yard. They didn’t bother me too much, because I fed them, but my sibs . . . They got chased around the yard. Beware. The sweet fluffy little chicks grow up. Bottom line, they didn’t really need a pond. Any body of water, no matter how small, worked just fine. The pool is fenced? Yes?
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The only experience I have had with ducks are occasionally a pair of wild ones from the lake nearby fly into our yard and hang out in our pool in the springtime. It was cute for a while until they kept pooping in it… now we keep a cover on it till late spring… they moved on to someone else’s pool…
A kiddie pool sound great to me for them.
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4:47
Love seeing the brush work in this, Delilah!
As for the ducks and geese, they look so cute when they’re little! Do they grow up to be domesticated if they grow up with you? I’m only familiar a little with the geese that live in one of the nearby cities–they have made themselves at home, and poop all over the parks and walkways, which is kind of unappealing, and they aren’t afraid of people, so they can be a bit intimidating!
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Lots of fun pictures of the ducks and geese in different unusual settings. Also farmer pictures with them following family walking. I have one of my uncle with all the farm animals following him and they were in size from smallest to largest, baby chicks to cows and horse. It was a natural photo when he was walking to the barn to feed the animals and they all followed.
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My neighbors had ducks a few years back & my Granddaughter lived to walk over & feed them. That’s about all my experience with ducks. And, I have absolutely none with geese…except I’ve always stayed clear of them so I wasn’t in their line of fire if they got angry. As for the snake skin….I’d be hiding in the house…I just don’t like snakes!!
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I happened to see this video today – “8 Reasons to have Ducks” – it’s from Instagram, but I also messaged it to you on FB – https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr1wHJKpMyN/
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They are so cute! Use them as inspiration or comedy gold every day.
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Geese make great guards, very noisy. The ducks are just cute and fun. Not sure what you would do with them.
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watch movies together
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Throw them a party.
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I have aways been a city girl. Never even known or visited someone with a farm. I wouldn’t have any idea what to do with them. I would proably run if they ever decided to run to me. The snake skin! That would have me staying indoors. I do not do snake.
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LOL. Glad you enjoyed the challenge, ladies!
The winner—for all her effort—is Pansy Petal!