It’s been a
week and a half since I frogmarched Mike to market so I could buy some ducks to
fill the pond. We visited our duck and hen breeder who we have been buying from
since 2007 and he always has a kind word and asks with interest about our French
experience and is genuinely glad to hear we are happy and settled in France. I let
him know swanny had passed over and he commented that at least now we can go in
the pond area, such was swanny’s reputation that even the hen breeder knew of
his antics. So I asked for three female
and one male duck and he plunged his hand into the cage and grabbed, in no
uncertain terms, what he promised were
trois fille et un garcon, I even asked him to make sure and he reluctantly had
a look and assured us we had what we had asked for. Remembering however, that my four baby hens ended up being a mixed coup with one extra cockerel and one less egg layer, but hey ho, we are obliged to put our trust in this man, who then , threw my darling little ducks in the box,
turned the box upside down and punched an air hole with his knife leaving me padding
about like a quacking mother duck complaining
at his rough handling. I grabbed my 16 Euro worth of traumatised, but cute
duckiewucks and headed home
As always,
I mentioned to Mike that the Babies will need a new home and in his wonderful
way he revamped the old duck house into
a comfy house for four and I am hoping that we can train them to go to the
house to lay their eggs. Now that we can use the pond area collecting eggs will
be less of a life threatening event and duck egg breakfast is no longer a
dream.
Mike and I
went to the local vintage car show and spent an interesting morning pottering down memory lane and I could sense
that Mike would really like to own a little
honey like this, to care for, and take out, on a Sunday afternoon, he has
been on the bon coin ever since our little outing showing me everything that is available …mmmmmmmm
We are
making a real habit of sleeping on other people’s drives, and this has to be
the grandest to date. We were invited to
a 30’s theme dinner with Ray and Marianne and we turned up dressed like lord
and lady Bracknell with dog in garage, had a wonderfully long evening in palatial
surroundings eating and drinking to our hearts delight, then all
we had to do, was throw ourselves to bed and sleep, sober up, and go home safety
in the morning. ….. wonderful……
Our good
friends Ron and Pauline came to visit on their annual Spanish camper holiday
and stopped off to see us on their way home. Their camper has parked on our
drive every year since we have been here and we always look forward to sitting
at table and catching up with their news. In March this year we camped on their
drive so we have set the scene for years to come and looking forward to our
next camper fest
HOSS is so
used to having this camper on his drive that he let Ron and Pauline drive
through the gate while we were out and then promptly felt he had the right to
get in and make himself at home. He is a softy when it comes to campers and if
I say… get in the camper… he is at the door before you can say …..only joking…..
Mike and I
have been in and out of the pond area clearing up and have now decided to turn
on the fountain again. We are still not sure about the water quality but can’t
see how it would be polluted as the top well is good and the water level is so low
in the pond that we need the well water to top it up. Mike usually has to don
his waders to go to the fountain but as there is so little water he donned his wellies
and cleaned the fountain head which sent the duckywucks scooting off for the
undergrowth until they got brave and then came out to play
And
finally, all is cute on the pond, the old Duck has now accepted the young interlopers
and is not quacking them off at feed time. By now, ten days later she is
showing them the way to go, and they are an entertaining clutch on the water
keeping me clucking around them. They
now come waddling or paddling up to see
us when we go past, and I know I am a
softy but I like waddling and paddling duckiwucks, they make me laugh…….
No comments:
Post a Comment