A Belated Tale

I must preface today's post with an apology.
The story that I am about to tell you is one that I have withheld...
for months.


I try to keep this blog a happy place...
one where we can escape the trials and tribulations of the real world...
one where you can come each day for a smile.


And yet, chronicling life on the farm lends itself to occasional sadness.
So, in order to keep it real... I am sharing some bad news with you today.


After seeing some of our pond ducks in yesterday's post,
a few of you had questions regarding our fawn and white Indian runner ducks...
the Nervous Nellies.
They played a prominent roll in barn life at the end of the summer.


Sadly, we lost our Nellies this past fall.
It was a busy weekend with guests on the farm.
The Nellies' stall door was inadvertently left open one night during closing-up chores.
The next morning we arrived at the barn to find the Nellies missing...
all three of them.


As you can imagine, we were over-come with sadness.
I didn't have the heart to tell you all.
And yet, I knew that I would have to, one day.

Predators are a real part of farm life.


We try our best to protect our animals.
When we lose an animal, we feel great sadness.
When we lose one due to human error... we feel even worse.


The wild world seems cruel, and yet, I believe that it is less cruel than the human world.
Animals hunt in order to eat.
There is a cycle to life in the wild.
And there is a fierce beauty to it.

We strive to keep our animals out of that cycle, however.
At times we fail.
And that is the hardest part of life on the farm.


The good news is...
I have ordered new Nellies... ducklings....
that we will raise from tiny to adult.
Perhaps they will be less nervous.
Perhaps not.



I suppose I would be nervous too, if I ran around in pants with the crotch below my knees and my hands in my pockets.... and had no ability to fly to safety... and no inclination towards swimming.
Somehow, it seems like a design flaw.

As for the rest of the ducks... they made it through the winter with relative ease...
except for one wing frozen fast to the ice (a story with a brave hero and a happy ending).


On a lighter note...
the bramble at the edge of the woods is starting to leaf.
It's a sure sign that spring is actually here.
Even if you can't tell by the weather!

Our snow is mostly gone... replaced by mud left in the wake of rain showers.
Indoor activities still claim most of my time.
I've had the urge to do some embroidery,
so I started with this little quilt square.
(It's a little wonky... but I had no pattern.)


Next, I will be embellishing some of my summer clothes with embroidered flowers.
Stay tuned....

Comments

Colleen said…
So sorry to hear about the Nellies 😓
I love embroidery and to think you didn't use a pattern... I love it!! Can't wait to see more.
GeorgiaHoneyBee said…
Such a beautiful quilt square!!!!
Dawn said…
we had similar this winter, one night the door was left unlatched to the goose house and they were taken by a fox, still undecided if i want to replace like for like.
Anonymous said…
Oh Bev, my heart goes out to you. I think I know you well enough that the passing of the Nellies had to hurt even more because you feel responsible for this. Be kind to your human self, Bev. Karla from Coal City, IL
Sorry about the Nellies. They were entertaining. Glad you are getting some more.
jaz@octoberfarm said…
oh no! so sorry to hear this. maybe the new ones will be tamer since you are raising them from babies. batten down the hatches if this wind is coming your way. i can't remember the last time it was this windy.
Country Gal said…
Sad to hear about your Nellie's . These things happen no matter how much we try to keep them safe . I was raised on a farm and I know and understand the not so nice things that goes on as part of farm life it can get very upsetting at times and then the good stuff makes up for it all . Yes you are right the animal world is less cruel then the human world . Hope the new Nellie's are less shall we say nervous Nelli-sh lol !
Kari said…
So SO sorry about the Nellies but looking forward to meeting the new ones!
Unknown said…
For the first time in 15 years, I caught a glimpse of a silver fox at the edge of the property - he appeared out of the fog and was magnificent and ghostlike. After hearing of the poor Nellies fate I am frightened for the feral cat population. We like to think that we are the shepherds of Cloudwalk and that all who wander in are welcomed. But I'm not so sure about Mr. Fox! So sorry about your Nellies. They were the sweetest.
Your embroidery is precious - LOVE the bees!
Oh, the poor Nervous Nellies! But . . . circle of life. RIP
My friend and I were just talking about you the other day because she has a littler of livestock Guardian pups and we were thinking you should have one to keep all your farm family safe. These are super nice pups from prove guards that are also wonderful with children and people. There are only 2 pups still available if you are at all interested. There are lots of puppy pictures on my own blog: www.thedancingdonkey.blogspot.com

A farm like yours with so many vulnerable, but beloved friends could really use someone to watch out for you.
Unknown said…
You did very well with this post. Reality stories are also good. One does wonder how and especially why Runner ducks were developed like they were. They are truly weird ducks! Muscovey's make much more sense! Thank you for sharing ALL that happens on the farm. I so look forward to your daily blogs. But you never say much about the goats. It's like they are some type of herd animal on their own private field with no interaction with you or the other animals! Do your goats DO anything blog worthy? Please, I'm not trying to be critical. Just something I've noticed over time. Your blog is ALWAYS upbeat and lovely.
This N That said…
Sorry about the Nellies...They really need protection.Glad the other ducks have survived...Love your embroidery wonky or not..xxoo
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
diane in northern wis said…
Oh Bev, I have really missed hearing about your Nellies. I'm sorry about them...I'm sure it has been a sad spot for you all these months. I will look forward to seeing the new ones when they arrive. They are so darn cute. Hope Spring really arrives now at your place! Thanks for sharing!
diane in northern wis said…
What the heck is that Anonymous" post about that was left at 8:09 PM on April 4th????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Best clear that off Bev. Yikes.
Lynne said…
Sad for the Nellies . . . and you . . .
Excited to see the new chicks . . .
It will add to “wonky times!”