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
I love embroidery and to think you didn't use a pattern... I love it!! Can't wait to see more.
Your embroidery is precious - LOVE the bees!
A farm like yours with so many vulnerable, but beloved friends could really use someone to watch out for you.
Best clear that off Bev. Yikes.
Excited to see the new chicks . . .
It will add to “wonky times!”