Gob-smacked!

Well, it's happened again.
As I knew it would.
It seems the heart has an unlimited capacity for love,
and I have fallen... hook, line, and sinker,
for three little souls that have come to live on the farm.


You may remember two weeks ago, when the duck eggs 
that we had found in a neighbor's yard
(yes, from our ducks)
began to hatch.

One, two, three baby ducklings hatched on Monday, two weeks ago.
And yesterday, having grown exponentially in two weeks time,
they came to live on the farm.


You've seen the videos of our wacky runner ducks,
so you know that they are not very socialized when it comes
to us humans.


These ducklings, on the other hand, have imprinted on humans,
and love to be cuddled.


Place your hand upon the ground and you immediately
have a duck, or three on top of your fingers.


They love to have their bellies rubbed.

Oh. My. Goodness!
They are adorable beyond words.


I am smitten!
Gob-smacked!
I might be moving into the brooder house with them so that I can
just cuddle them all day long!
Not even kidding.

We had a spectacular weekend here on the farm.
After months of heat and humidity,
we had a cool, dry weekend and it was wonderful!


All of the animals are so much happier without the intense heat.


Mornings have been downright cold... with temperatures in the 50's,
we've needed to wear sweatshirts for morning chores.


Heavenly!


Our weekend was filled with on-the-farm activities.
We baked two loaves of bread...
Hubbs made a cranberry walnut boule,
and I made a rosemary, sea salt boule with fresh rosemary from the garden.


I used the garden bounty to make a fresh salsa


(our own tomatoes, peppers, red onions, and jalapeƱo peppers)
which we ate with practically every meal...
even on our eggs for breakfast.


There is such satisfaction in eating a meal like this...
home-grown eggs and veggies,
as well as home-baked bread.
I spent a little time sewing each day,
and was able to keep up with my own challenge of sewing an apron
each day in September.

(My dress form has a bad case of curvature of the spine.)
Each apron, thus far, is on its way to a new home.
During this time when we are unable to travel,
it's fun to watch my aprons travel to far-away places.
Although these look small... as they are tied rather tightly,
they are quite generous.


Happy Labor Day, my friends.
To me, Labor Day always signifies the end of summer and
the start of one of my favorite times of year.


How I look forward to all things pumpkin,
cozy sweaters,
fires in the wood stove,
and the crunch of leaves beneath my feet.
Oh, how I love the change of seasons and all of the delights
that come with each new period of time.






Comments

Lynne said…
Baby duck cuddle must be similar to a “Snickers” cuddle.
(She looks like a doggie who cuddles, but she isn’t.)
But when she has a “cuddle moment” . . . it is the best ever.
(I can feel the ducky cuddle right through my “typing finger tips!”)

Oh my, cooler temps . . . now there is a real cuddle!
Puts a smile on my face . . .
I love this time of the year . . .

Looks like you are using the new format?
Any “tips” for transition?

I am keeping my eyes on those aprons . . . amazing creative woman!
Anonymous said…
The baby ducks are so cute!
colleen said…
The neighbor girls sure did a great job raising the baby ducks. I'm wondering if now you will have three groups of ducks.
Salsa on scrambled eggs and home baked bread, the perfect breakfast!
This cool weather means more baking and that makes me think I need a new apron :) xoxoxoxo
Kathy S said…
What I wouldn’t give for a duck cuddle!
Ann said…
Love looking in on autumn! Still in the 90s every day here in Florida.
Isn't it nice for the animals, and us, when the heat of summer begins to pass? It's been in the upper 40's some mornings recently, and I can't wait for all things fall. Imagine...a crackling fire, a cup of tea, and a favorite book in Maven Haven all surrounded by colorful fall leaves.

Love the ducks...oh-so sweet!

An apron a day; what fun...I'll keep checking your Marketplace! By the way, the masks are terrific...thanks for sharing your talents. Any chance you'll be whipping up some more pinafores in the future?
daisy g said…
Aw, sweet ducklings. I hope Grizz does not become jealous!

We also enjoyed cooler temps this weekend and relished every moment.

Enjoy your day!
Marcia LaRue said…
OMG ... the baby ducks are so adorable! Maybe they will convince the other runners that they don't have to run away from you, Bev.
Today, in S. CO, we are looking at another 95° day and a cool 43° night and tomorrow the bottom drops out to 48° and the nighttime temp goes to 30° or lower and possible rain/snow is thrown into the mix! You want cool ... come to Colorado! LOL
Hope you have a great Labor Day doing as little as possible!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
i had pet ducks when i was little and they loved to snuggle. these 3 are adorable. i am SO ready for fall though this week is going to be awful.
This N That said…
So nice to have duckie love..It will be fun to see if they follow you around the farm..Like the others, they may stick to their own group..Do they have any imprint on a parent since they were mostly incubator raised so far??Is their Mom still around??It has been a beautiful weekend weather wise...Soooo ready for fall..it's the best time of year..Your bread looks heavenly...Yummy
Cute aprons..3 more weeks!!Hugs
Anonymous said…
I can’t wait for you to post a video recipe of the bread preparation-from start to finish. It looks heavenly!
Love the baby ducks. So very cute with your grand daughter cuddling them over her shoulder. We were able to get baby chicks this year (they had been banned from California for 2 years because of New Castle disease). I still have 2 older hens (7 Years old) and now have 10 new 'girls' to love. They are 4 months old and all have different personalities. My very favorite is a bantam. She loves being carried as I do chores. As I'm sure you've experienced, they all run to greet me in the morning. It's so relaxing to sit in the shade among the 'girls' and just watch them. Patty McDonald