It is the fourth day of Summer today and when I went outside to take photos of my ducklings for you Internet, I put on thick socks, jeans, an undershirt, a t-shirt, a jumper, Nathan’s big furry coat and red gumboots. It’s cold Internet and the cold has sunk into my bones, leaving me wanting nothing more than to curl up with my book and unending cups of tea.
These are the sacrifices I make, in order to bring you ducklings photos. Of which there is only one, because while the ducklings regarded me suspiciously and hid behind their mother, the mother had no such qualms and instead seemed interested in eating my face.
For an animal that doesn’t have teeth and can’t really use it’s claws, mother ducks are rather vicious and attacky.
You’re welcome.
So, after wandering around after the ducklings and finding one dead (it got confused about which duck was its mother last night and despite my best attempts to shoo it back to its siblings, spent a cold night without its mum), I went into the garden.
We’re not telling the children that I know where the strawberries are ripening.
Blackcurrants ripening on my black currant bush. My two grandmothers gave me this cutting from my great grandmothers blackcurrant bush when I first moved in here. I’m glad that it’s not only survived, but thrived.
These are the sweet williams that I used to make my “aisle” for the wedding. I still haven’t planted them out, but you know. I’ll get there. Just as soon as I can make Nathan dig the holes for me.
It seems that miscarriages and exhaustion make bendy joints even worse and if walking has been displacing joints, I shudder to think what trying to dig a hole would do. At this stage, I’m just grateful for thigh high socks, which are not only keeping me warm, but are providing valuable knee support.
My children “helped” me plant peas again this year, which has seen little pea plants pop up everywhere. This one I found almost in the pathway, along with some self sown chives and a large amount of grass.
Love your selection. Swans are as vicious and ‘bitey’ as ducks. Particularly when they think that you have come to feed them and find out otherwise. Our strawberries are ripening too, as are the raspberries. I hope that after braving the cold for this beautiful post you did get your warmth, your book and your cup of tea.
I have a deep and abiding respect for swans after being attacked by a particularly vicious swan when I was in grade six. The rotten bloody thing also stole my sandwich.
The lengths we go to.
Thank you – they are adorable.
Hope you feel warm and as comfortable as possible very soon.
🙂
We ended up lighting the fire, so I’m much warmer now!
GREAT idea keeping the strawberry location a secret!!
I love the little ducklings and the blackcurrants too. Are you going to make blackcurrant jams and jellies?
They’re hiding under the blackcurrants, so as long as I keep poisoning the slugs with beer, I can keep eating them alone!
That could be some powdery mildew on your pea pod. Some sulphur spray will clean it up.
I hadn’t noticed it. How problematic is it likely to be? And where can I find sulphur spray?
Not too bad, will reduce the crop levels. Sulphur at any hardware/gardening supplies, and it is organic
Thanks for braving mad mother duck. The ducklings are cute. So sorry about the one who didn’t survive the cold. I hope it will get warmer for you soon. We still have to get through winter first.
Now, if only I could keep the location of our strawberry plants a secret for (or is it ‘from’?) slugs and snails 😉
So sorry about the duckling. Love your garden!
The lengths we artists go to achieve our aims! hax beautiful imagesx lynda
Ohhh it is a miscarriage then. Dang it, was just hoping your hormones were loopy. I am so sorry. 🙁
Our strawberries are right outside the backdoor – none have survived visitation by children. Heidi turns all hers into perfume, made in muddy bottles with water she has found around the backyard :ick:
Annies get rinsed, partially eaten, then thrown in the garden.
I used to be forever making perfume when I was Heidi’s age. My grandmother would save me all her empty Avon scent bottles and I would keep on filling them with water until they didn’t smell anymore. Then I would use them to fill with flower petals to make my own perfume. I used to get very grumpy when the petals went mouldy.
We planted a whole heap of vegies in the garden at the weekend. Am impatient already to have an abundant vegie patch again. I think keeping the strawberries a secret is a very good idea. I also have to keep peas a secret or they get devoured before I can get them inside the door!
oh I miss our strawberry patch.. love the ducklings very cute! We had geese once.. not thats a vicious animal!
We are visiting relatives in Western Australia and the kids are out playing with the rabbits and their babies and six day out baby chicks as I type this. Bliss!
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