new residents

Four little pekin duckling hatched here. Plus, one Indian silver runner and a mixed pekin/runner (the black one) were delivered to our farm. Today I let them go in the big pen, but they pretty much just ate, drank, and stayed like this. It is a big world.

Also delivered, were four trout colored Indian runner ducks, and three silver Indian runners.

And, three white Indian runner ducks, along with two special needs ducks, (don't feel sorry for these two, they run the show) along with four gorgeous Sebastopol geese.

Crick and Squint are the names of the special needs ducks, aka the special Olympians. As you probably can tell their names are that of their afflictions. Now you can just call me wrinkles. The names of the white runners are Smurf, Hula and Happy. Cute huh? My friend named them all. I can't take credit.

The geese have names too. Moon, Inka, Juno and Leap.

As you probably can notice, in all of my geese photos, they are walking away from me. They definitely know who their human Mum is. Although we are somewhat similar in appearance, they know I am not their Mum. At least not yet. I am working on it.

So, I have been doing lots of outside time with them. Just sitting near them. Otherwise, it looks like chasing if I get too close. I try to make friends by throwing food pellets to them, they think I am throwing at them. So, I stopped that. My flocks come running when they see me throwing food. At night in the barn, I can pick them up and touch them, but outside is a whole big new world for them. They have not lived with a donkey, an Izzy, or those fast little piglets. Plus there is an existing flock of ducks, add a whole bunch of chickens, some tumbling goats, and it is just down right frightening!

They are the most beautiful birds though. The geese remind me of Las Vegas showgirls. I just found out today that Sebastopol geese are on the American Livestock Conservancy list. Which is fabulous news. I am trying to specialize in rare and uncommon livestock breeds in America. Hopefully, I have three females and one male, as breeding time will start probably around the first of the year. I suppose I need to go ahead and vent sex them to find out for sure. Don't worry, that just means looking down below to see if you can see a male part. I don't love them that much!

Heads or tails?
Also, we got a new piglet. She is the sister to the brown piglet. I still haven't named them. I know I probably shouldn't, but they do have an identity. They matter. I think they are simply adorable. Even if they will be dinner someday. I still am fond of the feeling of a pig snout nudging my wellies, (a pig's way of saying "hi, do you have food?") I try to answer yes, as much as possible.

They are growing fast on goats milk, pig chow, and any and all food items that come their way. Tonight, it was sunflower seeds, right from the flowers. I was popping seeds out of their disks for the chickens, ducks and geese, and the two little piggies were at my feet eating what spilled. Pigs are happy little creatures.

We are not too scary. Right? Do you have any food?

Now, there is a part two to this story, but I cannot tell it until a few weeks from now. But for now, I am grateful. There are the most kindest, wonderful people in the world. I get to meet them all the time. How do I happen to meet them? All you have to do is put out that same energy, and stay open enough, so that it may find it's way back to you. Give without expecting a return, because the giving, is the best part. Give a smile, give a moment of your time to acknowledge a fellow person, give quietly, and give often.

It is as simple as that. To be continued...

Meanwhile, I need to get that interview done, make a how-to-read-tea-leaves post, and thank somebody for a random act of kindness. Tonight it is: Linda, a fellow blogger, who I met by chance, sent me a packet of perennial flower seeds and a sweet card to go with it. How wonderful was that? Thank you very much Linda. It came on the day the ducks and geese came.

I kept thinking... does it get any better than this?

~crow