Worms make a tasty breakfast

Maggie, our pet duck, came to visit again this morning. When the sun is shining she comes off her nest for an hour, comes to the cottage, calls out for me and we go worm hunting.

She knows exactly where to go for the worms, the herb garden. So we waddle over to the other side of the garden, though sometimes she cheats and flies.

Naming a Wine and Designing a Label is harder than you think!

You watch the vines come to life in the spring and then slowly the leaves start to unfurl and tiny grapes begin to make themselves shown.  You harvest, you press and ultimately you make wine. Then you watch, wait, test, test again, keep testing, adjust, taste, adjust, put in a barrel and finally!… bottle.

Through this all it never really occurs to you what it will be called.

The Dramas of a Brooding Pet Duck

The last month has been fraught with emotion as our little Maggie (pet duck) has grown up and started laying eggs. It is probably no coincidence it began with the arrival of Meeney, Minhy and Mo, two drakes and a female respectively.

That Sunday feeling – a day in the life of a sunny day with animals

December 21st and the shortest day can’t come quick enough for us, particularly the animals. We normally let them out to roam around dawn, depending on fog. The last few days we have woken up to dense fog. It seems to be settling in like a tired old lady in a comfortable chair, not certain when it wants to bestir itself.  The chickens and rabbits are not happy about it. They don’t like fog. The ducklings are not bothered, but Maggie won’t fly in dense fog, so we have to walk her down to the others, quacking and calling to the others all the way. It’s obviously slower than flying.

What is it like to have a pet Duck? (Part 2) ~ She can fly!

We’ll blame Gigi, our kitten, for Maggie, our duckling, learning to fly. Gigi loves to pounce, playfully, when Maggie is around. Consequently Maggie got very good at moving away quickly. As running from a playful kitten is rather impractical when you are a duck, the next obvious step was to utilise the wings. First it was a high hop, then a longer hop, and as Gigi loved this new game and would jump with Maggie, the hop became further and further. Both of them were in heaven. Gigi because she had finally found a way to play with Maggie (something she had been searching for since her arrival), and Maggie because, well, she was flying.

What is it Like to have a Duck as a pet? All bets are off

What nobody tells you when you find yourself with a duck as a pet, is unlike cats, dogs, and even chickens and rabbits, there are almost no instruction manuals, helpful hint videos, or even how to sites (of any use) on how to raise a duck.  So what is it like to have a Duck as a pet?

Summer work in the Vineyard – Tucking In

With summer in the vineyard it is time to ‘tuck in the vines’.  I love the picture these words  create. It always makes me think of tucking the vines in to bed for the night.  And, in a way, it is a bit like that.

Our Duckling plays like a Cat

We have a duckling, Maggie, and a kitten, Gigi, who live, more or less, in harmony together. Except for the occasional playful pounce, much to the disgust of our Maggie.  We have a sort of routine going. Gigi has learned that if she wakes me at dawn she has me all to herself as Maggie sleeps until it is a bit lighter. Gigi and I play, snuggle, pet and purr for about an hour, before I get up to feed her and then let her out and go down to let the other animals out (rabbits, chickens and ducks).

When I get back, it’s Maggie’s turn, and she is usually ready to let me know this when she hears me open the door. I get back in bed with my coffee and book, and Maggie. She loves to run around on the bed, playing with her various toys. Her current favourites are votive candles in glass jars. She takes them out and puts them back, making a very satisfying noise. Sometimes her attention is diverted by some bubble wrap, my kindle or even my hair, but mostly she likes to play with the candles – they make more noise.

Strange goings on in our animal kingdom

Its been an unusual animal day in our little French world.  This morning, we went to let out the rabbits, chickens and ducks only to be greeted by – silence. Very, very strange and not a wee bit apprehensive. Normally there is lots of quacking, the odd cock-a-doodle doo, and cluck. The rabbits being silent we are used to, the feathered friends – never.  Our first thought was predator and we wondered what we would find, or fearfully who we would find missing.

Making Friends in the Animal World – A Duckling Adventure

This morning I went to let the rabbits out and found a little red squirrel in with them. They seemed rather oblivious to him. He had a bit of a panic as he tried to find the way out, but in the end he managed. It is moments like this, when confronted with the unknown and unanticipated antics of the animal world, that I am reminded not to make assumptions but rather watch, wait and see what happens.