EGG SUCCESS

Yay. Today we have one, clean, freshly laid, white and beautiful duck egg.

They've got the hang of the laying box and, now that I've turned it sideways, the eggs are not rolling out and down the hill.

The other ducks (which I presume have not yet laid) are waddling in and out of the box, clearly considering whether to lay or not, which is a very good sign.

So, I am half confidently predicting that we are in duck egg production mode. I shall, of course, update with progress.

In the meantime, we do not yet have the heavy snow which has brought London to a standstill, but I am fairly sure it is on the way. The wind is coming from the North East (ie Russia) and is bitterly cold. The sky is leaden where it is not blue and I will attempt to get photos later in the day, if we get interesting conditions warranting putting on layers of clothing and grabbing the camera.

NO PICTURES. NO EGGS!!!

So, you learn as you go along.

Yesterday there were no eggs from the ducks. I can only assume they don't like change and that they didn't like the beautiful new, clean box I carefully constructed for them to lay in.

Sigh.

Keep your fingers crossed for this morning, please! I hope they've got over their fussiness and that we have and egg, laid in the right place and, therefore, clean!

I told you this breed were a bit neurotic and I was right!

STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...WE HAVE EGGS

Not just any old eggs, but duck eggs.

Eggs from the ducks I grew from babies.

Eggs from the ducks I've spent eight months housing, feeding, watering, talking to....

Eggs!

Two.

And here's the proof.

It's a pity I didn't spot them before they got dirty (and old). I thought the first one was one of the fake plastic eggs I put in with them. It was only when I found the second one that I realised......

We got eggs.

Mist rolling up the hill tonight

Quick post. Self-explanatory! Quite magical weather.

Pictures of Wales

For those of you who have expressed an interest....some recentish pictures.

We are very, very lucky to live here.

This is a rather random selection, not coherent, but atmospheric, I hope.

I've cheated a bit. Some of these are this winter and one or two are last winter.

I am too much of a butterfly. Would love to do some more and better photography, but have so many other things to do..................................

The Ducks

Being a dilitary sort of blogger, I think I haven't posted a picture of the ducks. So I shall. They are the bane of my life! As they involve a longish walk up the bank, carrying water when it hasn't rained, much of which ends up in my wellies. And a longish walk up the bank to get them into their house at night. Great fun in the summer. Not great fun in the Welsh winter.

This particular breed is rather neurotic and they are so similar it is impossible to think of them as individuals. So they are just 'the ducks', whereas all the chickens have names and personalities.

However, I am doing them down a bit. They quack when they see me, they splash happily and funnily in their pond and I know that, eventually, they will start laying eggs. I just know they will.....

And I shall post the minute they do.

There is talk of a gander, but that's a story for another day.

The cat, Dogger, does not bother them at all. He looks fierce here, but he was just putting this on for the camera. They quack at him when he comes up with me to feed them, which he often does. He is, I must say, not a lot of help! But it's nice to have him around.

Successful few days away

At a fair. By the seaside. With central heating. Great.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=652006720&ref=nf#/pages/Vicki-Cockcroft-Jewellery/10610562908?ref=ts

But I'm glad to be back home.

Need to get dressed and go and discuss things with the sheep and the ducks and the hens.

And congratulate myself on a successful event where I met friends and did a lot of good work.