It’s the weekend and that means it must be time for a blog!
As I type the rain is drizzling down slowly outside, covering Hidden Meadow in a gray and sedating blanket. The weather is cool, not cold, the leaves are still green, for the most part, but everything about the world outside is groaning for change. It’s as if we are perched on a precipice, ready to plunge headlong into brilliant sugar maples, crunchy leaf walks, and pumpkin everything, but right now, today, nature is holding on stubbornly to verdant summer in all her glory, and I’m here for it.
Any days that feel like time is slowing down, pausing ever so briefly, I’m doing my best to revel in. Not just ever-looking forward to the next and the next, but resting in the current time, and the transitions. Maybe that’s part of getting older, but I don’t mind one bit.
I heard a wise word from a friend back in CO in regards to the pandemic; let’s not be in so much of a hurry to “return to normal” that we miss out on what God may be teaching us in this strange season. And let’s take this time to really figure out what parts of normal are worth returning to, and what parts we should shed and discard as we move forward.
Now the title of my blog could just refer to days like today, but it actually has a more literal meaning as well. Two days ago I noticed my sweet duck Harriet was limping a bit. I did some research and discovered to my dismay that she has a condition know as “bumblefoot”. Now while this malady may sound endearing it can be serious if left untreated. It’s basically caused by a cut or abrasion on the foot getting infected.
So yesterday, research done and newly bought medical supplies on hand, I had the great fun of catching Harriet (who out of the 4 ducks is the one who loves to enthusiastically flap her surprisingly strong wings in my face when being held) and then submitting her to a 20 minute epsom salt foot soak. Yep.
She was not a fan, but I discovered that if I covered her up with a towel she calmed right down and even seemed to enjoy her little pedicure. After that I had to thoroughly dry and bandage the foot. I enlisted Tim to hold her while I honed my duck foot wrapping skills. I then placed her in a dry pen with her mate Ferdinand and hoped for the best.
Tim is the best for holding her after he’d already dressed for teaching!
So happy weekend friends! I’ll keep you posted on her progress. One bit of happy news (possibly), our hen Meg has been excessively broody this summer, and as our flock only has an immature rooster at this point, it means that all her egg sitting will be for naught.
However, our duck eggs are fertilized and so far neither Harriet or Eleanor show the slightest inclination to sit on their eggs.
So . . . (are you there yet?) I decided to stick a couple duck eggs under Meg the broody chicken and see if she would hatch them out. Fingers crossed it works!
Until next time!
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