Well the three ducklings have grown so quickly that they are almost too big to squeeze through the fence of the yard I put the gang in at night. They free range with their ‘minders’ all day.
Here’s a picture of Seli and Godfrey guarding the Twins.
And here’s one of Ola watching over a sleeping Michael Jackson (the dancing duckling).
I took a whole lot of better photos of all of them but had to delete these because Ming’s smashed ute (truck) was in the background. The gang + ducklings tend to hang out underneath it because it is near the pond. We have covered the smashed-in front of the ute with a blanket so that visitors, especially family, won’t be upset if they see it. The rest of the ute looks normal, with the tray intact. I wish we could get rid of it but we are stuck with it in the back yard for now until we try again to claim some insurance. Every morning and every evening, when I let the gang out, or put them into the yard, I have to walk past the ute.
There is also a clear view of the ute from the kitchen window, a constant reminder of the accident and everything since. And when I frolic in the dirt, and offer prayers to the sky, and watch the pea-chicks climb the avocado tree, or cry until my body is cramped like a dead leaf, I am always right next to the ute.
Ming brought Ants home for the afternoon yesterday and I (rather dramatically) threw myself into his chest and soaked him with some of these endless, futile, enormous tears. He held me and said nice things to me and then asked me about the ducklings.
“When are we eating them?” he asked.
I stopped crying immediately. “What the hell are you talking about? We are not eating them, Ants!”
jmgoyder 
When are we eating them? hahaha Oh man, I love his humour!
Diana xo
He wasn’t kidding!
Even funnier! Seriously though, he stopped you right in your tracks right?
Definitely!
It’s bad luck to have to have such a reminder staring you in the face every day. You’ll have to train the duckings with breadcrumbs to lurk somewhere else.
I have decided to stare that ute down.
Clever way to get you to stop crying 😉 they’re all looking lovely.
They got out again this morning argh!
Surely the insurance should cover the cost of the Utes repairs.??… but once more I say Sterkte…
It’s not repairable unfortunately. Sterkte!
Dont they payout a replacement value??
No, because he broke the law by having kids in back of ute.
sh.t.!!..
That’s a good word too!
Your writing is so powerful today, Julie.
“And when I frolic in the dirt, and offer prayers to the sky, and watch the pea-chicks climb the avocado tree, and cry until my body is cramped like a dead leaf…”
And I loved Ants power to shift your crying to balking with his question about eating the ducks! Clever man.
x and (((O)))
He loves roast duck!
Jules is there any way to have the ute moved to a different location on your property? I am sure the ‘daily sometimes hourly’ reminder can not be good for you. What a joy and blessing you had with Ant visiting, I am so happy for you both. Prayers and hugs my friend
It’s not driveable so we would have to get the towing people back (they are the ones that put it in the back yard). I’ll just have to live with it for the time being. Ming is not affected by it thankfully.
How cute is that? Too cute! 🙂
They are adorable!
I meant the ducks of course Julie. And you have an avocado tree!!! I love Avocados.
How can the insurance company get out of paying-up? It was an accident. Sods!
Keeping you all in my prayers.
Too bad I can’t send you a few avocados – they are nearly ripe.
Yes, the insurance company situation is tricky.
Anthony has a devil of a sense of humor 😉 He reminded me of my baby girl when she was little and would call the lobster we bought her friend and then she would ask when were we going to eat the lobster, she was hungry. I am sending you big hugs Jules, time is a healer I always hope.
Your baby girl is such a character! Re Ants – I don’t think he was kidding!
LOL, how perfect. What a reminder that life continues on 🙂
Yes, Ants has always had the ability to say the right thing at the right time, even now when he is so confused.
🙂
Julie, your tears are neither endless, nor futile. To hold them back is unhealthy and they are washing away your sorrow. Grief, as you process that horrible accident – is normal. I guarantee you it will pass. The beauty of nature and wildlife is keeping you centered, as you also deal with the unbearable loss of Anthony and what his illness entails. It’s a lot! Your heartfelt writing will someday remind you of how you managed to survive such ordeals by pouring out your soul with beautiful words.
I feel a bit embarrassed now about writing such a soppy post – I must pull myself together!
Please don’t. You are already pulled in so many directions. You are quite together and emotions help you stay grounded!
Okay!
You are not eating them? Pity you can’t get someone to tow that damn ute around the back. Plant sunflowers around it, big ones! Too late in the year? I know plant sweet peas all around it, they like to grow over the winter and then flower everywhere in the spring? Hopefully it will be gone by then though.. take care, gorgeous pics .. c
Luckily it is already in the back yard so at least when people come to the front door, it isn’t visible, but you know what it’s like on farms – people come to the back door!
Julie… the accident and that’s what it was.. A set of circumstances that ‘happened’ … Bad decisions we definitely all make…but you are the same I believe as I am and things like that that involve and affected so many people in different ways… is something that would be heavy on my heart too…. my prayers are with you…. and I mean that .. it’s not just something that rolled off my tongue and onto this comment section… because I know your ‘mother’s heart hurt’……hope I’ve said it right Diane xoxo
We go back to court tomorrow which is probably why I’m so low – thanks for your words Diane xxxx
Be thinking of you… Diane
Thank you!
I love Ants. I love Ming. I love You. and I love your ducklings! there’s a whole lot of lovin’ goin’ on! 🙂
Haha – that’s a lot of love – thank you Louise!!!
Eating the ducklings, the very idea!
He wants to eat the peacocks too!
They are growing fast! Always amazes me at the ponds here how fast they grow.Was Ants teasing you? Is the Ute a write-off or can it be repaired/replaced?
Write-off unfortunately. Ants was being literal I think!
The ducklings sure are growing fast. They’re still so adorable!
Peachicks are thriving too but impossible to get a good photo of because they blend into the background so well (which is probably why they are still alive and not taken by crows or foxes).
Lovely chicks. If Ant eats them tell him I’ll come over and give him a ‘Glasgow Kiss’!
He he.
That sounds ominous!
It is a headbutt!
I think it originally came from the Gorbals in Glasgow, which was a slum containing immigrants such as Irish Catholics, Italians and Jews.
The slums are all away now and replaced by industrial estates and some houses.
The ducklings look absolutely gorgeous.
How could anyone possibly eat a pet? With a name?
If I was raising animals for food, I definitely wouldn’t give them names – that would be too much for me. In fact, I don’t think I could be a farmer as I get too attached to things I see every day.
I couldn’t raise animals to eat either. When a local farmer took my pigs, Mathilda and Vegemite, I was so relieved he was using them for breeding and not eating.
Oh My God! I love Ants!!!!!
He’s very good at one-liners!
For me, that would have stopped the tears immediately, even though he didn’t realize what he had said. Poor Ants and his memory. I feel so bad for him
🙂 BTW I don’t understand why not all your posts are getting into my email. Hmm.
Julie, You gotta love how Ants can put things in proper perspective in just a few words. Take care, Bill