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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Butterflies and Ducks

Thank you so much to Shiloh Prairie Farm for the ever-so-pretty Butterfly Award! I am delighted to have received it, and for the kind comments about my blog. If you haven't visited Shiloh Prairie Farm's blog lately, you really should! She's got some great posts, including one with soap sticks that look like butter!

So, as usual, the rules are to be listed!
1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Award up to ten other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

Well, I can certainly come up with 10 blogs to award, and here are the first three, in no particular order. If these awardees would like to share the award with others, please feel free to do so, but don't feel obligated! If I wasn't so dead tired right now, I'd do the remaining 7, but instead, I will get to those when I have a little more time and energy.

1. All Things Farm & Fiber (because she did a really cool post about the idea of using opossum fiber to spin, and a very useful post on dying wool, so I enjoy visiting there!)
2. Spinning Yarns from the Farm (because even though we disagree about mice, she always has some interesting thoughts in her posts!)
3. Mapleton Farm (A recent blog discovery for me, and she had a great egg photo in a recent post, but also because she has fabulous sheep pictures. I am very envious of her sheep.)

Well, this weekend we had duckling bath time. The ducklings aren't so "duckling" like any more - in fact, they are distinctly duck-like. They quack like ducks (except for a couple who still make squeaky noises) and they smell like ducks (ugh...) and they paddle about in the bathtub like ducks and they even preen themselves like ducks. So, they're not my ducklings any more - they're my ducks.

As each duck came out of the tub, I did a little rub-down to get them a bit dried off - they still don't repel water quite as well as they should. In general, ducks are displeased with being given a bit of a rubdown, and are very vocal about their displeasure. My ears start ringing with the memory of it. Of course, I also got very wet and disheveled looking from the whole experience, but that's what you've got to expect when you've got ducks in your basement!

The black and white ducks (2 of them) intrigue me. At first I thought they might be Swedish Blue ducks based on a couple of others' suggestions, but now I am not sure. They don't appear to have any blue feathering and in fact one of them has some brown around its head. Any duck experts care to make a proclamation about this duck breed?!
I just love to watch them preening after the bath - they can do things with their neck that are quite remarkable - I wish I were that flexible!

By the way, Tulip, Petunia and Buttercup are all doing very well and enjoying their new farmyard friends. Probably I'll have time for pictures and an update on them this weekend!

12 comments:

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Congrats on your award!
I love the imagery of ducks and butterflies in a field of flowers.

My oh my, your ducks have really gotten big. They are almost too big for the tub.
I loved seeing the pics of you and your adorable ducks, though.
And I am totally digging the black and white one. You know how I love me some orca colored critters :)

~Lisa

Unknown said...

I had a feeling you might have already posted, and I'm glad I checked! I love getting a ducky smile on my face just before going to bed! I think I'll dream of ducks in tubs, sheep, pregnant goats, chickens, etc. Oh, and of course the pigeon! I don't know much about ducks, but spent a lot of time with Canada geese a few years ago. Your teenage-like ducks are becoming beauties!

Nancy

BlueGate said...

nessI love that you are still willing to have them in your house, not to mention your bathtub! Now that's dedication : )
Yep, I still think they are Blue Swedish, that is exactly what ours looked like.

Sharrie said...

Lucky ducks!

diane said...

i can now see how these guys would fit in the tub much better than a big 'ole EWE. LOL.

Miss Effie said...

I am sooo glad someone else keeps ducks in their house! Don't you just love them!!!!

I've had Blue Swedish, too. Look just like that -- I'll see if I can find a photo.

Jennifer said...

A bathtub full of ducks! I love it. I keep thinking I want ducks, then I think they would be in the goat's water buckets all the time and I change my mind, then I see a cute picture like this of ducks and I want them again.

Amy said...

LOL You've got ducks in your basement, I have chickens in my sewing room.

The things we will do to have our critters when it's cold outside!!!

Kara said...

Thanks for the award! I really your blog as well. Especailly love the ducks in the bath. I bought a goat in the fall too that was supposedly bred and due in December, but I think she did not take. I will have to go back to the date on my blog and count the days like you did. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving comments. It is always nice to know I am not talking to myself. :)

Pintura Springs said...

Thanks for the Award! I just found it. I love coming to your blog to see what animals you have added to the family.

Anonymous said...

Adorable ducklings! I realize this is almost 2 years since you posted, but yes! You in fact have a blue swedish. I have one myself named Peanut and she looks just like yours but with a mottled beak. The blue color you speak of only shows in the sunlight and it is just an iridescent reflection off the feathers. On my duck they appear a bit more green and purple and yes, lots of brown. Do you still have these ducks?

Claire MW said...

Hi Tigeress! Yes, I do still have these ducks! The dark ones are beautiful and I do think they are at least part blue Swedish, if not full. They have some odd colour patches that make me think they might be mallard crosses, but I'm not sure. They certainly have been great layers! I'm off to check out your blog and take a look at Peanut!