Monday, June 6, 2016

News From the Pond

We haven't posted about the waterfowl in awhile and some of you were asking how they're doing.     The ducks, geese and swans are doing fine.
 Buster and Agnes have laid eggs and are such good parents to those eggs.   The problem is, somebuddy is not fertile so the eggs never hatch and they never seem to get the memo to abandon the nest when a month goes by. 
 Agnes and Buster both sit on the eggs but Buster is the better parent.  He never gives up!  And he's a good husband to Agnes.  When our dad enters the swan cottage and Agnes is on the nest and cries "help", Buster is right there to take care of any little problem that she might have☺

The Mute sissies are doing fine.    The Whooper girls are in the back on the island that dad created.   The geese and swans love it back there. 
 Dad set up 3 nesting boxes and these Barnacle Geese are always the first pair to set up housekeeping and lay eggs.     An issue has come up.   Snapping turtles are climbing the ramp that goes inside the nesting box house and they steal the eggs!   How cruel is that!
 So dad set the snapping turtle trap.   Those are chicken legs from the grocery store in that bucket.  Yup, they sit out in the hot sun and rot and stink and the snapping turtles like them even better.  Dad is hoping to catch lots of snappers and then comes the task of relocating them.   We don't want them here but they seem to migrate back every year because there's lot of good eatin' here. 
Speckles's ducks are all doing well.  Mom lost count but she thinks there are at least 10 of them.   The picture is blurry because these duckies don't ever walk - they run wherever they're heading.    Why do they always need to be in such a hurry?

We have been hanging out in the red barn lately. 
 Dad and mom have started the summer project already.   There will be a new roof on our family room and new sheathing and siding and windows and the porch to the right will be getting a huge makeover too.  It's going to be another very busy summer here. 

This past March, Elias, the mason was here and he and his helper partially dismantled the slate porch that was in front of the family room.  It was in a sad state and something had to be done. 
The porch continues all the way to the other side of the hood so more slate needs to be removed.   And at a later point, a rebuild has to happen.  
Mom and dad have LOTS to keep them busy!
Love ya lots♥
Molly and Mackie

20 comments:

  1. Love to see all the water fowl on the farm. Didn't realise you were in snapping turtle area, our Boys were always fascinated by them when they see them on TV but they have a vicious bite! Good luck with all the house repairs, the joys of owning a home!!!!! Hope the weather stays fair. Hugs, Susie & Treacle xx

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  2. Molly and Mackie you have the most hardworking peeps we know!
    The first time we realized your dad was doing all that siding replacement we were amazed!!! They have wonderful skills.
    Mackie watch and learn you might be asked to grab a hammer of a can of nails
    Hugs madi your bfff

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  3. thank you so much for sharing the swans - we always love seeing the black ones - so use to them from back home in Australia. would taking the ramp away from the nesting boxes also help - pretty sure the geese could flap enough to reach the opening.

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  4. We just loved the update on all the water birdies!!! Poor Agnes and Buster - I feel bad for them! And the turtles stealing eggs?!!? Not nice! I hope your dad can move them somewhere else!
    Your mom and dad are going to be SUPER busy! Thank goodness you're there to help them!
    Cammie!

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  5. Thanks for telling us all about how well the water fowl are doing. Hope you can solve that snapping turtle problem.

    It is looking like a very busy summer at your house. Hope the heat and rains stay away.

    Woos - Ciara and Lightning

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  6. OH THANK YOU... fur getting us all caught up on the Good and BAD that is going on down at the Pond... We love seeing and hearing about everythingy... even the evil turtles who are doing FOWL Deeds. Shame on them.

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  7. Your Dad is a nicer person than my Mom and Dad. They don't relocate the snapping turtles in our tank instead they shot them.

    Aroo to you,
    Sully

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  8. Another busy summer ahead! Love the black swans, too bad the eggs are infertile.

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  9. We had some ducks in da nayborhood recently - think it wuz all da rain!

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  10. I would love to have the ducks and swans near us. That is so cool. And the snapping turtle net was very smart. Tell you Dad to be careful with them

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  11. Thanks for the update, guys!! You have SO many friends to chase!!

    -Otto

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  12. It's so great to hear how all your feathered friends are doing!
    Smileys!
    Dory, Arty, Jakey & Bilbo

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  13. Crikey ..... poor Buster and Agnes. Have you ever thought of borrowing one of the other birds eggs and putting them with Buster and Agnes's eggs. It would at least give them a chance to raise a little one. Wouldn't matter that it wasn't one of their kind. They'd still raise it well. My two legged sister does this with her broody hens. She gets fertile eggs from her produce store. The broodies raise the babies and they then go back to the produce store to be sold. The hens have even raised ducks. They don't care.
    The house makeover is looking good, aye??

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  14. we have a momma duck and her babies living in the tall grass along our irrigation canal. Your mom and dad sound like ours - always a project to work on around the place
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

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  15. We love to hear how all the water animals are doing! So many things going on in your world!
    And now more house stuff to get all fixes up before winter!
    love
    tweedles

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  16. We just love it when you give us pond updates!! Love seeing the pics too!! You guys sure have a lot of work planned for the summer! It seems as if the work never ends...our house is getting to that age where everything seems to need fixing.

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  17. I very much enjoyed this post and the pictures. Thanks for sharing! Noodle

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  18. It was so nice to hear about your fine feathered friends!

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  19. Thanks for the update on your waterfowl. It is always interesting to hear about them.

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