Summer's End at Bodyfuddau

Wasn't much of a summer, was it? I quite enjoyed some of it as, at least when I could abandon the computer, I could do some gardening. I did have quite big areas in front of and behind the house. Behind was only accessible by either going right round the house and through several gates or through the archway where they used to keep the carts [and I used to keep my goat]. A small part of that is raised beds and slate paths but it has been taken over by a jungle of ras[pberries and tay berries, rhubarb and black currents so I leave it as it is and gather what i can. All the rest of the back is grass and is mown by pet sheep. I am in process of extending it to make a big playground for dogs, including training for Dyfi. The latter will happen more in the winter as I can then bribe the woollies into that area with food and make him behave in their vicinity. That's the plan anyway. I'm awaiting a nice big shed to keep dog agility equipment and grooming wherewithall.

The front I've kept as garden and, with an hour a week of help, I can more or less manage that and it has been quite pretty this year. The improvements included a rockery beside the front door and two weeks ago I was putting Dyfi's lead on before a walk when Silver ran full tilt into my feet, canoning me into the rockery face down so I have spent all that time eating only spahgetti, soup or bread with no crusts. Just got to managing marmelade with thin peel. Apart from such accidents I manage very well gardening now as, so long as I'm on the flat, I don't even notice the knee. My right arm is getting worse but I'm getting fairly adept at some things left handed.
Two photos give an idea of the front garden. One is my trellis after last winter's gales, showing also the state of the lawn after much circling by Silver, who runs in circles whenever excited [that's how come she collided with me]. The other is after resurrecting the clematis and putting green plastic mesh on the lawn for the grass to grow through. She still circles but only mows pathways, doesn't make excavations.

Sorry for the long gap. I have been hindered by many hospital visits of which I don't think you all need details. The final result is that I am now back home with a complete new knee and it is fast getting so much better that I'm beginning to forget how awful the old one was. Before the date for the new one arrived the old one bled into the joint and I had to be rescued by two very kind para-medics and spent the week in hospital on morphine with about a binbag full of ice round my leg. When they brought me back Welsh winter had kicked in and the ambulance just got up my lane and my front garden was an ice sheet I didn't dare walk on.
Fortunately Emma had been in residence ever since I went and she walked a 3 mile round trip in the snow every day to walk the collies and feed ducks and sheep.
Then at last I had the op. Managed to give 6 extra drakes to a good home the night before I left. To catch them one has to arrange for the recipient of ducks to come here at about dusk so that I can corrall them as they come in for their tea. Anyway I now have a more suitable little flock ready for spring but no one is laying. They haven't forgiven me for being kept in through two long periods of snow.
Emma moved back in while I was back in hospital and is still here most of the time, bless her, although I am now quite good walking about indoors and even outside a bit. Haven't risked walking dogs yet as Dyfi could chrge into me and dislodge crutches. The dogs are thoroughly enjoying Emma and her dog, Rocky. who is their bosom friend.
Picture of snow play. The one up above that isn't a collie is Rocky. He is bulldogxboxer and is exactly like a very small boxer with chopped of legs - very energetic.

Now I wonder if this site will let me post the collie one down here? Evidently not so see above.

Problem solved

At one point I was feeding about 30 full grown ducks but luckily the ladies at least are always in demand so two people came and collected a batch each and one had a drake as well. In order to catch them I have to close the gaps in the fence round the bit of their night time quarters when they have gone out and then shut the gate. At tea time when they are hungry I let them in and shut the gate again and then start catching. It is pandemonium. One by one I catch them, listen for a quack and hand females to the waiting buyer. Drakes only whisper which makes them ideal garden pets in built up areas where the neighbours would complain about quacking. I find that ducks of all kinds make excellent living garden ornaments and they eat slugs and snails. Above is a photo of the slug patrol.
After the first catching session a whole batch of them refused to come in for two nights but fortunately were not eaten by a fox.

a superfluity of ducks

This year my ducks managed to nest in the bog irises without my knowledge, It is such a jungle in the bog where they live at night that I can't see the eggs for leaves. Later I cut a lot of the greenery with a sickle but too late. One produced 8 babies and two ladies sharing a nest produced 10.. By the time they all grew up they were eating me out of house and home. Now, thank goodness, I have sold seven but the rest, finding the selection process [barring exit from feeding station, so traumatic that last night only the drakes and a couple of their more elderly wives came for tea. I don't think a fox has had any as there are no piles of feathers around. I just hope they will be hungry enough or forgetful enough to present themselves fot tea tonight.

Ducklings

Several ducks have found secret places to nest in the bog irises and one now has eight babies. They are two weeks old now and so far no losses. O have been carefully surveying the netting over their safe bog and mended all the possible crow entries I could find. The photo above is their first day. Mother made them wait till she was sure all were out of their eggs. Now if this works right the next photo should appear under the texts.
It's no good. It just won't upload the other duckling picture.

Duck update

The ducks have truly forgiven me for their winter incarceration and are inhabiting the garden like living garden ornaments.
The Muscovies have taken to exploring beyond my boundaries. I don't really approve as if she decides to nest secretly out there somewhere, she might get eaten and also I prefer to swap the eggs for normal duck eggs so that I don't have to find homes for about a dozen baby muscovies. My neighbour likes them going out on his land as ducks eat the snails that give sheep fluke. He calls them the fluke patrol.
One of the others is being a good girl and sitting in the prescribed place ie. in a box shelter down in their night time bog. There should be babies soon and then I'll post photos.

Spring has sprung

At last spring has come to Snowdonia. We have ewes popping lambs all over the place and the sun has been shining for a week. The field where of late I have been exercising the dogs has returned to its proper use as a maternity unit.

I'm teaching this week so don't have a lot of time but have managed to flatten the worst of Silver's ravages. Obviously it will require much deviousness to prevent her from reducing the lawn to a battlefield again. I have placed the dog jumps strategically across her original circle and will put some tubs of flowers at various points and move them as a new track starts appearing. At least she'll have pause and manoeuvre as she goes.
The ducks are enjoying life. One is sitting anf one Muscovy lady has vanished. I don't know if she has been eaten or found a nice secret place to nest. I hope the latter but wish she'd decided to do it inside the night time run.