91热爆

I have been awfy busy o` late. Got a wee ducky dilemma.....twa oot o` oor nesting ducks have hatched their bairns, one has a clutch o` five, she is roond the back o` the byres and doing fine, mainly because at the first sign o` gulls or crows she herds her bairns intae the byre and hides in the stall whar she hatched the eggs.
The other one, though, is roond the front o` us, just in front o` the livingroom window. She hatched seven bairns, and so far is being a good mam tae them, unusual in ducks, wha have been known tae trample their ain young tae death tae get tae a feed!
However, the day afore yesterday, I heard a tremendous racket frae the geese, wha` also get let oot o` a wee enclosure ootside the kitchen every morning. Looking oot the window, there were three o` me geese, going hell for leather at me wee ducklings! It wasnae just a mild but noisy warning they were giving the creatures either....they intended tae kill them, going full tilt they were, mammy duck was panicking and trying tae attack the lead goose and herd her wee ones awa` at the same time, and the wee ones were running aroond peeping madly like...well...heidless chickens...
so oot runs me and the son, and lifting a handy washing pole I chased the geese back intae the enclosure and son shut them in, then we had tae roond up the ducklings and herd them back tae mam.
Luckily, at the time, nane o` them were injured. But we have had tae keep the geese enclosed. Geese are awfy territorial....last year they tried tae dae the same tae the newly hatched chicks, and we`d tae pen the chicks wi` the mammy hen.
How and ever, due tae the recent storms we had only one hutch and whole run repaired, and that hooses a cockerel and his hens wha are nesting.
So himself has been busily repairing the other runs, so tonight we will have tae catch the mam and ducklings and pen them for their ain safety. Easier said than done mind you....
then we`ll can let the geese back oot and a` should be well, and a` manner o` things should be well tae....;-)
Also, as of this morning, one o` the ducklings is lame...there`s a reason for that `lame duck` saying...I can see the ruddy gulls wheeling above the garden....

Aside frae that I have been up to me neck in sheepskin and coo hide tanning, there are frames ootside drying in oor gentle Orkney air (which is a polite term for saying, it`s never ruddy dry here!!) and have mair skins needing worked in the workshop, so me days are busy...

How and ever though, I still found time tae shoot me new bow, and meself and a friend spent a guidly time the other day wi` the target set up in the garage (I have nae wish tae rake the long wet grass after rain for me arrows if we miss) and atween us, we massacred the enemy and the odd sheep or twa (really. I have an auld sheepskin pinned up on the door, it got killed quite a few times...)
and it was a guid fun time.
Then himself got his new compound bow through the post and it was like watching a wee laddie at Jul!
Full o` grins and itching tae play, oot he went, tae try it oot on the target in the garage, which is a guid few yards set back frae the door, one end tae the other it is....
His bow is a 55lb pull which equates tae me favourite crossbow in actual power...that is, it equals a 150lb crossbow.
Only, he didnae ken that at the time. So looses the arrow, a swift and brief whoosh and an almighty thud took place and he went tae inspect and retrieve the arrow. It had went through me high impact target, specially made for me crossbows so nae lightweight....and the backing board the target was on...AND the half inch thick garage door..........

So I have forbidden him frae firing the bow indoors...he can set up his ain target ootdoors, whar he can stand back apace and no` wreck the arrows or any nearby doors. Oh aye, I also told him no` tae have the target in front o` the field o` coos.....

I hope everbody is having a fine week. It`s only just occured tae me, there is only four weeks until me visitors come and tae the medieval feast and games! Eek! I have sae much tae dae.......

Me friend is going tae tak some pictures tae post here, me ain camera is dying on me and has nae zoom, so each time I try tae tak a picture o` the wee merganser (who sleeps owernight just in front o` the bedroom window in the remains o` the daffodils) he just looks like a wee speck! And I hope tae be able tae post some pics o` the ducklings and ony geese that hatch, and o` me new bows (oh aye, forgot tae mention, I splurged and bought another bow as well.....*need therapy*)