well this morning i placed my duck order.
i placed an add on craigslist, and with WBF's imput too imanaged to hit the minimum order size to avoid any small order charges.
ive got an order of 6 sexed black runners, coming for me...
i was initially thinking of doing runners and khakis, but i figure for now ill go with my 6 runners becaue thats what i already planned.
then next spring i can bring in 1/2 a dozen khakis if i need more duck egg production, im planning muscovy too
the rest of the order is some khaki cambells along with fawn/white and chocolate runners.
so yeah itll be 3-5 days before i get a delivery date. ive alredy got a big tupper tote to use as a brooder, along with a chick feed and waterer and heat lamps with bulbs so i shouldnt need to worry about anything other than a bag of starter feed untill april time.
right now because of the availablity on the runners being 3-5 weeks estimate im expecting end of february beginning of march which is good, gives me till april then to get the fencing project done so they can safely go outside.
i think instead of doing planting beds this year im just going to rake the area, give it a top dressing with some peat and manure tea and spread a mixed perenial clover and mabe a shade tolerant grass over the enitre area, theres clover already established in that area so it should take nicely, the ducks will have fun grazing on it, i can pick it fresh for the buns and im hoping my kitchen garden produces enough to supliment the buns feed as well as my own so it shouldnt be too much trouble to not do the extra beds this year.
so ducks are ordered. next step on the homesteading front is a trip to lowes who aparently DO have the bales of peat so i can slowly start filling my planting beds...i cant afford to do them all this month...so im planning on doing a couple this month and a couple next month...
my ssiter dropped me a facebook message that she realy misses me...
shes having a hard time right now, she gave up an annoying but stable ob at goodwill (she was having issues with the managment and they were giving her the run around screwing her on he rpaycheck ect) for a ob that "guarenteed 25hours a week and a higher pay scale as a shift supervisor...well unfortunatly that "guarenteed" 25 hours wasnt in writing and now shes lucky to be getting 10 a week...so im going to have a chat with her and see whats going on in her brain...she says shes looking for a new job, and i cant blame her, but she also needs to put some serious thought about getting into college and getting her degree (she wants to be a psycologist)
Mabe this will be the kick in the pants she needs...
unfortunatly what she realy needs is to get out of connecticut, away form the freinds shes had since middleschool, not one of which has any ambition, none of them have gone off to college, none of them have stated community college and most dont actually have jobs or nay kind of ambition either...there the kind of kids that will probably be jumping from mcdonalds to taco bell to burgerking their entire lives and when she snot working her few hours shes with them...i have a sinking feeling that there holding her back ya know...she likes hanigng out with them and she wouldnt be able to do that if she was working and going to college...right now its easier to work 10 hours and fool aorund with friends than it is to realy move forward...she says no college because she cant afford it right now and doesnt want school loans, but at this rate shell NEVER get it moving...and there certainly not helping encorage her to start the process...
id love for her to ust come out here, get a handle on things and get her butt into college and moving foraward...shes too smart a kid to be letting epopel with no ambition hold her back. and too nice/easy going a person to worry that she woudlnt make new friends.
shes going to get a swift kick soon if mum and dad do decide to move, at her current rate theres no chance in hell she can stay in Connecticut, shes not making enough money to even remotly survive...so if she doesnt make the desicions soon...ive got a feeling mum and dad will be making them for her.
*sigh*
oh well just dropped her a call, its 11:30 her time so not sure if shes working or still asleep (yup you heard that right, and yes shes 20 years old in may) as she wants to skype today...i cant sit around all day waiting for her though, ive got some stuff i want to get done in the front yard...like finally trying to get my stupid mailbox stable (i couldnt dig deep enough with the shovel so im hoping now i can dig the hole and then use my new little twist tiller to break up once i hit rock)...
and i need to get the front bed started so i can get the bulbs i have that are currently trying to grow through their bags into the ground...
i think im going to get sorted and dressed get that all done then try catching her later...i need to feed and check on the buns which i havent done yet, feed ack jack and fill the catfood and such...so i should get moving.
I wish I could upload pictures (my satellite TV & satellite internet are fighting, making uploading photos impossible 
) I would show you my latest attempt. Friends came by and asked why I 'stuck those sticks in that pit right there' - referring to my latest attempt at a flowerbed! 
Boy, that was a lot of poo in one paragraph!! 
for her and you! I hope that she finds the right door open soon!
