Me vs. The Wilderness

Part...which part is this, anyway? I've lost count!

The county has sent its little love note, saying that we really need to cut down the weeds or else. Or else showed up last Thursday in the personage of a very nice weed-abatement subcontractor who said (I paraphrase) "Please have this done by next week so I don't have to -- it'll be cheaper that way."

Well. When it's flooding and the Universe sends you a 4x4, a boat, and a helicopter...or in my case, weeds, a warning, a warrant, and a weed-abater...it's time to sit up, pay attention, and grab the hula-hoe. Fortunately I've got a little help this time around. DBS is trying to hunt down and kill some overtime, so he only really got a few of feet of fenceline. The Banshees and I have been doing everything else. But DBS did get that fenceline and the Banshees are helping and I'm tickled fuschia. It's so much better than feeling like I'm in it all by myself. In return the Banshees get to pick out a 3'x3' area for a garden of their very own, front yard or back yard, their choice. So far they've wanted front yard spaces which is entirely doable. Now I've got to figure out what would be a good kid-crop for the next few months. Hmm.

The ducks started earning their keep last Thursday. We've been getting between one and three eggs a day and I've been looking up quiche recipes. I'm also going to have to butcher a couple of them here soon; I was going to do that today but the ducks have been reprieved by the weed abatement project. I have between 8 and 9 Saxony drakes and three in particular are gorgeous, but I can only keep one. Fortunately I only have one Silver Appleyard drake (Flambeau) and one Cayuga drake (Severus Drake). I'm still on the fence as to whether I'm going to keep Aristophanes, the Khaki Campbell drake, or Casanova, the chocolate Runner drake. They're beautiful but we have limited space and they don't lay eggs. Bother.