Henlo, Friends! It’s been a while. I’ve been in Canada for several weeks, saying goodbye to my dear mother-in-law. You may have seen my video about it on YouTube:
Needless to say, it’s been a rough few weeks for The Chickenlandia Family. But made it through and we continue to move forward while dealing with the huge loss. One comfort in all of this is that my mother-in-law suffered with illness for a long time, so when the time came, she was ready and left on her terms. This was how she would have wanted it.
Ardith Trapman, 1938 – 2019
Last night, we arrived back in Chickenlandia. How wonderful it’s been to be among my flock again! In this reunion, I’m reminded of how fortunate I am in life, and how no matter what the loss, there will always be new beginnings all around me.
Welp, the kids’ birthdays are over (they’re both in October) and Halloween is finally done. Even though I’m so happy things have slowed down, I confess to being a little bored this week. Boredom is a dangerous state for those who suffer from chronic #BirdMathFlu such as I. A couple days ago, my sister (The Pippa of Chickenlandia) and I got to talking about ducks and guess what I went out and did? Yup, I got another duck. Please welcome Duckles the Duck to Chickenlandia!
The day Duckles came home to Chickenlandia.
I actually did put some serious thought into whether I should add a new duck to Chickenlandia. This past Spring was the worst for us in terms of duck luck. I had two ducklings die in transit to me, one die in the brooder, and two juveniles die suddenly of an unknown illness. It was just awful. You can see them toward the end of this video. They were both healthy and happy, then tragically passed away just a few days later.
Sweet Rosalina at the vet on the day she died.
So, you can imagine I had some moments where I thought no more ducks, ever. But here we are a few months later and I’m ready to try again! I feel confident that Duckles will do well here. Take a look at what she accomplished her first morning in Chickenlandia:
Big o’ duck egg! The best kind.
Since we have some chicken egg intolerances in our home, Duckles is going to serve a great purpose as well as being a wonderful pet. In case you didn’t know, duck eggs makes the absolute best pancakes, waffles, muffins, and other baked delights. They’re also delicious how I like them, in an omelette covered with sheep feta. I just love eating them and so does my family.
So, of course, I vlogged all about my trip to go get Duckles and her arrival in Chickenlandia. You can see where she lived before, and how I’m integrating her into my flock. I may have also taken some creative license to make it more fun LOL. To watch the video, click the play button below!
Have you had any new arrivals in your flock lately? Let me know in the comments!
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit an animal sanctuary that is very close to my heart. Some of you that have been following me on Facebook for a while might remember the tragic loss of one of my friends a couple of years ago. What I didn’t say at the time was that her family contacted me to help them find homes for her beloved chickens and sheep. Enter Pasado’s Safe Haven.
Not only did this organization help me find one home for her whole flock of chickens, they also took in her entire herd of sheep, which was no easy task. Her sheep were terrified and didn’t want to go into truck. I’m sure they were confused and missed their mama. That was a hard day. Here’s a photo my friend shared with me before tragedy struck her life.
My friend died in a way that made me question the good of humanity. But when I saw the lengths that the people from Pasado’s Safe Haven went to to help her animals, my faith was restored. That’s why I was so delighted to tour their facility. I hope you’ll take the time to watch the third episode of Chickenlandia’s new series on YouTube, Chickenlandia Stories: Animal Sanctuary. You can do so by clicking the play button below. <3
For more info on Pasado’s Safe Haven or to make a donation: pasadossafehaven.org
To learn more about the tragic story of my friend and her husband click here.
