Just What I Needed

A couple of weeks ago I went to Surrey to buy two Indian Runner ducks. It took forever to find the place, and when we finally got there it was a nightmare. When we pulled up, I swear to god that no less than a dozen kids under the age of 10 came streaming out the door, none of them looking as though they'd seen a wash cloth for at least a week. The smallest one had snot and dirt crusted on her face, and one of the oldest threatened to steal my car... There were also several older kids watching out the window, and two men and a woman. I actually felt sorry for the ducks that they'd been living at this place. After a long (not too sweet smelling) ride home, I put them in the duck house. It took them a couple of days before they would go outside in the pen, and I thought they'd never get brave enough to follow my ducks out into the wild blue yonder every day (they are free range and can really travel - I've found themmore than a half kilometer away from home). As the Surrey ducks were very similar looking, I felt they needed names that went together, and so it was that Laverne and Shirley became members of our duck flock.
And then today, while I was digging a new septic line (that's a whole 'nother story folks), my mom's friend calls to tell me she's found some ducklings for me.
Yay! 5 more ducks (and these ones are still so young they are "special needs"). Definitely just what I didn't need.
But Gitche Manitou works in strange ways.
Besides they're awfully darn cute.
Should anyone out there now of any good duck names, I am open to suggestions, having named 15 or so ducks in the last four years. Names that go together would be good. I've had Thelma and Louise (sadly both deceased), and Tom, Dick and Harry-ette (apparently she was not a drake after all)...
The picture here is of the newbies. They are currently living in a dog crate in the spare room...

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A Farewell to Ad

My old uncle Addy passed away last week. He was 91 years old, and the last living sibling of my maternal grandmother. I hadn't seen him in at least two years. I wish now that I had more of an effort to keep in touch over the years. My earliest memories of uncle Ad are from my childhood years in Burnaby. He lived on Duthie Street, right behind my grandparents place on Yorston Court. Looking back now I know that uncle Ad wasn't really all that old at the time, but to me he never appeared to get any older than he was in my childhood, maybe just a little more fragile with the passing of the years. When my brothers and I were young, uncle Ad was something of a favourite with us, probably because every Christmas he would make us an absolutely fabulous gingerbread house loaded with candy. During the summer, we'd sneak through the gate at the back of the garden and visit him -he always seemed to have lime popsicles in the freezer. I hadn't seen very much of uncle Ad in recent years. He and aunt Margaret had long since moved from their Duthie street home (which, like many other older homes in the area was torn down and replaced by a much bigger house). I did visit occasionally, and once they made the long trek out to Deroche to visit us. I was always struck by just how much he looked like my grandmother -perhaps another reason why I was fond of him. I wish I had gotten to know him better as an adult -that is to say when I became an adult, and not just as a figure from my childhood. I know I will miss him, as he was the final connection to that generation of my family
Sadly "Bad Geordie" has eaten the cord to my scanner, so a photo of uncle Ad will just have to wait until I can justify spending my money on such a trivial thing. He's also eaten the cord for my camera, various bits of clothing (he favours socks), the rug, his dog bed, a rather pricey (and might I add, brand new) pair of runners...

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