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Pekin Ducks

February 3rd 2011 01:40
Here are a few interesting facts about Pekin ducks that nobody seems to write about.

If they break a claw, nail or 'toe', after a few days that part grows back as good as new. If they damage their webbing, that too heals and shortly they are no longer limping around.

With our five girls, as there is no drake one of them has developed the characteristics of one, including guarding, chasing away potential predators (ie me when hanging out the washing, or the dogs who run around wildly while I am doing this) quacking with a deeper or different sound, and mating with the others during bath time.


Pekin ducks (and potentiall all ducks) are quite smart.

Ours have been regularly crated around the Victorian countryside each weekend or during hols since they were small and without fail adjust to their different houses without missing a beat. At dusk they will take themselves to bed from whichever part of the garden/paddock they are in without having to be chased or carried.

Do you think they are like kids, pups and horses? That the more
experiences they have as youngsters the smarter they become?

My son just tracked me down at work (no mean feat considering I work at three different schools, two of which are multi-campused) to inform me that they had started laying!

Two smooth, creamy green eggs in the nest box next to the one Fluff (our remaining chook) uses. Could they be copying her? Ducks normally just lob out their eggs any old place.

See, they are super smart!

They have also managed to attract a tiny wild drake who visits occasionally, but seems to be chased away by the 'drake' among the girls.

Thought this might interest you. Bye for now.
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The Others with Nicole Kidman

March 11th 2010 01:36
Hey has anyone else seen that relatively old film starring Nicole Kidman called 'The Others'? Watched it the other day and it has a really spooky twist.

Set in an isolated very old country house on an island 'somewhere in England' it shows a young mother and her two children waiting at the end of the second world war for the return of her soldier husband.

Three servants knock at the door asking for work which they are granted. Weird things happen, noises, the two children and mother are spooked.

An old photo album is found which has pictures of the previous family as they lay or sat dead.


The father returns, somnolent and withdrawn and after a few days returns to the battlefield.

The mother (Nicole) believes the house must be haunted.

Then she finds the headstones of the three servants in the nearby graveyard.

Panic. An old musket is found. A seance seems to be held.

Turns out Nicole and her kids are the ghosts. We watch as they and we come to terms with this twist. Then they kind of 'disappear'.

At the end we see the 'real' family shutting the gates on their 'weekender' with a 'for sale' sign dangling.

Creepy as!



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Frankenstein and a Scold's Bridle

October 2nd 2009 00:27
Recently read 'Frankenstein' for the first time. You know, that book is nothing like you may imagine, or have been led to beleive by various Hollywood efforts.

For a start, Mr. Frankenstein is the man who created the 'creature', but not the name of the creature itself. When his 8 foot tall 'creation' comes to life (and we are not told specifically how this occurs, so where does the bolt of lighting come in?) Frankenstein runs from him in horror, apparently mainly cos he looks so revolting.

For a few years the creature roams the mountains of Germany and Switzerland while Frankenstein suffers a nervous breakdown. The monstrously ugly creature finitially eels nothing but love for his fellow beings but is shunned by all he encounters. He tracks down his creator and starts murdering his nearest and dearest out of revenge. Eventually he makes a deal with Frankenstein; if he makes him a 'wife', he will leave him forever and not keep killing his family. Frankenstein tries but fails, so the killing goes on.

We leave the two heroes skittering about on the ice somewere deep in the North, where Frankenstein eventually dies and the creature vows to burn himself at the stake thus ending the whole miserable busi ness.

Was this whole sorry tale built merely on the look of things? If Frankenstein had only hung around to look after his monster, how different things might have been. And how twisted did the story get in the making of the films??

Anyone else read this lovely Gothic tale?

Speaking of looks, took my mare to the dentist Wednesday. You remember some TV series called 'The Scold's Bridle', which highlighted that wonderful mediaval piece of ironmongery which was placed over the head and around the mouth of a nagging woman?

My mare had something akin to that placed in her mouth and around her head while the dentist sawed away at her teeth with an iron file. Did the trick too, she is already eating better and put a bit more weight on. We get our horses teeth done once a year, tis a critical part of horse care. Amazing how many horse owners don't think it important, yet are happy to pay hundreds of bucks on food.

Turns out the farriers had never heard of a scold's bridle either! Oh well, gotta go feed the squawking baby magpie....
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Drug Free Games???Nah.....

August 17th 2008 23:29


Do you really believe that the Games are drug-free


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Michael, who is nine, was invited to a class-mates birthday sleepover. The plan was to see a movie, get some pizza, try to get some sleep. You know the deal


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Shatter those illusions.....

August 16th 2008 10:27
Mt Macedon, Victoria


The other day I was up early and drove past magnificent Mount Macedon en-route to a horse event. Up the fir-tree lined Calder Freeway just outside Melbourne


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Gentle Inspirations

August 3rd 2008 01:58
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My marriage is over

August 1st 2008 03:25
Filed for divorce on Wednesday.

Is that what that they call it in Oz? Filed for? Whatever. But visited a lawyer and started the process


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Isn't Everyday 'World Youth Day'?

July 17th 2008 01:53
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wind turbines


My daughter asks me: why can't we run our cars on methane? Well, why can't we


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