On Saturday we headed to Salisbury to an auction to buy some ducks! Indian Runners to be exact. Carolyn's bidding meant we went home with lots 623 - a trio including a drake and 644 - 2 proper wine-bottle-shaped ducks. We took the 5 of them to their new home at Manor Farm and they were moved into the duck house for the night.
Later on we had afternoon tea with Aunty Pat & Uncle Geoffery and Peter, Sue, Tom & Will to celebrate Aunty Pat's 83rd birthday and Will's 18th. For the evening we headed to Worth Matravers' village hall to watch a screening of 'A cat on a hot tin roof' from 1958 starring Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor as part of the Purbeck Film Festival.
After breakfast this morning, we fetched the ducks from the duck house and lead them to the stream at the front of the house. It was quite a rainy day, apparently 'good weather for ducks'. It'll take about a week for them to learn where they play and where they sleep.
Before a lovely roast lunch, I helped Carolyn, Rob and Jove (the dog) move 2 paddocks of pregnant ewes from one area (which will get too soggy for them with the rain in the coming days) to another (drier paddock with lots of feed) which included crossing one of the streets in the village. In the rain (and me fully kitted out in wet weather gear that I haven't worn since I was 3) and with the sheep not behaving well, it took us two hours. I don't think I'll become a shepherd any time soon, its very hard work! The sheep don't go anywhere they aren't lead, they break into a sprint for no reason and equally stand their ground. Of course, proper shepherds (my cousin Rob) know exactly how to lead them and how they react to anything and everything for which I have even more respect for now!
After some more tea, and another visit with Aunty Pat & Uncle Geoffery, I caught the train home. It was a quite different weekend for me - great fun. Of course, I get to come back to London to my desk job but Rob will be doing it all again tomorrow.
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