28/03/21 - 251 Days GF - No Debt

Hi Stephen,

It's lovely reading about the travails of the Wild Lady Duck (Ms.!) and also the juxtaposition with your contemplating leaving the diaries.

I might have the answer for you.  I wonder if there's a 'DuckCare' website.  It would accommodate your perfectly-healthy affinity with these delightful creatures and satisfy a wonderful opportunity to talk all things duck!

Newbies in this ornithological branch could be introduced as 'Ducklings' until they finally find their (webbed) feet.  I'd certain join; this is no poultry idea (sorry!)

Anyway, away from this flight of fancy I wish you a continued enjoyable weekend Stephen.  As regards you, and your diaries, or however else you engage, it's all about your happiness and wellbeing first.  Let your instincts guide you; one day at a time 🙂

Many thanks for your hilarious post Roch. It made my weekend complete and brought some well needed smiles to my face.

Lovely day here in Hull

Cloudy ?️ sunshine

Belly full

With apple, orange and succulent pear

Planning the day of my life in repair

Repairing a life that was battered and bruised

Fobts in the bookies used and abused

Left me with nothing but sadness and shame

As yapping dogs ran from a metallic frame

But that is all in the past

Future beckons me on

Bravely I go forward 

Knowing right from wrong

Aum ?

Hi Aum

Love reading your diary, even just to get updates on the ducks in Hull! Please don't stop posting on here, it's exactly the tonic I like when reading people's diaries.

Glad to see you doing well, hopefully see you in Peeraid next week 🙂

S x

Many thanks for those kind words Steven. I posted a reply on your diary. 

Will try to be in the Peeraid Chatroom Wednesday & Friday but am busy this week so will see how it goes.

Very upset today because the female with 9 ducklings has now only got two and the nest containing 4 eggs in the pub's outside space has been abandoned by the mother due to it now been busy with people eating and drinking.

Aum ?

Hello Diary & Gamcare friends.

Pleased to report still gamble free on day 267 and no inclination to gamble.

A lot of confusion in my mind and a few issues I need to address so going to take a break from gamcare for a while.

Love and best wishes and catch up with you all again soon. 

Stephen x x x

________Diary Closed ______________

Good morning Stephen and I’m noting that you are taking a break for a while. Whilst you do, we are all with you in spirit and on your shoulder as we support you.

It is always upsetting when we see the impacts of humanity on nature. You are following the progress of the lovely ducks who have had a blissful time of it whilst we’ve all been in lockdown. However normality is resuming and they will slowly revert to the normal circle of life. This was always the way and the ducks will adjust as usual. Let’s embrace that our feathered friends will still survive and thrive, and be joyous they had a year or so when they were in the ascendancy, just for once!

Stephen, I get you, and wish you well. It goes without saying; come back soon! Purely selfishly, partly, from my part. Simply going to miss you!

Thank you Roch. I appreciate your kind words and agree that the ducks adapt well to changes in their environment.

A friend of mine said that's how nature is but it broke my heart yesterday. I saw one of the 7 missing ducklings in the mouth of a crow which flew off with it. 

There was also a mother with her ducklings in the town dock trying to set up home in a hole in the dock wall which was occupied by pigeons but by early evening there were just two ducklings left aimlessly paddling around. No sign of the mother and 3 male ducks passed and just ignored them. A gull flew off with one chick and the other one dissapeared from view a few minutes later.

The mother who had been frightened from her nest containing eggs was sat nearby on the dockside and I felt sad for her and the other two mothers who had lost babies.

I am just going to set off and feed the mother duck and her two remaining ducklings.

What makes it all worse is that some of the male ducks behave very badly and will try to force themselves on the females even when they have ducklings so the lady ducks are traumatised by that as well. 

I know it is nature but it is making me very sad. 

Aum

Hi Stephen,

It is sad. 

Nature can be wonderful, but at the same time, "survival of the fittest" can sometime be very cruel.  I remember as a kid at school watching a nature video showing a pack of lions picking off a lame gazelle from the herd and then eating it alive.  It was traumatic then and I don't think I'd ever want to see that film again!

However, there is a lesson for us all here.  When we are not gambling, we are seeing with extra clarity.  Paying more attention to life, good and bad.  Yes, you're spotting things that you might have ignored before.  We don't know a tenth of what goes on behind "nature's closed doors" but at least you're witnessing it and whilst it's emotionally sad, at least you're feeling it.  They'll be good days, and indeed, better days at the duckpond and neighbouring environs.

One of the beauties of being in recovery mode is that we gain a better perspective; less likely to knee j**k, on any pretext, into heading into the abyss.  This is demonstrated by your visiting the ducks today which may, or may not, be there. But at least you're there, keeping a wonderful paternal eye out, which I think is great.

Take care, Stephen; I truly get it, as you know. 

P.S.   Can't help noticing one of my words hasn't got past the censor 😀 !

Nature sure is wonderful but also can be hard to watch. I love all animals but seeing animals hurt makes me sad, that's why I could never watch races like the Grand National horses dying for entertainment, weighs heavy on me. This story will make AUM smile, a friend of mine running into the house shouting " start the car" her husband ....what's the panic....we have to go to the canal she says. The canal is across the road and round the corner from their house she usually walks there sits on the side watches the ducks and swans. He looked down her bag was moving she opened the zip further to show him an adult duck and 4 babies they were trying to get back across our city's busiest road and they couldn't so she scooped them up put them in her shopping bag. She was so upset and panicking so he dutifully took her in the car, but he said so worth it to see her face as she gently got them out into the water. He doesn't mind animals but not scatty over them like she is, but he swears that the mother duck looked grateful !! He said she was parading the babies up and down even he sat down to watch, he said he was also thinking please stay there now ,can't take the stress !! I think stopping gambling helps you appreciate more the other things in life that are out there, gambling makes you blind to everything let's all leave it behind for good

Hi Aum,

Firstly sorry to hear about the ducklings, it's a cruel world sometimes we live in I'm afraid.

Totally understand why you need to take a break from here. Take care and look forward to seeing you at some point in the future.

Best Wishes 

S x

Many thanks for the wonderful posts Roch, Charlieboy and Steven which I have reread several times. The lovely story from Charlieboy made me smile as I pictured the mother with her ducklings admiring their new home.

The poor duck in the marina now has only one duckling but her partner seems to be guarding her more. She seems to have moved to the other side of the old bridge she was living under which might be a bit safer. 

On a positive note I visited the ponds in the city centre garden where I was pleased to find a duck with her partner and 5 ducklings and surprise surprise, there was a goose and a moorhen sitting on nests.

From now on just going to feed them all mealworm which I soak for an hour because it is nutritious and floats. The oats I was throwing floated for a while and the adults love it but probably too much for the chicks.

Aum

Hi Stephen,

I must say, I'm finding your diary a very pleasant and calm place to reflect, far away from the hustle and bustle of life!  I'm getting rather attached the ducks, chicks, geese and moorhens and their changing fortunes.  It's nice to know that the duck in the marina has one chick that she can devote all her time too ... I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them.  I hope the duck in the city centre fares better with her brood.  Having been to Hull a few times I can actually picture the scene!

I have a reservoir close to where I live and it's a haven for ducks and geese; they even have a little island in the middle of the lake so they can live undisturbed.   I must visit there again; might even go today.

I wonder, out of curiosity, how many chicks make it to adulthood.  I suppose that's why ducks tend to give birth to a large brood, to ensure that some of them, at least, make it. Some do, hence why we see a healthy population around us. That's good to know at least!

Hi Stephen sorry I not drop in of late have been having a few issues hope you’re well and enjoying the sunshine take care               
   Your friend scotty??

Many thanks for visiting my diary:

Roch... Saddened to report the last remaining duckling in the marina was not to be seen. In the city centre garden ponds there is a duck who is down to her last duckling (the gardeners reported seeing a gull fly off with one) . Better news for the moorhen chicks (saw a couple of happy families) and the goose seems ok sat on her eggs although she is only 2 metres from the footpath. The reed beds are around the edges but would be better towards the middle of the pond.

Scotty....Sorry you have been having problems. Hope things are getting better for you and you are getting out for walks with the dogs.

Hello Diary. 

Sunny yesterday & today so enjoyed some good walks with lunches in pub outdoor space by the river. 

Aum ?

Hi Stephen

I'm sorry to hear that the last duckling has swam off to another plane ... and is suffering no more.  And I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a moorhens.  It's a jungle out there isn't it ... under our noses but we only see it if we really look.  And yet... all this what we would call barbarity is just another day for wildlife. It shows how lucky we are to be civilised (although reading the news on occasion I wonder!)

Let's keep sanguine though.  And keep living this better life. Strolls by the river, breaking off for a nice lunch.  These are the moments. And hoping you have plenty of these this summer Stephen!