so very proud x

as of yesterday Caithness Rare Breeds is an official charity - with its own charity number!

i am so incredibly proud of Stephen who has worked so hard pulling all this together - applying to become a charity is a long task - as it should be.....

it is funny how that simple letter with our very own number has concentrated our minds.... made us re-visit our initial dreams of helping animals that are dangerously low in numbers....
made us start planning for the future....
more land...
more animals....
fund raising....

hard, hard work but we just cannot wait :)




yesterday was also the very first time we saw our new business in print in a magazine
Crofting Supplies.....
again, Stephen has researched suppliers, built the website, filled in endless forms.....
i sit in awe of my chap
in awe

so
yesterday was a very good day indeed






today has been surprisingly lovely so far even though it started we me spending three hours clearing and cleaning the pony shelter - so little goes in to those boys and yet so much comes out!
it now sits empty of all poo and bedding, has had its flooring removed ready for a new one to be laid and sprayed with a natural fly and bug repellent - the ponies eyed me with deep suspicion as their home was dismantled and scrubbed - they do not like change and will be glad when they can go back in and make a massive mess again......

i would show you all pictures of my hard work but i am still waiting for my replacement battery charger for my camera - i hate using the smaller one as the picture quality is so poor....
there are so many things i want to photograph - i am so looking forward to sitting quietly in with the ducks and attempting to catch all the colours and quirky movements of my new little family... to say i am besotted with them would be understated...
i honestly cannot imagine a garden without ducks - i have plans to add more next year - some of our own babies hopefully and also a few different breeds.....

for those that have asked and said that they wished that they could keep ducks but do not have a pond, well, good news neither do we...
our duck family have a large enclosure that has a big duck house and lots and lots of grass - some short and some left long so they can enjoy shelter from the wind.....
they have a large container which i believe was from Homebase and is sold as a builders mixing tray - this i empty and refill four times a day - it sounds time consuming but we have a hose and i get to chat to them all whilst i am out there :)
they also have another smaller tray which is placed next to their feeding station and is meant to be for drinking only but there is generally one of them sitting in it - they also have a deep enamel bowl which i fill and then place bits of lettuce, carrot tops, parsley in and they love having a good old fish around x

we do have a ditch which runs along the back of their area which does remain pretty full throughout Winter so they will have some extra water there - but i think they will still appreciate the clean water we offer...
i hope that they are happy with our arrangement - they certainly seem as if they are x

so - for all those worried - go for it - even a small garden could be home for a small family of ducks x
just do not expect a them to show your garden any respect - i shall photograph the mud bath and beak holes soon!



right must away to start a little sewing - quite a few new things to show you..... as soon as that blasted camera is sorted.......

t x