Say hello to my little friends
So, a little business meeting took me down to good ole Alabama this weekend. I normally hate traveling for business, but this particular trip allowed me the rare pleasure of paying a visit to the Stockton family farm, Bide-a-wee (don't ask- it's from some Irish poem or something), just outside Birmingham.I love spending time on the farm, especially during the spring, when the tulips are in bloom, the horses are frisky, and the rivers run with sweet tea.
(the horses, in a not so frisky moment)
Now, my parents have expressed disappointment in the past with some of my life choices (LA? Really?), but to their credit they do recognize my strengths. Which is why the first thing out of my Dad's mouth when I arrived was, "so, I've been thinking of buying a surround sound system for my mega-lo gigantoid high def TV. Wanna help me choose one and install it?"
"Why yes, Father. Yes I do."
And Mom followed that up with, "oh, and my friend down the street just hatched some baby ducklings. Wanna go down there and help us pick some out?"
"Why yes, Mother, I think that's a splendid idea."
So off we went on our fantasy shopping spree, arriving home later bearing surround sound and 5 little, fluffy week-old mallards.
Swallowing my guilt at the memory of the tasty (and oh so tender) duck breast with quince confit feast that Freylock had treated me to a mere 2 days previous, I learned to love the little guys immediately.
What you might not know about hatchlings is that when incubated and raised without the benefit of a duck mother, they never really learn to fly. And that, like many a cartoon hatchling before them, they imprint on the first creature to care for them. That would be me. It wasn't long before I had them literally eating out of my hand, hopping up and down in my lap, and happily taking turns splashing around in their water dish. These are some seriously cute little creatures, people.
(exhibit 1)
When faced with the task of naming them, however, my parents are in dire need of some assistance. Dad's first instinct was to name them after the Dixie Chicks. Cute, but c'mon Dad, we already have a dog AND a horse named Willie, and a cat named Emmie Lou. While I'm all for continuing the theme, let's get a little creative. Plus, what if they're boys? "Well then, we'll name them after the Coen brothers."
Ok, great. But neither of these naming conventions accounts for the fact that there are 5 of them. So, in a duck shell, I'm turning to some of the most creative people I know for ideas. They're all out of town (haha. Get it? They're all out of town. I quack myself up sometimes), so if any of you can think of any good (or foul) names to throw in the hat, bring em.
Damn, I'm gonna miss eating duck.
"Why yes, Father. Yes I do."
And Mom followed that up with, "oh, and my friend down the street just hatched some baby ducklings. Wanna go down there and help us pick some out?"
"Why yes, Mother, I think that's a splendid idea."
So off we went on our fantasy shopping spree, arriving home later bearing surround sound and 5 little, fluffy week-old mallards.
Swallowing my guilt at the memory of the tasty (and oh so tender) duck breast with quince confit feast that Freylock had treated me to a mere 2 days previous, I learned to love the little guys immediately.
What you might not know about hatchlings is that when incubated and raised without the benefit of a duck mother, they never really learn to fly. And that, like many a cartoon hatchling before them, they imprint on the first creature to care for them. That would be me. It wasn't long before I had them literally eating out of my hand, hopping up and down in my lap, and happily taking turns splashing around in their water dish. These are some seriously cute little creatures, people.
(exhibit 1)When faced with the task of naming them, however, my parents are in dire need of some assistance. Dad's first instinct was to name them after the Dixie Chicks. Cute, but c'mon Dad, we already have a dog AND a horse named Willie, and a cat named Emmie Lou. While I'm all for continuing the theme, let's get a little creative. Plus, what if they're boys? "Well then, we'll name them after the Coen brothers."
Ok, great. But neither of these naming conventions accounts for the fact that there are 5 of them. So, in a duck shell, I'm turning to some of the most creative people I know for ideas. They're all out of town (haha. Get it? They're all out of town. I quack myself up sometimes), so if any of you can think of any good (or foul) names to throw in the hat, bring em.
Damn, I'm gonna miss eating duck.
posted by Jess @ 6:59 PM
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