Thriving

Five eggs from five MuRefuge's ducks.

Perhaps not impressive in numbers when each duck lays one eggs a day. However, it is impressive when one considers the age of the duck laying the egg. MuRefuge's oldest female Fawn and White Indian Runner was nine, yes nine, last month. The second oldest, a chocolate Indian Runner, will be seven in a few weeks. The blue Indian Runner will be four next month. And the youngest two, the Tootsie Rolls, were a year old early last month.

This is the second morning this week I have gathered five eggs from the nesting boxes when I let the ducks out of their house. I am grateful and astounded that The Crone, the oldest female, is producing an egg. 

Obviously, these residents of MuRefuge are not just surviving here but thriving. They all forage each day, scarfing up bugs or any other kind of creepy crawly from their duck yard then clamor at the veggie garden gate to be let out into the backyard. With Shasta safely inside they cover the entire expanse foraging for protein. The number of snails and slugs that can be found on the entire three quarters of an acre does not even cover the bottom of a yogurt container. When we first got ducks, I gathered a full container almost every morning, carrying the container to the flock and emptying it in front of them. In a nanosecond all the snails seemed to magically disappear.

As each of us identify what supports our individual thriving, may each of us