The Compulsive Ramblings Of A Philotherian: My vice for the time being...

It's amazing how a slow and leisurely drive can help rid your mind of worries and troubles. As of right now, it's the one thing I look forward to -- aside from coffee, of course.

I've been really beating myself up about Sally lately. Not that there's anything we could have done to prevent this. We've been watching the ratties very closely in hopes of seeing one of the other girls tugging at her face or something. We're looking for any and everything that could lead to an abscess of some type.

I've started doing the dreaded online story research to see how other peoples experience with ZGT has been. There have been a couple happy endings where the alleged tumors ended up being an abscess, but then there are the ones that were what they thought they were. Apparently things get really grim in the end. We've already decided we're not going to let her suffer. We'll do the pain meds for a while, but if the tumor grows to mass proportions, then we're going to have her euthanized.

I don't even want to talk about this right now...

The ducklings are growing like weeds on steroids! It's like, every time we look at them, they've grown! We put them in their large cage out in the spare room in the garage a few hours before we go to bed, then bring them inside in a smaller box around 8 in the evening so they can have their nightly bath. They're really only in the box for a few hours, but they don't mind. They would stay in a box full of hot coals as long as they got their pea fix. They're obsessed with peas!!

I can't wait until we can give them mealworms. We're waiting until they're a month old or more before we introduce them to worms.

Have I mentioned that they all have names now? They've all basically had names since we first got them, but I don't think I've made it apparent. The two Khaki x Mallard mixes are Jon and Kenneth. The three pure Khaki's are Rob, Tyrion, and Samwell. Since both Khaki Campbell and Mallard drakes are very distinguishable from hens, we'll be able to sex them once they get older. We already have girly names picked out as well. I'm hoping we do actually have more hens than drakes, but we decided to set our expectations low and give them all boy names.

Speaking of ducks, I found a lady just 8 miles south of Cape that breeds for Welsh Harlequin AND Saxony ducks! Can you say dream come true!? She also has Tuffed Buff geese and American geese. You better believe I want some of those too! She has others, but I have to stop myself somewhere. I might be able to squeeze in a Runner, just because LaVaughn loves them. You just never know! And after all, shouldn't we make the drive to Cape worth while?

Well I suppose that's all for now. Until next time...

Love & Peace

-Megan