It is the circle of life.

Your beautiful Irish Red coat on fire
with huger in your belly.

You woke me from my sleep

as you slinked into my garden this morning.

I knew you were coming.

We have unfinished business.

Feeding your family or they die,

I get it. 

But these ducks are my family.

Your hunger will have to be fed elsewhere,

beautiful, brown eyed Fox.

WiseMóna

Happy Weekend Everyone!

I really wanted to go into a long and lengthy rant describing how the fox broke into our compound last Sunday. He killed two of our birds and left one for almost dead. A laying Hen and a laying Duck - why couldn't he have taken one of the roosters? We have a few extra of those. Now my egg supply is almost non existent.

It was gruesome, and one of our beautiful ducks is in the back kitchen still recovering. She might not make it. I know this is the circle of life, I get it. I know that the fox is just trying to feed her young.

But let's face it, so am I. I mean, isn't that what 'Farm to Fork' is all about?

I have not had a good nights sleep since Sunday, wondering if I would have to face the slaughter again. 

At 5:55am when I heard a quacking outside, I jumped out of bed and raced outside. As soon as I lit up the back garden like a football field, the brazen fox leapt out of the animal compound and stood at the corner of the fence. He stared at me for a breathless eternity. Then he turned and walked away, looking over his shoulder back at me as if to say 'I'll get them, my pretty' ...

For those of you that know us, here is a little breakfast humour. Pearl was hot on the scent. She immediately started to bark and nose down like a bloodhound she started tracing the scent of the fox. She was so nosed-down in the grass she was completely oblivious to the fact that the fox was literally one foot away from her. In a way I am glad she never looked up!

I have never been that close to a fox before, and even though I hate that he is trying to feed of my flock, I could not help but marvel at how beautiful he was. I should have chased him with a big stick or a BB gun. 

This is the downside to being a big softie when it comes to animal husbandry. I need to toughen up and not get so attached. 

aaaaggghhhh............