Three F’s … if I was in school ,I don’t think I would have gone home to Mom. 😳 Today though those three F’s are all positive even if one of those words are failure.
I’ll start with fall first. I know that up north a lot of y’all are having snow and cold temps,here in the south we are just getting through the fall that was surprisingly pretty for the south. I’ll show you then let you decide… just promise not to compare it to the New England States.😀



It is also time for Camellias to start blooming..


The hard frost didn’t kill the Gerber daisies up against the house

Of course a confederate rose can’t be left out even though they all died in the first hard frost. I photoed these the day before it frosted.

It is often a challenge to keep Leona’s mind busy ,as she is very limited to want she can do. We got her a iPad so she can do puzzles with her nose,(she has no control over her hands),she can watch movies ,only I limit them as I feel there’s more to life than movies. … The new challenge…

Leona thinks it would be fun to add ducks to the farm. I agreed ,and that it would be fun to hatch them.
Amazon shopping soon started,looking for an incubator. That was the easy part!
Shopping for duck eggs this time of year was more of a challenge. EBay was the place we settled on ,purchasing 6 ducks.
I researched YouTube and google for information on how to hatch duck eggs,learning all I could on this subject.
The day arrived when the eggs came in the mail,of course the incubator was up and running according to the advice from my search. Seven eggs were placed inside,and the waiting began.
The family was all here on Thanksgiving day,excitement was high on candling the eggs that day. The grandchildren gathered around in the dark bathroom ,one holding the flashlight for me as I chose an egg…. sad to say our excitement went to disappointment! No signs of life in any of the eggs.😢 we were all a sorry group walking out of that bathroom. The grands sat in the living room for awhile with sad faces then I heard Reagan say, “ MomMom are you going to try again, you aren’t going to stop now are you?” Well, that snap me out of that sorry mood! Of course, I’m going to try again! We wouldn’t have baby ducklings for Christmas but we will shortly after New Years.(Maybe! 😁) so with promises to post them photos of what’s going on in the incubator,everyone was back to normal.
I ordered more eggs that have arrived and are in the incubator on day two!

Shipping eggs is hard on eggs,often dislodging the air sack so that it floats around . First problem
With that problem one needs hatch the eggs in a paper carton with the egg point down so the air sack stays in the top where it should be. Second thing I did wrong..
The third mistake…..is that one needs to gently hand turn the eggs after seven days of sitting still in the incubator,even with the turning it’s different than with normal hatching.
So cross your fingers along with me so that on day seven I can carefully candle to see if there is life! It was mention not to candle often shipping eggs until day seven as to not disturb the air sack any more than needed.
The failure really hasn’t been a failure for Leona and I are learning this together and it has been enjoyable ,even with that first shock of all dead eggs!
So what kind of duck are we trying to hatch…
The Silver Appleyard duck.
Have a great week!

Wow – this is pretty darn exciting success or not. Hoping for some baby ducks! Gerbers are so hardy, one of my favorites! Rooting for success!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gerber are wonderful in hardiness,and beauty . It is exciting,the waiting is a little hard though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Got my fingers crossed for you guys!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks,Kathy!😄 Im sure those eggs need all the crossed fingers they can get.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck with the ducks, your fall color are pretty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Gretchen!🐣
LikeLike
Loved your pictures and the story of your learning experience. (Let’s not call it “failure”!) Can’t wait to hear about your next attempt with ducks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you ,my friend! Hopefully it will be good news on the update. BTY .. still haven’t figured out what went with posting on your site.. I loved the post on community people helping out,heartwarming! Your photo of the men doing re-enactment were great, I can just see you stopping,whipping up that camera.😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Went wrong..
LikeLike
Well, we can always communicate via your blog. That WordPress problem is a mystery. I hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a mystery for sure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your area is looking just like mine. Fall doesn’t happen usually until December. I’ve been raking the fallen leaves. We are so lucky to have beautiful camellias in the winter. My Confederate Rose has a few more buds to open. Good luck with the ducks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! We are lucky to have Camellias to brighten our winters!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your fall photos are fabulous! (a bit of sneaky alliteration going on in that statement) 😉
And I love ducks! Almost as much as I love geese. I am wishing you all the best with those lovely Silver Appleyard ducks. I looked them up and they are beautiful. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I grew up with ducks and geese as my dad loved these birds. Guess somethings just rub off.🦆
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I read this article, I thought of you and how you finish old quilts.
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/09/786395095/quilters-across-the-u-s-answer-call-to-help-sew-up-unfinished-project
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I loved it,always good to read of others treasuring the past . That is a lovely quilt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fun family adventure – even if it technically was a failure. It sounds like a wonderful project for the two of you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is, gives her something to keep her mind busy,and I like going the research on how to’s.
LikeLike
Everything is a learning experience, and if this doesn’t work, maybe you can find a local source – check with a farm store – so you can avoid the shipping part entirely. You’ve got the whole family interested now! And readers, too.
LikeLike