the 9 am DUCK Report

Good Morning!

We are Rudy and Agnew, the Vermont Weather Ducks. Since we seem to be in the midst of a big winter storm, we feel it appropriate to tell you all exactly whats going on here, since no one else seems to be getting it correct.
Quack.

Since I am the Alpha duck, I will be narrating the full weather report.  My name is Rudy. I am a Silver Appleyard drake.

Presently it is 31 degrees.   Quack.

The snow is coming down hard.  Quack.

There are big snowplows coming up and down this old rural road. Quack.

This morning when Janis opened the coop door we zoomed out and headed for our favorite place, next to the big bush by the side porch.  We found hidden treats and a nice tub of water for us to drink and splash in.

There was about 3 inches of snow at that time on the ground.  Quack Quack.

 

There are icicles on all the buildings and sometimes the wind blows them down and we nibble on them and throw them around. Quack Quack.

We have a great view of the fields across the street.  The deer run across the fields early in the morning and just before sunset. Sometimes the coyotes are right behind them.  This is when we run back to the coop...quack quack quack quack. Its scarey.

The dead elm tree, long ago killed by Dutch Elm disease, is holding up well under the wind and heavy snow.

Quack.  Hawks sometimes perch on this tree and stare at us. We run back to the coop. quack quack quack.

 One way to tell the severity of the weather up here in the North Country is to see what the hens are doing.

When the coop doors opened this morning, the hens would not go out. Quack.  The wind was blowing snow into the coop and the girls do not like that.

They preferred to eat, drink, scratch in the fresh hay and cluck about the bad weather. Quack.

 

I sent Agnew to go tell them to come out and get some good healthy exercise and treats on the porch.

They refused..    Quack Quack Hiss Quack.

 

I had to use some duck discipline and the both of us jumped back into the coop and herded the hens toward the door.  Quack Quack Quack.

 

 Cowdog Mavis came out and was on standby to help get the hens out, if needed. Quack Quack.

Mavis had a spinal injury last week so this is her first day outside without a leash.

Quack.

 

 Janis had to shovel a special path from the coop, along the width of the garage all the way to the side porch so the hens would even consider coming out of the coop.  Quack.

Agnew calls this the "Hens Highway."

Several of the hens came out of the coop and hustled over to the porch. Agnew and I did some traffic control so the hens would not venture off their highway.   Quack Quack.

 

 Then we waddled back to the coop to try to convince the rest of the flock to come out.  Quack.

 

 As we got to the coop, the 3 hens that had run to the porch had now run back to the coop and jumped back in.      They said it was too cold, snowy and windy for them and they were content to stay in their hen house and watch "winters ermine blanket" cover the landscape.  Quack Quack.

 

 Now the snow was coming down faster.  Quack.

Us weather ducks headed back to our preferred observatory area.

The lone brave red hen, Meverette, trotted down the Hens Highway to the porch.  Quack Quack.

I often think that she acts more like a duck than a hen. She enjoys splashing in the water and always follows us drakes on our (mis)adventures up into the woods.  Quack Quack Quack.

 

 As the snow falls, my brother and I enjoy taking full advantage of nibbling all the decorative pine boroughs and branches around the side porch.  Quack.

 

 We both anticipate that the snow will be almost level with the porch by 4 pm and we will be able to actually get up on the porch and eat all the treats that fall from the bird feeders.  Those sparrows and chickadees are a messy bunch.  Quack Quack.

 

 Back in the coop there is all kinds of chicken chatter and gossip.  The girls are on their perches and looking out the front window.  Probably keeping an eye on us handsome weather ducks.  Quack Quack.

 

 Meverette is on the porch enjoying a few treats left by Janis and of course eating all the seeds the winter birds are dropping from the bird feeders.   There are good rewards for a hen willing to leave the coop!  Quack!

 

 The snow makes everything look so good.   Quack.

We nibble on everything.

 

Mavis asked us if there was anything she could do for us before she went inside to rest.  She is so polite.  Quack.

 

She has to sleep on a cushion that has special magnets in it to help heal her back and hips.

Janis said that she is looking for a doggy chiropractor for Mavis. I wonder if there is a chiropractor for ducks too. Quack Quack.

 

There is now 4 inches of snow and it is 30 degrees F

 

 We will report back this afternoon on the status of the storm.

This is the Vermont Weather Ducks, Rudy and Agnew signing off til then.   Quack.
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