This morning I recieved an email from a smallholder from Gwynedd . He told me that Camilla Parker Bowles and her " sisters" were doing very well indeed.
The email was a welcomed one, but it did twang the heart strings just a little.
Several weeks ago the geese left the Ukrainian village for pastures new.
I didn't blog about this fact , for it was rather a sad time.
It was a hard decision to make, but with the hens' removal to the safety of barn life and under the shadow of avian flu I finally made the decision that the geese had to be found a new home.
And I wanted total control over this change.
This year I retire from work. The Prof's work could and probably will change to pastures new and we also have the opportunity to travel a little more, and so I wanted the girls on a farm with care 24/7.
I " interviewed" several interested parties and eventually chose a small holder from the back-and-beyond in deepest Wales. He is an interesting character as he is good with animals and fairly poor with people.
He was also as poor as a church mouse,as it was evident that his income went on animal care and not designer clothing!
It was this quiet dedication that allowed me to make that final decision.
Now Camilla has the space to fly without risks of crash landing on the nearest bin lorry. The group now have a safe haven with a pond and a new owner who only leaves the farm to to the weeks' shopping.
I still miss the geese but I am so happy they are settled in their new home.
Was it actually seven years ago when they arrived?
The email was a welcomed one, but it did twang the heart strings just a little.
Several weeks ago the geese left the Ukrainian village for pastures new.
I didn't blog about this fact , for it was rather a sad time.
It was a hard decision to make, but with the hens' removal to the safety of barn life and under the shadow of avian flu I finally made the decision that the geese had to be found a new home.
And I wanted total control over this change.
This year I retire from work. The Prof's work could and probably will change to pastures new and we also have the opportunity to travel a little more, and so I wanted the girls on a farm with care 24/7.
I " interviewed" several interested parties and eventually chose a small holder from the back-and-beyond in deepest Wales. He is an interesting character as he is good with animals and fairly poor with people.
He was also as poor as a church mouse,as it was evident that his income went on animal care and not designer clothing!
It was this quiet dedication that allowed me to make that final decision.
Now Camilla has the space to fly without risks of crash landing on the nearest bin lorry. The group now have a safe haven with a pond and a new owner who only leaves the farm to to the weeks' shopping.
I still miss the geese but I am so happy they are settled in their new home.
Was it actually seven years ago when they arrived?
A bittersweet tale John. I have a tale too of a goose that thought I was Enemy #1 and my ex-husband was the love of her/his life - never did know which. Of course he/she made the best security guard we could ever wish for as long as I steered clear of her/him. Nice to know yours are in a happy place. xx
ReplyDeleteawwww; bittersweet for sure. the fact that the birds are well looked-after must be a comfort.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering and had assumed they had gone with the hens. I will miss the girls but glad they are in a good place.
ReplyDeletePeter
Hi John What a sad/happy for them time.
ReplyDeleteGeese do get under your skin.
My husband found 2 Canadian Geese eggs abandoned( he was fencing in a field with a pond and saw the eggs in the morning. He saw no adults all day and at the end of the day he felt the eggs which were getting cold. He brought them home and put the under a little bantam called Magpie who would sit on any eggs. Nothing to lose we thought. They hatched and thrived. It was funny to see almost adult geese snuggling up to their "mum" but could only get their heads under her wings. The male flew off in the autumn but the female "Gracie" stayed with our own geese for 3 years then disappeared. We think she may have been stolen out of our yard. Your little video reminded me of them. Thank You. Su
They live well into their twenties .......so i am glad they have been adopted
DeleteSweet babies. I'm glad you found a great place for them. xxx
ReplyDeleteWas it really 7 years ago? They will be pretty tough by now.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it doesn't feel like 7 years ago, time goes by so quickly the older we get.
DeleteI too had a shock this morning when i realised.......Winnie has been with us four years! She is well past her sell by date!
DeleteYou did the responsible thing John and you know that they have gone to an animal lover. Sweet little video of them clambering all over you as goslings! Do you have any of the farm animals left?
ReplyDeleteIrene and Sylvia are still going strong!
Deletethey flew the coop for a better place for them! bitter sweet but a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteSounds like they've gone to a good home. Doesn't time pass quickly though?
ReplyDeleteOften doing the right thing isn't the easy thing. As you have chosen the new owner so carefully they will continue to have a good life.
ReplyDeleteArilx
I can't believe it's been that long ago that they were so little. Not much left of the critters of Going Gently. Almost the end of an era.
ReplyDeleteIndeed sharon......indeed
DeleteOh mum, how hard that must have been for you ! I am weeping :)
ReplyDeleteMy flock of geese will arrive in April. Never had them before and am super excited!
ReplyDeleteI hope yours will be as benign and sweet as mine
DeleteMy dogs were looking for the birds when I played the 2nd video, heads turning on the sides and looking under the laptop. How nice they have gone to somewhere, that they will be super doted on.
ReplyDeleteI did the same thing last year with my farm animals. As an animal lover, it was wrenching, but necessary. I made sure they found forever homes. It has been freeing.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you want to leave Trelawnyd? You have appeared to be so happy there. Will any other place be quite the same?
ReplyDeleteYp, it will be a new adventure....we came to the country in 2005 which was a move initiated by the Prof and it worked for me as i learnt to embrace the change.....our next move, wherever it may be , will be another adventure!
DeleteThat's a good way of looking at it. But let's hope he doesn't get a job at the University of Mosul in Iraq! Now that would be an adventure!
DeleteChanging locations can be invigorating and fun and opens all kinds of new possibilities. Just ask me .. I have moved so many times, I have to sit and tally up the homes and states and countries I have been in over the past years.
ReplyDeleteIt keeps you going, though, life and change are good..and so is the change of scenery :)
Are you re housing all your 'children' in preparation for a move?
ReplyDeleteYes libby....but with no definate plans afoot
DeleteDoes this include Albert and all of the dogs?
DeleteFof course they go where we go!
DeleteThe lack of blogging about the animals/birds has been apparent for quite some time and I did wonder if something was amiss. I should have guessed that you were sorting out the futures of all your creatures. A sad time, but entirely necessary to get organised now, rather than being rushed at the last minute.
ReplyDeleteSo what's left in the Ukrainian Village now?
Just the sheep!
DeleteYour dedication to the welfare of your animals is wonderful to read. We have outlived most of our farm animals. All of our sheep died of old age, one llama died, we found homes for the goats, and we still have the 22 year old llama and the 34 year old horse. We haven't been away overnight together since our children moved out. It's the way life used to be lived. We, as you, take our responsibilities seriously.
ReplyDeleteTime goes so quickly. I'm glad they've all gone to such a good home. Geese are such characters, I really miss ours ..... well I do until I hear our neighbour in the distance struggling to get his little band of geese closed up for the night on a light Summers evening or a wet Winters one ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad for the geese, and for you, that you found a good home. The clips are sweet. It's good to have a record of some of the memories.
ReplyDeleteThere comes a time in all our lives when changes must be made, it can be a sad time but an uplifting time. Look to the future my friend.
ReplyDeleteI knew the chickens had to be housed I thought the geese went with them. Nice to know they have a good home.
ReplyDeleteDogs and cats can move with you.
cheers, parsnip
For some strange reason your story reminds me of a holiday in Lleyn.
ReplyDeleteWe parked our rented car near a farm and set off on our walk. The public footpath sign sent us straight to a gate locked and barbed. Turning round to go back we encountered the farmer and explained our predicament. Oh, the path goes the other way no. Just go round by the dung heap and round by the pigs and by the dogs and through the broken gate where you'll have to undo the string and then the other gate you can climb over and you'll come back to the lane just there . . . And he pointed to the field beyond the barbed gate where we were standing. Oh by the way is that your car. Yes, I said. It's a nice car he said and smiled broadly. You leave it there he said. I think I can just squeeze by with the tractor. Yes I think I can just do it, he said looking hard at the car. Needless to say we moved it. And we walked his diversion as instructed. Through thistles and nettles and cow pats. I'll probably never forget it.
" strange...u aint kidding"
DeleteYou must miss your feathered friends badly but I sense a little optimism here and some looking forward to exciting future changes.
ReplyDeleteYou will miss those little guys, but they will be much happier in a place to fly.
ReplyDeleteThat comment made me tear up
ReplyDeleteJust think of all the weird and wonderful animals you can keep when you and the prof move downunder John. I'm sure you would be fond of a 'Fatso' the fat arsed wombat. http://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/dream-days-9-and-15/clip1/
ReplyDeleteI love wombats
DeleteAllan r u from barnsley?
You cheeky sod, me from Barnsley.....no no no. I'm an aussie through and through born in Sydney. My ex is from Bolton though.
DeleteThis made me sad. I always loved your animal stories/ posts. Tho you did the right thing and did well in choosing. Maybe Camilla will fly home to you!?
ReplyDeleteOh, John, those two little video clips are so touching, making me laugh out loud at the same time. Mother John, his brood and his crocs as we know them.
ReplyDeleteU
Loved those sweet videos. I have in the past had to re home some of my chooks so I totally get this. They were bullying and feather plucking. I found a free range farm and got to know the lady farmer. She has been able to give them a good life and I can go and visit them. It was heartbreaking at the time but my flock is now happy and healthy so I had to look at the bigger picture. You made a great goose mum!
ReplyDeleteThe videos are heartwarming. So sorry for the little heartbreaks you'll continue to experience as your lives change, but you have done so much good in your years as a "gentleman farmer."
ReplyDelete