The U was closed today. The roads a total mess. I stayed home and did business from here. The SB and I lit out to our local neighborhood bar for lunch and tried to shop at our local vegetable store, but they were closed. I had the grand idea of asking them for their wilted and unsellable greens for the ducks.
The ducks are getting restless. They have been in for days now, and the two small spots of grass that were showing through the snow just outside their cage thanks to the SB's shoveling, have been reduced to mud patties. They are going to be in need of some greens before they get scurvy or something. I think I read that you can give them alfalfa pellets for some variety. But I will have to do some research... I would hate to screw that up and have their gizzards impacted or something. Yeesh.
They seem unmoved by the cold and continue to stand in their water bowls with ice chunks floating around their feet.
I started a recipe from Cooks Illustrated - cajun beans and rice. Of course, I didn't have much of the specific ingredients (small red beans, sub black) or andouille sausage (sub italian) but I am using the method and it smells pretty good. Though I reduced the liquid by several cups. It didn't look like it was going to fit in the dutch oven otherwise, and I am glad I did. It is about right with 7 cups of liquid instead of 9 (!). They simmer for a long time but it was super easy to put together.
The cat is slowly driving me insane. He hasn't been out in days. He is cranky. I am cranky. But I am not currently as cranky as I will be as I walk to the mall before the crack of dawn to catch a trolly to the university. City still isn't running all the buses tomorrow. Bastards.
2 comments:
I once asked a biologist who studied water birds about geese, swans and ducks that hang out through the winter in partially iced over ponds. How could they possibly stand that cold on their legs?!? The answer, as she told me, was pretty simple. Water birds have almost no blood circulation in their lower shanks and feet. Nor do they have much sensation there, compared with other parts of the body. Well *that* makes sense then. It doesn't both them because it doesn't bother them. (It's possible this is true of non-water birds as well, but I forgot to ask.)
Just thought you might like to know that about your ducks.
Thanks! It does make sense. I still shudder every time I see them splashing around though. Yeesh.
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