Out for a duck

Yesterday MrB mailed me a photo of his Duck Nest set up just a few hundred meters upstream from our property. So that was where we set off for on our morning walk.

We have at least one wild duck pair visiting us every year to raise their young, They are often to be seen in the stream alongside the horses and whenever slightly flooded, the field the geese are now on.

He has built the nest, covered in hay, on a branch of a fallen tree. to give protection from the foxes. This area is not part of his hunting patch. But he like many hunters see their role to include conservation. He gets just as much pleasure from seeing foxes, badgers, beavers and deer roaming freely as setting off a shot. He is contractually obliged to shoot a quota of deer but I know he would rather shoot less.

This evening on the stable radio, heard a report about the increasing trend towards feeding dogs vegan food. Last time I mentioned my doubts about vegan on a friends Facebook page, I got severely beaten up, so I will make no comment. My daughter, a vegetarian only feeds her cats and dogs, raw meat..

I guess the carnivore, veggie and vegan debate only reflects how well off we are in the First World countries. I doubt it is a major topic in places like Aleppo where I understand cat is a much sought after human foodstuff.

Talking of which, over lunch sandwich,  happened to see Mrs Merkel give an address to the German parliament on her plans for the EU summit tomorrow. Shown live on TV, not something one often sees. She started off with the UK Brexit issue. All I can say is that Mr Cameron should get Angie in to his cabinet as soon as possible. It's the first time I have heard anyone, whether from the UK or elsewhere set  out clearly the doubts and concerns the UK has with the EU and she agreed with them all including the social security concerns but said there were some principals which were not up for discussion - freedom of movement (doesn't necessarily mean no border controls) and no discrimination.

However the UK issue wasn't a real issue for her but more the Syrian problem which she fears will break Europe. She simply wants all to agree on a united front to solve the problem at source.

Will be interesting to see how it goes. As Shakespeare wrote "All's Well That Ends Well" translated officially as "Ende gut, alles gut" but  quoted by most people as "Ente gut, alles gut" - Duck good, all's good.