Ducks and Dodos

The other night, the doorbell rang.  I opened the door and a man and teenaged boy were outside.  The man asked if we would be willing to let him duck hunt on our property.  2 of our acres are in the "swamp" and it's basically prime duck hunting land back there.  His son had never been duck hunting and really wanted to go this year, but finding an area to duck hunt that doesn't cost an arm and a leg is hard to do.  He offered to pay us (didn't give a figure) and give us a duck or two if he's successful.  I told him I had to speak with Bill and I'd get back with him.

After some research and drawing up a Hold Harmless agreement so he can't sue us if he gets hurt on our property, we agreed to let him.  We had no clue what to charge him.  I had been told that we could potentially get THOUSANDS out of someone because we're so conveniently located and it's a great area to hunt.  In the end, Bill and the guy decided on $500.  $500.  I was shocked.  I've even had a few friends mention they might like to come out to hunt sometimes, too.  Maybe next year we'll be more prepared and can take better advantage of the situation and make a little more money.  I know it's risky letting people on our land, but the house has a security system and we have really good neighbors.  (In fact, this guy is actually considering buying the house next door to us, so he might be a neighbor soon, too.)

While we were thinking about letting this guy hunt on our land, I realized that I needed to talk to the girls about being safe outside during duck hunting season.  Because, even if we weren't going to let this guy hunt on our land, there is a camp set up on the neighbor's property and there will obviously be hunting in close proximity of our land.  I'm not super concerned about them getting shot.... the house isn't that close to the swamp and the girls can't fly (you can't shoot a sitting duck)... but they still need to exercise a bit of caution all the same.  I told them they're not allowed past the barn until the season is over.  Bill, believing in exercising a little more caution, bought them hunter's orange hats they have to wear outside if they're in the back yard.  I told him I'm going to write "NOT A DUCK" on all the hats.  (And he, in turn, told the hunter guy that if our kids are outside they'll have orange hats on that say "NOT A DUCK."  Dude probably thinks we're insane.)

He's still offering to give us ducks, too.  In all honesty, I've never eaten duck.  I've never been interested in eating duck.  I'm not an adventurous eater.  And if he hands me a dead duck, I may vomit.  I am dreading cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving because handling a turkey carcass grosses me out.  And they're mostly prepped for cooking before you bring them home.  What do I do with a freaking duck?  Isabelle would be traumatized for life.

He can keep the ducks.  Really.

This morning I get to take my Dodo to the ENT (ear, nose & throat) doctor.  She's failed 2 hearing tests at school, so we have to get a note from the doctor saying she's under medical care for it now.  She failed hearing screenings 2 years ago, too, when we were having her tested for speech therapy.  They put tubes in her ears then, which I thought was odd because she doesn't get chronic ear infections, but I'm obviously no doctor.  I wonder what the next course of action will be.  More tubes (the old ones fell out long ago)?  We'll see.  She's been sick with a sore throat the past few days, as well, so we'll just knock all of her problems out at once, I guess.  Poor kiddo.