Hello! Benjamin from Brothers Campfire here!
Matt Snyder has been reading my stories aloud on a podcast called Short Story Saturday. He does a great job and is looking to read other short stories as well! You can listen to it here.
This last one was hosted several days ago but I have been preoccupied with a lot of living, working, and praying and was unable to.
Work has been a journey. I would like to discuss it, but they get mighty uncomfortable if you do.
Home has been welcome and enjoyable. Tomorrow, I plan on firing pottery made from a mix of Fountain and Beaver Creek clay in my back yard.
I have been mostly unsuccessful in the artistic part and just as successful in the firing, but I will try again!
Most of what you see here will not be around later. I suppose practice makes perfect.
Other things do not last long either. I lost another duck somehow. I have no clue where she went. I have searched every inch of my property for her and she is gone. It is a shame. I am fond of each and every one of them.
In fact, I am even fond of this one. She bites when she is sitting eggs and isn’t afraid of anything. I had to put a cloth over this one to get her to bed without getting beaked.
It seems like I just wrote about one of her sisters with the same demeanor. Her leg never did heal right after starting a fight with the husky next door.
It takes a lot of muster to bite the hand that feeds you to protect eggs, or challenge a carnivore for that matter; They are unwavering behavior in the face of certain death.
I think that makes my ducks functional psychopaths in some definitions.
To paraphrase an NPR article I just read on the topic, a book is referred to; The Good Psychopath’s Guide to Success,
In their book, Andy Mcnab and Kevin Dutton have a checklist.
Their checklist of psychopathic traits includes: charisma, charm, coolness under pressure, fearlessness, focus, impulsivity, lack of conscience, mental toughness, reduced empathy and ruthlessness.
Quoting Kevin, he states,
“None of these characteristics are inherently bad in themselves. When they become dysfunctional is when they are deployed inflexibly in the wrong contexts.”
Source NPR
I have not fully considered that I am raising a batch of psychopaths in my backyard, but it would explain a lot as they exhibit most of these qualities.
Take for instance, this stare, days before ölümün ağzından took on a husky by building a nest right next to two medium-large sized dogs.
Fortunately, there was chain link or she would be in a different way.
I not so secretly admire these birds, but they fade so fast when they go adventuring.
Well, I started writing this on Friday night and it is bright and early here at Willow Manor. Wish me well on the firing!
Author: Benjamin
Benjamin Thiel is a community leader, urban farmer, and author of The Ongoing Tale at Brothers Campfire. He might know a guy...
Very cool lesson on the personality of ducks. Dude the fact that have a self built kiln is impressive enough.
Both are a learning experience!
Good luck with the pottery. I admire your tenacity.
Thank you Jeff!
You know, this post was just ducky.
Amazing photos and the pottery beautiful 👌🌷🙏🌹
Thank you!
🌹🙏🌹
So welcome 🌷🙏🌷
You have many irons in the fire.
Ha ha! I have pots in the fire!
You’ve got it right about practice regarding your pottery. Like most artistic endeavors, it takes a lot of not-so-pretty attempts until one, slowly but surely, learns—mostly from mistakes. I have been watercolor painting for a few months now, and a lot of what I’ve done stays hidden away in a folder. But I keep painting and getting better, so that’s good. 🙂
I’ve been listening to Matt’s podcasts of your story, plus some others. He’s a good narrator.
Thank you for the encouragement! I wish you well in water colors!
Matt Snyder is an excellent narrator!
😊
Ducks are quite territory and not warm to others. I guess they are free birds and not house pets. I do like the mother duck fends for her eggs….mother nature.
I like the spirit of a mother!
Lol little psychopaths in your backyard 😄😄 that’s funny
I remember the territorial ness of geese 😮 they are scary – didn’t know ducks were same 😮
Good to here work going well – I have soo many stories I wanna share too but can not. ✌️
Hence my mysterious vagueness lol 🙌✌️😄
Hope you and your family are doing well – nice pottery attempts 🙌 what a nice activity together ❤️
We really enjoy it. We had a few successes!
It is hard when you want to share but it is discouraged.
Yes… confidentiality and best to stay quiet on private or sensitive things.
Your wife must get some pretty crazy stories lol
Pottery is really cool 🙌
Indeed, she does! Pottery is a great challenge!
I bet! I have tried pottery before lol … mine comes out a little oddly lol – we will just say that 😉😄😮✌️
It never looks good – mine always look like a 5 year old made it lol – or is very questionable
So I just know that is not my craft lol
I will have to watch and see what you make 🙌
Ha ha! I may stay in the 5 year old stage for a while myself!
Good job bro
Thanks
Nice.
Thank you!
Looks like you are having a great time with your pottery. It’s not an easy craft to do, takes a while to get everything just right, keep at it!😀😺
Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate them!
You’re welcome.😀😺
Good effort. 👍
Thank you!