Waddle

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You may have played Wordle, the popular online word game that gives you 6 chances to guess a 5-letter word. When its creator, Josh Wardle, opened it to the public, the number of users jumped quickly from 90 to over 300,000. In 2021, the New York Times bought Wordle from Wardle, and now it’s played by tens of millions of people. They love the daily challenge, and it’s great brain food.

My gals at home don’t claim to know how to count, but they can spell. Springtime this year has brought out the creativity in our flock of ducks and geese.

The gals were laying their nutrient-dense eggs faster than I could eat, sell, or gift them. This springtime abundance has also enticed Willa the coyote to come and snatch some free meals. It had been a few years since she or one of her cohorts visited and wreaked havoc among the flock.

After the last dump of snow, I noticed what I thought were dog tracks near the creek by the Duck Hall. Stumped, I couldn’t figure out how my dogs had gotten out of their fenced yard. As I followed the tracks, I realized they didn’t belong to any of my dogs, who were curiously watching me from behind the fence.

The last time Willa visited and we saw her, I ran out of the house in time to stop her from snatching a poultry dinner. But now that she’s back, the flock has been grounded; they must stay inside the yard. Not fun, when they can see their beloved creek only 10 feet away.

DURNGDOE

During a recent April shower, Eleanor, the eldest goose, was holding court near the picnic table. Bess, Roz, Grace, and Beatrice listened with their long necks cocked while a few ducks lay nearby eavesdropping.

I observed them from the deck, wondering what they were up to. It was always something, I thought, like the time they discovered the slow drip from the hose and turned it into a ginormous mudhole within the minutes it took me to notice.

The following day, the sun was out and Eleanor was once again up to some type of mischief. I kept one eye open, watching the huddle down below. The back pasture was full of the huge green leaves of skunk cabbage, and the woods were dotted with spring beauties, but my mind was ruminating on three things at once: the daily Wordle, Willa the coyote, and Eleanor’s insistent squawking.

Suddenly, the flock erupted into a cacophony of loud honks and hisses. Startled, I hopped up and started down the deck, assuming Willa was nearby. But I slowed when I realized the donkeys weren’t braying nor the dogs barking.

LSOSMBOS

And that’s when Waddle was born.

Waddle!

We’d create a game by writing letters on the eggs, either duck or goose. Our egg customers would not only benefit from the protein, but instead of playing Wordle on their computers they could have their breakfast on their back decks while unscrambling the word. With 12 duck eggs in a carton and 6 goose eggs wrapped up in a bag, there was no need to stay with 5 letters. Besides, everyone knows that fowl can’t count.

PRLAI EHWRSO

These days, garter snakes are slumbering on the trails, soaking up the sun; the spring peepers are singing soprano while the bullfrogs add their bass voices; and the turtles are looking for a place to lay their eggs. Mama Crane is hunkered down in her nest and the local eagles are settled in theirs.

Soon Willa will have moved on, the flock will be back splashing and sunning in the creek, and the trillium blossoms will be gracing the countryside.

And with any luck, at least 30 wellness-aware, community-and-puzzle-loving people will be enjoying their goose egg omelets while playing Waddle.

TVATIECYRI