One Lucky Duck

I have heard the phrase "your one lucky duck" plenty of times in my day, and frequently from my wife, and I would have to agree with her. Growing up on the farm, and with the friends I did, "lucky duck" wasn't just a phrase it was a lifestyle! There are countless stories that could be share, but one sticks out in my mind specifically, entitle:

"Hoof'n It"

This takes place in the mid to late 80's (I was young enough to not remember exactly) making me anywhere from age 5-7. When you grow up/live on a farm you were expected to pitch in when and where you could.

It was cold morning and we were working cattle, Red Angus to be exact, from the corn stalk to our homestead to feed for the winter. At this point, each cow weighs just over 1,000 lbs. and had completed their fall calving. This left them particularly jumpy and agitated. Imagine trying to wrangle wild cats, not easy.

Red Angus cow and calf

 We use panels pictured below to create a sort of instant pen, to allow us to catch the cattle in the pasture or field. They fit together like Lincoln Logs at best.

So my dad and grandfather were corralling the last of the cattle into the horseshoe shaped pen we constructed and in doing so were spooking the rest of the herd and threatening to tip the pen over. I was sternly instructed by all involved to stay in the safety of the truck, but wanting to be the good son and help out, I climbed on the fence and started mimicking my dad. (hollering and yelling) About that time the fence came a crashing down landing literally on top of me, followed by 12 full grown angry cattle running over the top of me. Somehow, despite the there 48 separate chance to catch a hoof carrying a half of ton, I escaped with nothing more than being scared and GREAT story to tell. Just goes to show you, parents know what they are talking about…most of the time

 

What does this have to do with wine you ask? It is simple really; a friend of ours had found a Riesling that she wanted us to try called “Lucky Duck.” As it turns out it was pretty darn good. It was easy to drink, and not too sweet. The best part was that she picked it up from the local store for under $5.00! Any time I can snag a respectable bottle of wine for under $10 let alone $5 dollars it is okay in my book. I would definitely suggest picking up a bottle of Lucky Duck Riesling next time you are out and about.

Cheers- Brandon