Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Just Lucky -- I Guess

The first duck on our pond to get a name was "Lucky Duck".
Papa Joe and I were walking  up our sidewalk late one night when we heard voices.  As we got closer to the unlit porch we saw a mother and her two little children sitting on the steps.
They explained, "We hope you all don't mind if we sit here.  We are releasing our little duck.  We found her with a broken wing and nursed her back but now she needs to be out with other ducks.   Her name is "Lucky"
We told them that our yard was their yard and to come visit as often as they wish.
Lucky took to her new home like uhhh, a duck to water.
At first the other ducks ignored her so she just swam around in her own little corner.  But gradually she would trail one of the old timers and they wouldn't leave her in their wake.
One of the bully ducks decided to peck her on the neck and when the wound  opened the others took to pecking her too. 
Papa Joe would dash out the door arms flailing and chase them off all the time admonishing them, "How would you like it if I bit you!?" 
He evidently didn't yell with a duck dialect because the harassment kept up to the point we were afraid they were going to mortally wound her.
During that period  we had lunch with our friend Wink Cherry.  I asked the fellows if they would help me capture Lucky and take her to Dr. Steve for some R and R. 
You should have seen Wink (all of six feet tall and a former football player) roaming around the pond yelling "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere Lucky!"  All to no avail.
Finally she made a camp on an island away from the others and after a couple of weeks she was healed enough to join back in the flock.
That girl has staying power.
Eventually she took up with a James Dean duck and in that familiar good girl attracted to bad boy scenario she was soon sitting on a nest full of 12 eggs.
Tune in tomorrow for the continuation of  The Trials and Joys of Lucky Duck....

1 comment:

  1. Do I see a dog dish right there.....as in you feed them from a dish?!
    Any duck who ended up living in your yard won the duck lottery.

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