Duck Dilemma

Duck Dilemma
by Ellen Mackenzie
December, 1999


When Grandpa and I left the St. Petersburg, FL area a couple of years ago to move to Lake Jackson, Texas, we were pleased with the thought of spending time with our children and grandchildren on their horse farm. We didn't think of it as "down on the farm", but having never lived on a farm, we found it interesting.

We had to deal with four beautiful Arabian horses, two unassuming cows, and six cats. (Three ours and three strays who came to dinner and stayed.) There was also one big, spoiled black Labrador retriever whose name was Raven.

Certainly we had to deal with a dilemma or two while there. One of the horses was found flat on the ground writhing in pain with colic. The veterinarian came and solved the problem for the aching horse.

A family gardening project was stopped abruptly when Raven poked her nose into a pile of bricks and was bitten on the nose by a copperhead snake. Again, the vet came to rescue us and the dog.

Stormy weather caused a huge tree to fall on the pool enclosure. And so it went.

Farmers learn to deal with adversities. However, the problem we had with the ducks is one worth
telling.

That particular peaceful day at the farm that turned out to be not so peaceful. The chores were all done. The girls were busy, and Grandpa was puttering around in the garage, as usual.

I decided I would be able to retire to the sunroom and to my computer to answer some letters. As I started to organize the afternoon, I looked out the window and saw two little baby ducks scurrying past the house with one of the cats chasing them.

I managed to stop the preying cats from destroying the ducks and they hurriedly headed for the lake. Then Grandpa rushed out of the side door of the garage calling to me for help. Apparently, a mother duck along with her twelve baby ducks had wandered into the garage.

This immediately stirred up the sleeping barn cats (who were never in the barn). When I left the sunroom to help Grandpa with whatever problem he had, I inadvertently let the dog out into the fracas. This added chaos to an already noisy and nasty ruckus with six cats, a dog, the screeching ducks and a shouting Grandpa.

The mother duck, who was not much bigger than her babies, wisely departed the scene and joined the first two ducks that I had seen previously. They swam in the lake as if nothing was wrong.

The two-car garage had no room for two cars. There were four bicycles randomly placed about along with cat blankets, two built-in workbenches, a lawn mower, spreader, pool supplies, garbage cans, a wheel barrel, two ladders, sports equipment, tools scattered everywhere, plus a small refrigerator and a larger freezer. The hot water heater also occupied space there. It was difficult maneuvering around this area, trying to catch the ducks that Mrs. Duck left behind.

Those babies fluttered around the obstacle course trying to get away from the dog, cats and grandparents in pursuit. I found an empty clothes basket and followed Grandpa around. I put the ducks he was able catch in the basket. This was not a good idea because the climbed out between the woven plastic as fast as we put them into the basket.

We found something to improvise a lid and were able to save eight of the scrawny frightened peeping ducklings. Grandpa and I carried them down to the lake and let them go between the reeds. They seemed content with this.

Returning to the house, we met a very sad Shannon holding one very dead baby duck that she found in the house. When we shoved the dog into the laundry room, we didn't know that Raven was carrying a baby duck in her mouth. Of course our Labrador retriever was prancing around and very proud of herself for catching said gruesome looking duck. Labs are supposed to retrieve.

We gave the little duck a decent burial.

Originally, twelve babies the mother duck waddled into the garage. Mother duck and two little ones managed to get away. We saved eight, which when added to the two who escaped first, made ten. One passed away in the mouth of an overly zealous dog, meaning eleven got away. Where was number twelve?

There was a slight peeping sound coming from behind the freezer, and we assumed number twelve was back there wishing he was somewhere else. Grandpa and I didn't intend to move the freezer, as much as we would have liked to set that little duck free.

It turned quiet again. The dog and cats were all back napping, as was Grandpa. I stood at my window in the sunroom looking down at that beautiful lake that was surrounded by greenery. The sun was shining on the water and made it look like "On Golden Pond".

Right in the middle of the lake was an unruffled Mother Duck and ten of her little ones swimming along lazily behind her. Suddenly, another duckling came rushing from the garage and joined the rest.

It was just another day "down on the farm". And instead of working on that correspondence, I decided to nap.



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Says Kenzie : "This is a true story. My son Derek and I came onto the scene sometime after the first few ducklings had been rescued, and before the untimely death of the one in Raven's mouth. My son and my niece, Shannon, were able to rescue the peeping duck behind the freezer.

Later in the day, the kids and I sat near the water's edge, watching Mother Duck and her babies swimming lazily on the water. To mom, this might have been just another day "down on the farm", but this city girl wasn't used to such commotion!"