I bought one of those hard-plastic kiddies pool for the duckies at the stables.  You know the type. I placed it up near my horse’s stall in the shade where I had good access to a hose bib.  I kept it clean (appreciated by humans!) and full (appreciated by the ducks!). The ducks used it frequently – Goose Goose even walked in it.   New ducklings were taken to it regularly by their moms to learn to swim.

One day I and several others were standing near this pool talking.  A mommy duck and her ducklings were passing pretty much between our feet (no fear there!) when, all of a sudden, faster than light, a mongoose darted into the center of us and grabbed a baby duck! We couldn’t believe it! So brazen!

I don’t think so, buddy!  The mongoose ran off property in to the woods and I was right on it’s tail,  yelling all the way!  The mongoose decided it had enough of this crazy human and finally did drop the duckling!  I picked up the baby and, I swear to you, its eyes were proverbial “x’s”. Its little heart was still beating but I figured it’s life clock was ticking.  Not wanting it to die on the ground alone, I cupped the duckling in my hand and held it to me while I finished up my chores at the stable.

It wasn’t easy holding this baby duck and putting my tack and things away. We’re talking multiple trips.  But, it was ok.  Got to be time to go and the little duckling was still breathing.  I called to my dog Shauna (a beautiful small, champagne-colored Cocker Spaniel) and we got in the car to head home.  Shauna sniffed the duckling but seemed uninterested.  And, what happened on the way home? The duckling rallied!  We’re talking 100%!  Now I’m worried that I’ll have an accident, for heaven’s sake!

My daughter was away at college so I used her bathroom for the duckling’s home. The baby was so tiny I only filled the sink for her to swim. What a time she had..diving, swimming! I should have taken the duckling back but I didn’t know which mom was hers and I didn’t know if she could just go to any family. So….I decided to steal another baby to keep her company….. oooooo…bad human.  I captured one the next day with black spots and brought it home. They became fast buddies! The white (injured) was Alicia and the black and white one (kidnapped) was Molly.

These duckies became so tame that when I would get home from work I’d call out and they would start quacking loudly.  I’d let them out of the bathroom and they would waddle into the t.v. room and hang out!  We had two cats at the time (LB and Mew Mew) but they didn’t bother the ducks.  In fact, LB would wrestle with them! True story.  I have pictures somewhere!

The duckies had graduated fast to the bathtub but then the day came they discovered our swimming pool. Not good.  duckie in the poolThe first day they swam in it they came out when I called them. Actually, they did this the first few times. Then…they didn’t.  I was so worried about them that I slept by the pool all night! I finally got them out of the pool but realized they had to go back to the stables.  Can’t have duckies swimming around in our swimming pool for all the reasons.

It made me sad to give them up but they acclimated so fast it was almost insulting! It was better for them, surely, and, in hardly any time, the little ingrates the duckies didn’t come to me anymore…which hurt my heart but was best…