Living on the Lake - The Story of Lucky Ducky

Yes, I too thought living on the lake was a good thing. I’d be closer to “Mother Nature” – enjoy the “wild life.”

Well, folks, I’ve got tell you this “Mother Nature” thing has it’s ups and downs. One thing for sure I’ve learned is I’m glad
I’m not a duck – especially a Muscovie duck.

Oh, I know – you say you hate them but what you really hate are those nasty MALE Moscovies – NOT the females. The females are VERY sweet, loving, and nurturing. NOT the males. The following story is a perfect example of what I mean.

One day I was down at the lake and discovered a male Muscovie, at the shoreline of my neighbor, drowning some baby ducks who weren’t more than a day old. I guess he had nothing better to do with his spare time. Two were already dead when he went after the last duckling. I started screaming and was quite upset – as you can imagine. He ignored me and went about his sinister mission of drowning this helpless little duckling – picking it up by the head and slamming it into the water. I ran into the water screaming something terrible so he nonchalantly swam away looking as if he couldn’t understand what my problem was. The body of his tiny victim was now floating in the water, face down, looking quite dead.

I scooped up the little unconscious duckling in my hands but immediately dismissed the idea of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. As I walked toward the house cradling it in the crook of my neck and whispering to it, I realized I would have to bury it. The next thing I knew the “dead duck” came back to life chirping faintly! I couldn’t believe it!

I ran the rest of the way to the house with the little duckling, found a cardboard box, got a towel, heating pad, and placed the baby inside. Would it live after such horrible treatment?
The answer is yes. Lucky Ducky did live but . . .

Once she got her strength back, I began housing her in the bathtub so she had more room and I could provide water for her to swim in. I do have to explain that keeping a duck in the bathtub will cause a lot of extra work. There is the daily cleaning of the tub, providing water for the duck to swim in – i.e., recreation, etc. but at least, everything is contained to one area.

Once the duckling was about a week old, I removed her from the tub so I could put a little water in for her to swim in. After all ducks do LOVE to swim. I swear to you I only put about ½ inch of water in and set her in it so she could splash around and bathe herself.

Unfortunately, she thought I was trying to drowned her and got hysterical – running all around the tub, trying to get out and screaming her little Lucky Ducky head off!

This can’t be! I’ve got a paranoid duck on my hands. What am I suppose to do now? I scooped her up, held her to my chest and calmed her down.

Of course, feeling quite responsible for the little duckling, I spent the next couple of weeks collecting rocks, dirt, grass, weeds and branches from my yard to place in the tub water for Lucky Ducky. My idea was that the duckling would forget it’s fears, be overwhelmed with my creation and thrilled to swim from rock to rock, in my wonderful artificially created environment. Wrong!

Being considerate of the duck’s paranoia, I’d place Lucky Ducky on a rock so she could jump in when SHE was ready but she NEVER was ready. So, I’d place her in the water but she’d get hysterical and get back on a rock as quick as possible – chirping hysterically at me.

Two weeks went by and nothing I did would entice Lucky Ducky to swim so I knew I had a potentially serious problem on my hands besides cleaning the tub out everyday. She’d never be able to survive in the “wilds” of Lake Helen if she refused to swim. I certainly couldn’t keep her as a pet – my two dogs wouldn’t like it one little bit plus I had no idea how to diaper a duck! Somehow, I would have to get Lucky Ducky to swim and return her to the lake.

I took the duckling for little walks outside – carrying her in my hands so she would connect with the nature around her. She chirped excitedly during each walk though I have to admit she would hide her eyes under my chin.

One day during one of these “walks,” I saw Lucky’s mother and grandmother (I’m telling you I KNOW these ducks) with a brood of about nine other babies. Mom was showing her kids the “safe” places on the lake, places to hide (from those males, no doubt) and places to forage for food. Grandma was standing guard and we know why, don’t we?

Now I must explain that my property is considered somewhat of a haven since I’m known amongst the duck world for being a human with a soft heart. After all I did save the lives of Lucky’s mother and grandmother. (Yes, folks. They also ended up in my bath tub in their infancy.)
Lucky Ducky began chirping when she heard her siblings and took her head out from under my chin so she could see. Mom and Grandma looked over at me as I placed the little duckling on the ground.

I watched as the duckling ran to her mom and siblings. She was obviously very happy as the duck family excitedly jibber-jabbered their duck talk. I could only imagine what they were saying to each other. “Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over the lake for you!”

The mom gave them time to get to know each other but then called to them that it was time to go. She got into the water and her brood began to follow with Grandma pulling up the rear.

I watched and believe it or not, I had tears in my eyes. What would Lucky Ducky do? She hesitated as if she knew she had a choice to make – to swim or not to swim, that was the question.

Lucky Ducky watched her family swimming further and further away as she looked at them in disbelief. She ran back and forth along the shoreline excitedly chirping – “Wait! Don’t go!” – But they kept on swimming.

Finally, Lucky made her choice and jumped in the water. And I swear if I were a duck, I would have heard her yell, “Wait for me!” Once the duckling was actually in the water, Mom, Grandma and their brood stopped and waited for Lucky to take her place amongst the family.
I walked back to the house worried about that little duckling, but Mom and Grandma brought their family to visit each day so I do know she survived.

Of course, there is a lesson to be learned from this story – probably several – but the one that comes to my mind most often is: If you put dirt, grass and weeds in your bathtub water for Lucky Ducky you will then have a mucky Lucky Ducky. :-)