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Thursday, July 2, 2009

They Lived to Quack Another Day

Let me begin by stating that I do not live in the country. I spend at least an hour a day on the tarmac/black-top roads part way between San Francisco and San Jose, in the erstwhile techie-nirvana, otherwise known as Silicon Valley.
Today was a good day. This morning a real baby bunny hopped across our paths, to add to the excitement of the long list of imaginary prey that my frisky collies alertly seek out every time we go for a walk.
I was in a good mood for no particular reason. As we drove to lunch together, hubby and I were in the right lane of four lanes of traffic, plus a right and left turn only lane on each side. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard Duck decided that they would use the cross-walk, whilst the light was red, and do what their cousins, the chickens, do and cross the road.
"And they walk with a waddle and a waddle and a quack", as the song goes, and we saw them because we were near the curb, but they were below bumper height for all the other drivers (much the same problem as my husband has with small human pedestrians but so much worse). There was much honking of horns as drivers behind tried to alert those in front. Thank goodness the light stayed red as no one understood what was going on.
They turned around and began waddling back our way and I saw the opportunity so I jumped out wondering "How the Hell do you herd Ducks?" . Brain-wave: they can fly. Duh! I ran at them, waving my arms and they took off and saved themselves from certain death. Back in the car, we went to The Lobster Shack and met up with others who were glad the ducks had escaped. I ate my yummy crab-meat roll and basked in the glory of recognition. "Were you the Duck-Lady just now? Made my day.

10 comments:

  1. You have a much better poultry story today than I. Good for you on saving the birds. I saved a few from a very different fate, many years ago now.

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  2. you gotta wonder, why walk [pr waddle] when you can fly...?

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  3. duck lady!... hahahahahahahha!! ducks can be so fowlish.... (sorry)... they could've caused a quacksh... (sorry, even more..) I hope you send them a bill.... (I'll stop now..)

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  4. Sometimes when i cycle to work i go down by the canal and regularly get menaced by Swans

    Ducks usually just jump in the water and swim away :)

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  5. You saved some ducks and ate a crab. I'd say that's a good day!

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  6. YOU ROCK!!!! What a kind thing for you to do.

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  7. Lucky duckies to have their own personal super-hero, well done. Sadly, the crabs' own guardian angel was on holiday that day...

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  8. Welcome Joanna, I have to say that often enough my feet or mouth move way before my brain gets up to speed. I was happy they got away.
    Argent and Dave, I confess that I eat duck too, but it wasn't on the menu that day.
    Watercats, quacksh is an imaginative stretch, well done.
    @eloh, I liked your chicken/turkey story, although it had a certain "flavor" to it. yuk!
    India, sometimes we'll see one duck stay by its dead mate for a day or two at the side of the road. So sad.
    Pixie, swans are aggressive and strong but so beautiful.

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  9. So, we can add "Savior of Ducks" to the growing list of your truly heroic accomplishments... gosh, what I'd give to see a video of you running at the ducks waving your arms ! That would be priceless I suspect.

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