Our neighbors, Bob & Mary, who live around the block from us called to tell us they have a duck in their back yard. Well, naturally, why wouldn't you call us with news like that? They are well acquainted with our kids and back yard menagerie. Mary said she woke up to quacking that morning and they've been trying to catch this seemingly flightless duck all morning. I said I'd gladly come over and try to help them catch the duck but I was trying to do some cooking for the week (lunches and dinners). Anyhow, I sent Michael round the block to check it out. His firm response was, "We are not getting a duck!"
About thirty minutes later, Michael pulls up with a duck in the back seat of Old Bessie. I was so thrilled! A duck!!! I hear they are great for gardens. Supposedly they eat all the slugs and snails and weeds and do not eat up your food and till it under the way our naughty chickens do.
We put Mrs. McHenry in the garden with a big bowl of water. She looked a little curious about her surroundings. My garden does resemble a bit of a jungle at this point. There are winter squash vines crawling all over everything, including the tomatoes. Our chickens peered at her with that sideways glance that chickens give. Mrs. McHenry washed her bill and began snacking on weeds. I couldn't have been happier.
Soon Michael and I had to begin our journey up the mountain to pick up the kids. Of course the battery in the newly serviced van exploded in an attempt to thwart our efforts. But that's another story.
Once up at the cabin, we gleefully showed pictures of Mrs. McHenry to the kids and grandparents. The girls were thrilled. The grandparents shook their heads at yet another animal in the yard. Poor Rex didn't want to have another pet because it was just going to die like Turbofluff. Who came blame the kid for being gun shy? But soon he warmed up to the idea and was quite excited.
We arrived back in Chico at 10pm to find Agnes, our "Good night Chicken" by the back door. She never made it to the safety of the coop before the photo sensitive door shut her out. And Mrs. McHenry was waiting for us by the back bedroom door.
We put Agnes to bed in her coop and we put Mrs. McHenry in the coop formerly used by the younger chickens. I felt good that they were all safely put to bed.
At 6:30am the next morning, I saw Mrs. McHenry crane her long duck neck out of the coop and look around. She flapped out into the yard where she was promptly chased around by Lucky. (Lucky is the lowest on the pecking order, so she was a little excited to have a new kid on the block). Mrs. McHenry waddled around quacking her head off. I brought out a big bowl of water and pondered getting a used kiddie pool for her. We sat there and looked at each other for a bit. Then she flapped her wings broadly and took off in the great wild yonder at approximately 6:50am.
I mean, that duck didn't just hop the fence into the neighbor's yard. She flew up, up and away.
I was a little sad. No duck. Good-bye Mrs. McHenry.
I went back inside to make breakfast and pack lunch for Rex. At 7:00am Rex jumped out of bed and ran to the back yard to look for Mrs. McHenry. Well, I suddenly felt very guilty. I had to inform him of the situation. Apparently we are only an Inn on the great duck highway. She was not a pet after all.
Well, I figured that was the end of the story. But on Wednesday my neighbor from across the street, Terri (Valerie's piano teacher), came over to use the phone as she'd locked herself out of her house. She said as she stepped inside, "By the way, you guys haven't seen a duck around the neighborhood, have you?"
We had to tell her the tale of Mrs. McHenry. Apparently Terri's sons found the duck out near Highway 32 and noticed she couldn't fly. They were worried she'd get hit by a car, so they brought her home. Terri put her in the backyard. Evidently she'd hopped the fence Saturday night into Bob & Mary's yard behind Terri. The rest, as they say, is history.
The mystery of Mrs. McHenry solved. I suppose she's off looking for a Mr. McHenry at this very minute.
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