Today is day two of "we have to build a duck house DARNIT." Well the power tools came out and there was much walking back and forth from the driveway, past the pond and the food to the back of the property where their new house will be. None of the flock were happy campers. I decided to take all the fencing down and just let them range where they felt safest. They kept trying to go back to the pond, but moving the wood past the pond made everyone flip out... I really felt awful for them. I know they kept thinking, "that wood is for starting a fire and roasting us."
Finally they found a spot close to the pond where they could still "flee" but not have to move too far. I moved their food to the new spot, set up the kiddie pool and made some nice mud puddles for them. About an hour before we were done for the day they settled in.
But now I had ducks and geese deathly afraid of going anywhere near the pond. I know it has been a more traumatic day for them than it has for me, but only because I know they will eventually love their new house.
We quit for the day around 4 pm. At 6:30 my fearless, not so little chinese, Ranaya, talked incessantly at me as she walked closer to the pond. I, of course, spoke back at her just as incessantly. The ducks watched suspiciously, while Rommy tried to get everyone to MOVE AWAY FROM THE POND. I kept at my 7 syllable, "tchoo tchoo tchoo tchoo tchoo tchoo TCHOO." Ranaya's (the star of the post "screaming gosling!") voice became so shrill as she spokes back at me that the neighbors walked out to their back deck to see what's the matter... and... and... I matched her voice with my own... (I have no shame when it comes to my flock!)
Then the payoff... Ranaya takes the tentative steps, I speak to her like I did when she looked like a miniature version of big bird. yes, yes, she's going into the pond.... no, she's looking at me snorting? (do geese snort?) oh my goodness she's ... haha she's fallen into the pond! Of course she did it on purpose
Rommy is still trying to get everyone else to MOVE AWAY FROM THE POND, but Ranaya is now in the water, so much quacking commences. It's much too fast for me to understand, but I pick up such quacks as "she's floating there just fine," let's see if the water starts to boil," and "I want to go!" Choopiter (guess what member of the family named her) finally says, "quack quack, quack quack quack" (translation = forget you, you silly goose.") and runs towards the pond. Not to be left behind, the rest of the flock, minus Rommy, follows.
And there on a rock, left all alone, my sentinel, my beautiful Rommy, waits for the world to end.
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It took another hour before Rommy decided that maybe everyone wasn't going to die by going into the pond. He stood ready to sound the call if danger decended upon his flock. It didn't come (this time) and in the end decided to briefly visit with and chat with the adventurous before he took his post, slowly (as in snail's pace) pacing the front of the pond.
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Before I became the protector of these wonderful animals I had no idea what it was I wanted in life. It's the same as what they want, tranquility. By giving it to them, I receive it.
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I fretted over Ranaya more than any of my ducks (though I love them dearly) and I thought she would be my closest companion. But she has blended in with the ducks as if they all hatched from the same mother. I'm happy for her in a sad sort of way. I knew that imprinting on me would not be as fulfilling as having 24/7 companions. These days she always follows the flock and my calls rarely keep her by my side.
I picked up Rommy as a companion to Ranaya. He was an afterthought. He was a bit older and had spent his first five weeks at Holderreads with older ducks. I never thought he and I would have much of a bond.
I was so wrong.
He is my co-protector and as such he (mostly) trusts me. If I let him pick at my shoelaces, he lets me scratch his neck. When I have to pick him up he will lay his neck inside of mine and "whisper" in my ear.... no fight, no loud noises, just a calm. He lets me sit in the park and refuses to graze until I take my turn, alert, at attention, keeping an eye turned this way and that.
My goodness, I never would have guessed that I would get so much could from waterfowl!
Next spring Rommy will look at Ranaya with new eyes, and I will be something else (yet to be determined) much less than I am now. I am grateful that I have this brief time to be his friend, his companion, his co-protector.
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This post written in solute of Rommy.
Finally they found a spot close to the pond where they could still "flee" but not have to move too far. I moved their food to the new spot, set up the kiddie pool and made some nice mud puddles for them. About an hour before we were done for the day they settled in.
We quit for the day around 4 pm. At 6:30 my fearless, not so little chinese, Ranaya, talked incessantly at me as she walked closer to the pond. I, of course, spoke back at her just as incessantly. The ducks watched suspiciously, while Rommy tried to get everyone to MOVE AWAY FROM THE POND. I kept at my 7 syllable, "tchoo tchoo tchoo tchoo tchoo tchoo TCHOO." Ranaya's (the star of the post "screaming gosling!") voice became so shrill as she spokes back at me that the neighbors walked out to their back deck to see what's the matter... and... and... I matched her voice with my own... (I have no shame when it comes to my flock!)
Then the payoff... Ranaya takes the tentative steps, I speak to her like I did when she looked like a miniature version of big bird. yes, yes, she's going into the pond.... no, she's looking at me snorting? (do geese snort?) oh my goodness she's ... haha she's fallen into the pond! Of course she did it on purpose
Rommy is still trying to get everyone else to MOVE AWAY FROM THE POND, but Ranaya is now in the water, so much quacking commences. It's much too fast for me to understand, but I pick up such quacks as "she's floating there just fine," let's see if the water starts to boil," and "I want to go!" Choopiter (guess what member of the family named her) finally says, "quack quack, quack quack quack" (translation = forget you, you silly goose.") and runs towards the pond. Not to be left behind, the rest of the flock, minus Rommy, follows.
And there on a rock, left all alone, my sentinel, my beautiful Rommy, waits for the world to end.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took another hour before Rommy decided that maybe everyone wasn't going to die by going into the pond. He stood ready to sound the call if danger decended upon his flock. It didn't come (this time) and in the end decided to briefly visit with and chat with the adventurous before he took his post, slowly (as in snail's pace) pacing the front of the pond.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before I became the protector of these wonderful animals I had no idea what it was I wanted in life. It's the same as what they want, tranquility. By giving it to them, I receive it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I fretted over Ranaya more than any of my ducks (though I love them dearly) and I thought she would be my closest companion. But she has blended in with the ducks as if they all hatched from the same mother. I'm happy for her in a sad sort of way. I knew that imprinting on me would not be as fulfilling as having 24/7 companions. These days she always follows the flock and my calls rarely keep her by my side.
I picked up Rommy as a companion to Ranaya. He was an afterthought. He was a bit older and had spent his first five weeks at Holderreads with older ducks. I never thought he and I would have much of a bond.
I was so wrong.
He is my co-protector and as such he (mostly) trusts me. If I let him pick at my shoelaces, he lets me scratch his neck. When I have to pick him up he will lay his neck inside of mine and "whisper" in my ear.... no fight, no loud noises, just a calm. He lets me sit in the park and refuses to graze until I take my turn, alert, at attention, keeping an eye turned this way and that.
My goodness, I never would have guessed that I would get so much could from waterfowl!
Next spring Rommy will look at Ranaya with new eyes, and I will be something else (yet to be determined) much less than I am now. I am grateful that I have this brief time to be his friend, his companion, his co-protector.
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This post written in solute of Rommy.
