Duckling

Yesterday was a very eventful day for us.

We rescued a baby duck.

It was hilarious.

Yesterday afternoon:

So we were watching a mama duck jump over the curb with her ducklings. The mama waited for her ducklings, but when the last one didn't make it over the curb, she left. We were watching them, and we were wondering where the duckling went, because it just disappeared from sight. Turns out, the poor baby had fallen in a storm drain.

Cold and scared, the little duckling kept cheeping for his mum as we tried to come up with a way to pull him out without moving the drain. The drain was way too heavy to move it, so we decided to grab a chain and put it through a beanie Steven had. The contraption was my idea, and I felt pretty freaking proud of coming up with it, but it didn't work too well. The duckling kept swimming away from our invention, so it was impossible to pull him up. We were out there for about an hour.

At this point, my mum gets home. My mum, my aunt Gaby, and my aunt Toti get out of the car and ask us what we're doing. We tell them about the duck and we try to figure out what to do. Then, one of them, not sure which one, has the brilliant idea of getting the fire department. Now, let me tell you, I have so much respect for firefighters. They are true heroes, they're kind, and they're always willing to help, unlike the police. The police sucks. I hate them. ANYWAY, here's what happened next.

After a few minutes, my mum and aunts get back. We thought, you know, that the firefighters will come over with like, a small truck or car or something, but boy were we wrong. They brought the little ambulance like vehicle with them. Steven, Alex, Adriana, and I laughed. The firefighters came over and asked us about what was going on since my mum wasn't very clear. We told them it was a duck, and they called it "Code H." They were laughing so hard. But they were extremely nice about it. So about a minute after that, here comes the big firetruck. Oh my god we wanted to die. IT WAS HILARIOUS. The look on our faces must've been priceless. WE HAD A BUNCH OF FIREFIGHTERS WITH ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT FOR A FREAKING DUCKLING!!! We were thinking that we were the coolest people alive.

So the firefighters opened the drain and got the little duckling out. We cheered and then followed the firefighters to try and find the mama duck. They left and we thanked them for being the best people I've ever met. Unfortunately, we couldn't find her. After a while, and with the whole neighborhood watching, the firefighters handed us the duckling. We told them we would keep it and try to find its mum. We kept him/her outside chirping for a while, but no mama duck. So we decided we would keep him/her for a while. At least until we could find him/her a good home.

We figured out it's a Mallard duckling, and unfortunately, it's illegal to keep them as pets. We weren't thinking of keeping it forever, just until it was old enough to take care of himself/herself, but we were worried that we wouldn't know how to raise it properly. Now, the little duckling has imprinted on Steven. He/she follows him around everywhere and just plain loves him. It's sad, because Steven's totally in love with him/her. It's his baby. We really don't want to give him/her up, but we want what's best for him/her, and what's best for him/her is being raised with other ducklings and then set free when it's ready.

Thankfully, Lexi is amazing and knows someone who can take care of him/her. She gave me this lady's number and told me she would raise him/her with other ducklings and then set it free when the time is right. I really don't want to give him/her up, but I know we have to. We're gonna call the lady when Steven gets home from work today and ask her if she can take him in. If she can't for some reason, my sister's friend's aunt has raised ducks, and she might be able to take him/her. Her aunt also knows people that have ducklings at the moment so they might also be able to take him/her.

It's bittersweet for both me and Steven. We both love animals, and we're always looking out for them, but we really love this little duckling. We'll do the right thing in the end, but it's gonna be hard. Right now, the duckling is cradled in my arm, bundled up in Steven's shirt. I guess it tired himself/herself out from all his/her chirping and running around my bed. I haven't left him alone for very long, because he/she freaks out, so I haven't done anything productive today. I only left my room once to go get him/her more food.

So, here's time for my deep inspired thoughts about things.

Maybe.

I dunno.

We'll see.

Here we go.

Firefighters are heroes. They are nice, they never deny the most ridiculous requests for help, and they don't make fun of you when they help you. These guys are the best there is out there. I have SO much respect and admiration for these guys. They always risk their lives for our well-beings, and always help with a smile on their face. I want to do something for them, so I'm going to figure out a way to send them a little thank you present for helping us with the duckling.

To all firefighters out there, thank you for what you do. You guys really make a difference in everybody's lives. We owe a lot to you guys. So thank you, very very much.

Now for animals. No matter how small, they are important. One can't leave an animal in need out on its own to die. If the the animal is injured, you help nurse it back to help or give it to someone that can. If it's a baby and its mama has left them, you try to help it find its way home. If you can't, you find it a new home and take care of it until its old enough to take care of itself. They may not have as many rights as we do, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve to be treated with love and trust. Maybe I'm crazy for thinking the way I do, but I don't care. Kindness should be given out to humans as well as animals. We can make a difference if we just take the time to do it.

Well, that's it.

That was my big adventure yesterday. I'll probably post again tomorrow to explain what happened to the duckling if we give it away. Or if we didn't, I'll update you on how he/she is doing. I'm gonna spend some more time with him/her and give him/her a little bit of food right now.

Love,
Andrea~!