So here goes...last night we were at home..I was working on my drowned iPhone and a friend dropped by to pick up a dvd player to borrow for family vacation and as she was leaving up drives justin. He was asking Laila to go with him and has her ask if I would like to go. I was curious but also fully distracted by my phone that I am trying to salvage but I bite and stop all efforts at recovery and go see where it is that they are headed off to. Often times, I like to go and see just what they are getting into...as daddy will always let your child do more, venture farther, push the limit farther than mother hen will!
Outside I find them peering into the back of Justin's truck at a kennel....and I discover that today is the day that he has chosen to 'turn out the baby ducks'! Little history...before Laila was born...we got some ducks and they were raised in a coop and then released into the pond by his parents house. This process was harder to deal with since we still lived in our old house and if you have never raised ducks...well it is a disgusting adventure! They poo ALOT and they stink and they literally grow overnight...insane. Anyway...justin wanted Laila to have ducks..well only a select few have serivived and they live on the pond. This pond is now in our front yard so obviously he wanted MORE ducks... So he made a deal with his uncle about these and his Uncle Shorty has been raising THIRTY ducks for the pond...yes 30!! Anyway, yesterday he brought a kennel full to test it out and see how they survived. Because now, our dogs- who hunt ducks also live there and WILL chase them and catch them for grins! So in the big kennel go Molly and Lacy for the turn out. Also Justin had gone so far as to get in the pond last week and put up some posts on some of the trees in the pond to create 'safe havens' for the smartest ducks...so we have ourselves a little game of survivor going on!!! So dogs up and to the pond we go. Ducks are released....looking like we will be done before supper and in the house we will go. HA!!! Nope...the ducks would not get in the water...yep..got ourselves some HIGH quality ducks that don't like water!!!! so what is that saying...take like a duck to water! Well, we think that maybe having the other ducks...that have resided in Bentley for nearly 4 years...that seeing them will help....so I go get the gator...as this is how they are fed and are conditioned to come to...Load laila up, etc...to in laws to get the gator...Laila and I return...then I forgot food in the back of truck..back to get food...by now the ducks are there and Laila has stayed with her daddy and I return to find Justin holding a duck by his wings and he is TICKED off! not justin....the duck... Apparently this is KING of the hill! Well or so he thought...he was beating up on the new kids and justin captured him....so back I go to get the truck again to get the kennel to put up...Mr big shot!! By this point...I am little purturbed but that is just part of it! So I go get the truck. Justin puts "Mr. Big Shot" in the kennel and we will deal with him later. Back to rescue baby ducks...and these ducks are nearly full grown, by the way. I look up and Justin is throwing stuff at these ducks...because apparently THE real King DUCK is more sneaky and he is silently drowning the new kids...yep...holding them under one at a time! So we are on a bigger mission! the distraction of rock throwing works and the ducks ....that finally did get in the water....are on the run. Justin decides that he must go get "Billy Lee Bad *$%"- this duck is bad news and he is claiming HIS pond. There is also a hen that has babies that have been born and raised on the pond this summer so hence the protective nature...I guess. So we head out in the truck as family to go get the gator AGAIN. Off we go...and Laila in my lap(we are just in the pasture) and she flips her drink from my hands and now Dr Pepper in my lap! Joy! cleaned up and off we go again. Justin gets on the gater with Laila and me in the truck and we head to the pond. Back there Justin quickly determines that he must go get the little boat and go in AFTER Billy Lee!!! So on the gator we all load and to the shop we go. Justin loaded boat(in the back of the gator...so it is small) battery and trolling motor...I remind him that he needs a plug and then we are off. To the pond we go and in hot pursuit of Mr Billy Lee bad duck! He is just swimming about head high..and I even noticed him bowing up and stretching and flapping his wings like the males to do show dominance(the baby ducks were hidding and he thinks that he has WON) . So as Justin gets in I think...ok well he will catch this duck and then we are on our way again. HA...
Have you ever seen a determined man in a little one man metal boat, on a pretty good sized pond, in hot pursuit of one BAD duck???? Well, let me say at first I was just chuckling that he was so determined that he has gone through all this to save the ducks. But also proud that he was such a good man and good daddy. No man, child, or duck left behind! He is really this good of a person. I don't always give him full credit for how great he is. But back to story. Laila and I rode around the pond searching for the new 'kids' and finally find them hiding in the grass of the ditch of the pond that goes under our driveway...so they were safe and justin was still in hot pursuit of this one black duck...who cannot fly...so I am still holding faith that he WILL get this bad boy! Well the sun was setting and it was cool and beautiful so we are just enjoying the show....and boy did this movie go on and on and on!! He would chase him all the way across the pond and into a corner and somehow the duck would escape with circling around a tree and we were all the while driving around the pond trying to help urge Billy Lee closer and trapping him so to speak...after a long while Laila and I just found a good viewing spot and watched...well after more than several trips back and forth...I really thought he would just quit. HA...nope not my husband...it was now a mission. He WOULD win or else!!! So as time passed it got funnier and I knew that he was going to be here until capture or dark!
Well it was not until the duck escaped once by ducking (no pun intended) under the water and swam under the boat!!! Yes you heard me...this duck was smart and resourceful but he was still a duck and My HUSBAND would not loose now... defeat will not be! At first I thought I was seeing things and I yelled the second time to justin and said..did he? He responded with a very serious and slightly irritated and intrigued look on his face...yep! It wasn't until after many many many more trips ALL over this pond and many more wing flapping(duck could not fly but he was able to kind of get airborne by flapping his wings and that would give him just enough leverage to speed up and escape the boat)...even a few times, I saw Justin get close enough that he threw the dip net at the duck...only once did the net sink and he had to go 'overboard' to rescue his net...because another quality about him...is just like his dad..(they buy quality items and take very good care of them and keep them forever) so there was no 'oh well' lost that net...he got out and got it! So by this point I was laughing out loud off and on...and the next trip across the pond and the duck did his duck and dive thing and ....BOY was he skilled...he could swim a LOOOONG way underwater and he was creative about which direction he would go..so there was no predicting where he was heading....Jsutin would just be sitting there turning his head and looking at us as to ask 'where is the duck'? Laila took my cue and would say...he is behind you daddy and as I laughed so did she...it was at the time as he headed across the pond AGAIN....that he looks over at us and it was quiet...I hear him say....Looks like this one is going to get the gun!!! I could not help it.... I lost it.... I knew that this duck was winning and Justin was fully determined that this WOULD not happen...it was Man vs Duck and he was sure that Man would prevail...
In the meantime...he found some 'friendly snakes' living in on of the trees and asked me to go get the shot gun!!! As I was driving to get it...I was thinking...poor duck. Billy Lee was King of the pond but then he had to show off and he is gonna be duck stew or dressing or soemthing else that Aunt Merle cooks up!!! So I get the gun and some shells and return and Justin could not find Billy Lee. He says to me as I am handing him the gun that he thinks that he commited suicide! I am laughing and cannot help myself! I am thinking. Ha..wishful thinking...Billy Lee has him a great hiding place cause he was GIVE OUT! Justin had also previously said that he thought he would give out and he would catch him! So now we are killing snakes...several shots and all snakes were 'smoked' and he scans briefly- looking for Billy Lee- and he is no where to be found....
I suppose that it possible...that billy lee drowned himself so he could pass in a defining moment- so that the other ducks would see him as a hero who died in battle...but Justin is all the while thinking that he finally wore him out! I, myself, after watching Man vs Duck...and checking out Billy Lee's skills...put bets on the fact that Billy Lee found himself a great hiding spot and that it isn't over yet...I didn't get to check duck headcount status this morning and who knows...the new kids on the block ...may have headed north to high ground in the night???? Only time will tell the story...but I will not soon forget the story of the day that we released the 'new kids'
Stay tuned for updates on the pond and the introduction to "Survivor Bentley'- A duck's story!!!!
FYI.."Mr. Big Shot" was still in the kennel this morning awaiting his fate...he will likely have a new home today if I was guessing but who knows...But Billy Lee..well who knows...but I bet it will be an interesting turn of events for him. If I know my husband...he didn't give up last night! He is plotting his attack and this will likely be hilarious.
Maybe not so much for you, my readers, but certainly I get a kick out of watching man chase duck...knowing the determination and watching this highly skilled duck get the better of him...I was rolling laughing!
This is my life...simple but LOTS of fun and usually good for an interesting story here and there! Laila really enjoyed watching it...but not nearly as much as I did!
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