There was a big full moon this past weekend. It was the Strawberry moon, and if you went outside to see it, it was the color of a strawberry. It was a special one as this year it coincides with the summer solstice. With the strawberry moon this past weekend the night critters came out with plenty of moonlight to see easy prey.
Sitting ducks
That easy prey happened to be a sitting duck. By definition, a sitting duck is an easy target. And my oldest duck, Lu happened to be the epitome of a sitting duck. She wasn’t always a sitting duck. One evening almost a year ago she didn’t come home for dinner, which is not like her at all. The following day I went out to look for her and she was immobile lying in the ditch. Her eyes were clear and she was able to focus, so I felt like her spirit was good, but neither of her legs worked.
I brought her home, moved her in and out of her duck house, and brought her water and food. Even bathed her because she couldn’t do that. We did a lot of fighting as she is quite the feisty duck. Slowly she got stronger and she began to drag herself around. One leg got stronger and she did a walk drag. I wondered to myself how long it would be, if ever until she could walk well enough to have a quality of life.
It felt like months but she eventually regained the use of both legs. She would often stumble or get tripped on the weaker of the two legs, but she was getting around and doing duck things again. Swimming and cleaning herself. Eating bugs, laying eggs, and still being feisty as ever. She was doing well by the definition of a duck.
strawberry moon
Until a creature of the night got her this weekend with the help of the strawberry moon. She was a sitting duck on the pond and now there is nothing but feathers. She had no way to defend herself, she couldn’t move fast and she couldn’t fly.
Pets bring so much joy to your life but it is so hard to lose one. Lu was strong. I will miss her greeting me in the morning. Her impatience when she was ready for dinner. Her squeaky broody self when she had a clutch of eggs.
There is one duck left, Little Feather. She can fly so that will help her be more elusive than Lu was. Once something gets Little Feather, I won’t have any more ducks. I won’t get any new ones, it is too heartbreaking to lose them.
