[Rhodes22-list] Fw: duck tale

[elle]

Hank asked me to reformat this & send it along to the list. 

I think you'll all enjoy it. 

Sorry I didn't have time to go thru Nabble to get the pix inline.

elle

We can't change the angle of the wind....but we can adjust our sails.

1992 Rhodes 22   Recyc '06  "WaterMusic"   (Lady in Red)


--- On Thu, 8/7/08, windlass <windlass at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: windlass <windlass at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Fw: duck tale
> To: watermusic38 at yahoo.com
> Date: Thursday, August 7, 2008, 9:45 PM
> > >Duck Story ...
> > >
> > >Something really amazing happened in Downtown
> Spokane this week and I had 
> > >to share the story with you.
> > >
> > >A loan officer at Sterling Bank, works downtown in
> a second story office 
> > >building, overlooking busy Riverside Avenue .
> Several
> > weeks ago he watched a mother duck choose the cement
> awning outside his
> > window as the uncanny place to build a nest above the
> sidewalk.
> > >
> > >The mallard laid nine eggs in a nest in the corner
> of the planter that is 
> > >perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully
> kept the eggs warm for weeks 
> > >and Monday afternoon all of her nine ducklings
> hatched.
> > >
> > >
> 
> > >Joel worried all night how the momma duck was
> going to get those babies 
> > >safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban
> environment to take to 
> > >water, which typically happens in the first 48
> hours of a duck hatching. 
> > >Tuesday morning, Joel came to work and watched the
> mother duck encourage 
> > >her babies to the edge of the perch with the
> intent to show them how to jump off!
> > >
> > >
> > >The mother flew down below and started quacking to
> her  babies above. In his 
> > >disbelief Joel watched as the first fuzzy newborn
> toddled to the edge and 
> > >astonishingly leapt into thin air, crashing onto
> the cement below.
> > >
> > >He couldn't watch how this might play out. He
> > dashed out of his office and ran down the stairs the
> sidewalk where the first
> > obedient duckling was stuporing near its mother from
> the near fatal fall.
> > >
> 
> > >Joel looked up. The second duckling was getting
> ready to jump! He quickly 
> > >dodged under the awning while the mother duck
> quacked at him and the babies 
> > >above. As the second one took the plunge, Joel
> jumped forward and caught it 
> > >with his bare hands before it hit the cement. Safe
> and sound, he set it by 
> > >the momma and the other stunned sibling, still
> recovering from its painful 
> > >leap.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >One by one the babies continued to jump to join
> their anxious family below. 
> > >Each time Joel hid under the awning just to reach
> out in the nick of time 
> > >as the duckling made its free fall. The downtown
> sidewalk came to a 
> > >standstill. Time after time, Joel was able to
> catch the
> > remaining 7 and set them by their approving mother.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >At this point Joel realized the duck family had
> onlymade part of its 
> > >dangerous journey. They had 2 full blocks to walk
> across traffic, 
> > >crosswalks, curbs, and pedestrians to get to the
> closest open water, the Spokane River .
> > >
> > >The onlooking office secretaries then joined in,
> and hurriedly brought an 
> > >empty copy paper box to collect the babies. They
> carefully corralled them, 
> > >with the mother's approval, and loaded them up
> into the white cardboard 
> > >container. Joel held the box low enough for the
> mom to see her brood. He 
> > >then slowly navigated through the downtown streets
> toward the Spokane River 
> > >, as the mother waddled behind and kept her babies
> in sight.
> > >
> 
> > >As they reached the river, the mother took over
> and passed him, jumping 
> > >into the river and quacking loudly.
> > >
> > >At the water's edge, the Sterling Bank office
> staff then tipped the box and 
> > >helped shepherd the babies toward the water and to
> their mother after their 
> > >adventurous ride.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >All nine darling ducklings safely made it into the
> water and paddled up 
> > >snugly to momma duck. Joel said the mom swam in
> circles, looking back 
> > >toward the beaming bank workers, and proudly
> quacking as if to say,
> > >
> > >'See, we did it! Thanks for all the help!'
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > P.S.  We had ducks nest on the roof at Fountaindale
> last
> > Spring, and one of our 5th grade teachers said he
> watched
> > her do the same thing.  Fortunately, we had normal
> ground,
> > not concrete, and they were able to walk across the
> > playground to the nearby creek without crossing
> traffic.


      
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