Thursday morning was just like any other during this long, hot and rainy Summer of 2021. As I got dressed and ready to leave on my walk, the weatherman was detailing our potentially severe weather and projected inch or so of rain for later that afternoon. The dew point and humidity were both at 75 and it was already 71F (22 C). Ugh! I dressed as light as I could and still be deemed respectable.
It was about 8:15 a.m. when I was almost to Council Point Park, at the point where Pagel Avenue and New York Avenue converge, when I saw her. Or perhaps I should say I heard her. Mama Mallard was pacing nervously in the street and near the sewer grate as two very tiny ducklings marched lockstep with her. Sometimes she was quacking while pacing.
Next, after Mama circled around the sewer grate, she peered inside.
From my vantage point, this told me all I needed to know … some of her ducklings had fallen through the sewer grate and into the sewer. Here is a close-up of the culprit.
I stepped over and peered into the grate, where I saw a dark pool of water below. Several of Mama’s offspring were paddling, emitting tiny nervous peeps and squeaks that were intensified by the hollow opening. I bent down closer and could see two, maybe three, ducklings swimming around. When I looked over, Mama had stopped in her tracks with a gaze that implored me to do something to save her babies.
I turned to her and tried to calm her down, speaking softly by saying “Sweetie, I feel your pain – I’ll help you get your ducklings out.”
Pausing and pacing …
I have the Lincoln Park police phone number memorized so I called. When I got through to Central Dispatch, I am positive the desk officer heard Mama and her down-under brood quacking. I gave her the location and said I’d wait. She told me that was unnecessary, but I waited anyway, thinking I could console Mama, plus step closer to the grate. I was a Nervous Nellie watching Mama as she paced, not only around the grate but OVER it. The ducklings, on the heels of her wide, webbed feet, had a difficult time keeping up with her stride and a couple of times they lost their balance, almost sliding through the grate to join their siblings. For about twenty more minutes, Mama paced, the ducklings paced and I sneaked a peek down each side street to assure Mama and myself that help was still on the way. She paused at the sewer grate each “lap” she made and kept quacking and her brood in the sewer serenaded me as I peered in. Here are a few pictures. I ask you … who could walk away from this duckling dilemma?
Just then, a woman pulled over in her vehicle to ask if I was okay. I pointed at Mama and her pair of ducklings and filled her in on the story. The woman, whose name is Jae, returned a few minutes later to join me in my “watch” and by then a few other folks meandered over as well, prompting Mama to move across the street, away from the commotion and she positioned herself on a neighbor’s front lawn to watch and wait.
Well, isn’t that just ducky?!
One woman had brought a crowbar and lifted the grate and pushed it aside in less than a minute, so we clustered around for a better look. Meanwhile, just down the street, Rudy had been mowing his lawn and saw us and came over to scope out the situation. He went home and got a laser light, a pool skimmer and his wife Janis returned with him. The pool skimmer was lowered into the hole.
Rudy then pondered the next move.
He tested the depth of the sewer water with a crowbar and deemed it was safe, so he stepped into the hole.
With the skimmer, he was able to grab one duckling, but it flopped around like a fish and escaped … twice! So a Plan “B” was needed. Rudy asked Janis to bring his rubber boots and a net – he figured he had a better chance to nab those babies by slipping right down into the hole. Now there’s a woman on a mission.
Rudy donned the rubber boots and without further ado lowered himself into the sewer hole.
Once Rudy was in the sewer hole, we were all hovering over him like a surgical team during a life-and-death operation, holding or passing along surgical instruments, only these “instruments” were a laser light, or a net. Soon we had the first capture. As Rudy dipped the net and caught a duckling, he carefully brought it to the surface. There was a round of cheers and like an assembly line, one woman passed the net to another and she grabbed the duckling from the net and set it free.
Look at that duckling run to Mama! Its beak is open – what was it saying? Mama came into the street to greet it and nuzzled her baby with her beak.
A second duckling rescue happened within minutes. You can see her brood growing.
Mama marched back over to the lawn. She had great expectations. So did we, thus we stayed on task at the sewer hole because we still heard squeaks and peeps.
Meanwhile, the plot thickened with this duckling drama!
Jae’s daughter Gabrielle kept an eye on the little family and stayed close to Mama to ensure she didn’t cross the street with her ducklings in all the excitement and be hurt by a vehicle.
While standing guard, Gabrielle heard some peeping coming from another sewer grate and alerted us.
Everyone hurried over.
Sure enough, the ducklings had paddled from one area to another! What to do? Rudy pulled off the second sewer grate and got down closer to look for ducklings. As you can see, this opening was much narrower and had encrusted cement on the sides. We could hear them, but couldn’t see them.
The Ordinance Control truck pulled up just then and Officer Horvath hopped out.
Officer Horvath had parked the vehicle near the first sewer hole which we had now abandoned, so he joined us at the second hole, toting a large black net. Your Roving Reporter asked him “how often do you have to rescue ducklings?” His response was “more than you know.” There were now eight of us peering into this sewer and meanwhile, Mama, patiently awaited the rest of her family.
Hmm – how could we lure the remaining ducklings to the open hole?
Rudy went home, then returned, toting a five-gallon bucket of water, hoping to flush the remaining ducklings closer to the entrance of the hole, while Gabrielle pulled out her smartphone, Googled “duck noises” then put her phone close to the open hole, all to no avail. One women ran and grabbed a duckling right from under Mama’s nose, er … beak, then slipped it into the small orange net. She had to cover the top to keep it from escaping. As she held it close to the opening, this duckling rebelled with squeaky quacks and it was sheer magic as its siblings paddled over immediately. [Hmm – would this duckling pictured below be a duckling whisperer?]
A few dips with Officer Horvath’s big net and all ducklings were presumably accounted for.
Reunited and it feels so good.
Five ducklings were rescued and returned to Mama; our mission was complete, as far as we could tell. We were confident there were no more peeps and squeaks coming from the sewer. Mama, hightailed it from the crowd, waddling down Pagel Avenue, her seven ducklings behind her in a neat queue. She left without a flourish, no “see ya” or “thanks for saving my babies” … but that was okay too. She was probably heading to Council Point Park, just a block away.
But … Mama needed an abacus it seems.
Our little group, strangers really … a mixture of neighbors from both blocks, two walkers and Officer Horvath, visited after the ordeal, then dispersed (or so I thought). It was 9:22 a.m. and late for me, but I wanted to get to the Park and feed the critters and get at least one loop walked, as an all-day rain was predicted for Friday. I looked for Mama and her brood thinking they had a head start on me, but surely I’d catch up with them. I never saw them though.
On the way home, Jae saw me, pulled over to the curb and rolled the window down. She said “guess what – after you left we found another duckling; the Ordinance Officer fished it out. We looked everywhere for Mama and her ducklings, even in backyards and they were nowhere!” I told her I had not seen them at the Park either. She said “I guess my daughter will keep the duckling if she cannot find the Mama.” Jae promised to keep me apprised when she sees me walking down the street and I will message her on Facebook through our City Neighborhood forum to send this post. I know Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary will also give that Mallard munchkin a good home if/when Junior gets too big for Gabrielle to handle.
Query: Why didn’t Mama take a head count of her brood? Just askin’.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Wow, Linda what a great post, and what a safe ending for those lost ducklings.Think this is my favourite post I have read this year ❤👍
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Thank you Andy – your comments made my day! It was so nice seeing everyone coming together for the welfare of these tiny ducklings and that they all made it out of the sewer safely was just so special and heartwarming.
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What a heart-warming story with a happy ending – thanks to you, Linda! Way to be a good Samaritan!!! I love it when people come together for something good.
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Thank you Laurie – I appreciate your comments. As I wrote this post, it dawned on me that I was on the fringe of all the hubbub and activity, though I did hold the laser light for a little while, but other than that I calmed Mama, called the police and recorded the event for posterity. 🙂
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Plus, you were the person who got the ball rolling. You initiated the whole rescue!
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Well that is true Laurie. I guess I did orchestrate their rescue. I was amazed that Rudy thought nothing of going down into the sewer … dangling a net and hoping to catch one duckling at a time is one thing, but climbing into the sewer water is another.
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Could I share this? 😀
On Sat, Jul 17, 2021 at 10:02 AM WALKIN’, WRITIN’, WIT & WHIMSY wrote:
> Linda Schaub posted: ” Thursday morning was just like any other during > this long, hot and rainy Summer of 2021. As I got dressed and ready to > leave on my walk, the weatherman was detailing our potentially severe > weather and projected inch or so of rain for later that after” >
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Hi DiAnne – sure, that would be nice and I am honored. Feel free to spread the joy around a little more. It was such a good feeling watching people pull together for these tiny ducklings.
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beautiful post
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Thank you Matt – glad you liked it.
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I am a sucker for ducks…I would’ve been right there helping out in some capacity
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I am too Matt. Everyone just pitched in to get them out. It made me feel good to see this happen. The parks I frequent only have the Mallards. Only one park has Pekins and Mallard Hybrids but just a few. At Council Point Park where I walk most days, last December other walkers and I noticed two ducks which were coming right up to us and actually nuzzling our kneecaps. I thought they were begging for food. The other walkers there said “ducks don’t beg!” I’d never seen large, mottled-brown ducks like this, bigger than Pekins and so friendly. We had cold weather and snow, but the Creek was not frozen and the Mallards stay there all Winter. I took some crackers the next day as I didn’t have corn or anything else to give them and broke them up and put them on a cement ledge where they and some Mallards came to eat them. I took some photos of the brown ducks and sent them to the Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary. They have a Facebook site and Matt and his wife live in a rural area with a large pond and a barn. They and a team of volunteers rescue wounded and abandoned waterfowl and let them live the rest of their lives there. So, I asked Matt was type of ducks they were and described how friendly they were. He told me they were “Khaki Campbell” domestic ducks, likely pets but had been abandoned. He asked if I saw them again to call him ASAP and he and/or one of a team of volunteers in the Detroit Metro area would come rescue them. I had no idea and right after that we had a very cold spell and I never saw them again. I’ve worried about them all these months, hoping they were able to survive as Matt said they probably had no survival skills. Every day on Matt’s site, there are abandoned Pekins or waterfowl with fishing line cutting their legs … he has a heart of gold.
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It so nice to see the community come together like that. We need more stories like this!!!
Perhaps since momma didn’t hear the last baby calling any more she assumed it was lost for good and decided she best get the other to safety. Sadly I think wild animals are used to losing a portion of their young.
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Ruth – I thought it was nice too. It was in the neighborhood, yet people from the two different streets which converge into a triangle where the first sewer grate is and another walker that happened by, so essentially strangers. That makes sense about just getting the other ducklings to safety since there were eight humans looming large. This is true because so many offspring fall from trees before fledging, or, in the case of squirrels, are weaned and ready to forage on their own. I hope I can connect with Jae and Gabrielle to see if they ever located Mama and reunited them.
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A very uplifting (pun intended) post Linda! I wonder how many times this happens each day across the globe?
Right place right time for you but wrong place for the young ones!
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Thank you Wayne and I like the pun. At one point I wanted to use a subheading “right place, right time” as you are fond of saying when taking wildlife photos, but I forgot until I saw your comment. It seems every Spring or Summer I see a story or pictures on social media where the police, fire or animal control is removing a sewer grate and trying to wrangle ducklings out of the sewer and back onto the street while an anxious Mama Mallard looks on. It’s too bad they don’t use a fine screen of some type but there are always grass clippings, or in the Fall, there are leaves which often block the grate. It’s easy to see how they slipped through the grate.
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Oh my goodness! What a ta-do! Glad you were able to rescue them all! I’m surprised she left without the last one.
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I know! Once the first sewer grate was removed and the net was scooping up duckling #1 and #2, you’d have thought the rescue would be over shortly. But thankfully it had a happy ending. Kate, I was also surprised that she left in such a hurry and didn’t count her offspring before departing.
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You are truly a good samaritan!
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Thank you Kate. I believe no one could walk past this Mama Duck who was visibly upset by her ducklings in that sewer and not feel empathy toward her. She was looking into the sewer where she could hear their cries. I worried they’d drown if they weren’t rescued soon.
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❤
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Marvelous story! I’d say a group of strangers became a community in a very short time.
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Thank you Anne – glad you liked it. This was a beautiful thing to witness everyone coming together and working so hard to retrieve those ducklings. I am curious to find out what happened to the duckling left behind.
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That must have felt like a long time waiting for help to come for both you and the Mama duck. How wonderful that so many people were willing to jump in there and do their part. Sorry that the Mama left without her baby, but glad that it has someone to take good care of it. You did a great job documenting this interesting story both with photos and words. 🙂
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It did Rebecca – I was glad someone got there to do something. I worried they might drown in the sewer water. It was really heartwarming to see so many people jump in and figuring out a way, any way, to get the ducklings out and it made my day. I feel badly she did not miss the last duckling and took off, but maybe they don’t have a way to know how many ducklings hatched and are part of your family? Thank you … I did take lots of photos and I wanted to write it while the whole story was still so fresh in my mind.
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It’s a great story!
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I learned today the last duckling and its Mama were not reunited, but Gabrielle is going to reach out to a duck sanctuary.
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What a fantastic story, Linda. Very heart-warming indeed. It’s special when neighbors, even if strangers, can come together that way to help out an unfortunate. You did an excellent job documenting and telling the story.
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Thank you Eileen. It really was wonderful to see how people banded together and worked so quickly and hard to find those ducklings and return them to their mother. It was a fun post to write, given the amount of photos I took and because it was still so fresh in my mind.
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Linda, this was such an adventure.
It warms my heart to see so may folks care about the ducklings – Rudy was so brave to go into the sewer like that and well – all of you seemed to have your heart with such active compassion!
hope the duck Jae has will make out just fine – please keep us posted
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It sure was an adventure Yvette … all this energy and compassion in the course of one hour’s time and I left for Council Point Park with such a good feeling about humanity. I thought Rudy was the hero, never thinking twice about going into the sewer to rescue these ducklings, rather than waiting for the Animal Control Officer to arrive. Everyone was so hands on … just amazing. The Mama Duck was so frantic and her little ones sounded so scared down there in the dark. I will keep you posted. I hope to touch base with Jae to see what has happened. I did not walk there the last two days – we had rain both mornings and I walked yesterday when it finally cleared up, but not there.
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well you have very good photojournalism skills –
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Thank you Yvette. My late friend Marge, who encourage me to start a blog about walking, said “never-ever leave the house without your camera.” I don’t have a smartphone, just a flip phone, so I am glad I took her advice. Though last week it looked like rain so I left my digital compact (which I use for 75% of my photos) off my fanny pack. Wouldn’t you know that I saw some very cool chalk art near the Park.
I went to the Park, did a few laps then hightailed it home, grabbed the camera and went back. Sickening hot that morning, but got some fun photos for my upcoming blog post celebrating my 10th anniversary of walking. I’ll catch up with your comments tonight. I looked briefly … I agree with you about the comments. Do you follow Hugh at Hugh’s News and Views? He makes a similar comment as you about keeping up and avoiding the hamster wheel of wanting to keep up, but always feeling behind.
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I don’t regularly follow Hugh but drop in to see him and I love his advice and insight – he is also way cool
And for some reason your comments were not there when I looked last week – well a couple of them were not and it puzzles me – but with that said – it was fun getting some Linda comments and no need to reply back to them – unless you feel prompted!
And 10 years is a such a special milestone –
🤍☀️
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I follow Hugh but ensure I read his blogging tips. When I was ready to go to the Block Editor in April 2019, I read all of Hugh’s hints. He does have good advice and insight. Yes, a decade of walking and I think I’m going to try and add up all my years of miles. I saved all the miles info from 2012 on, so will have to guess how many miles from September 2011 through December 2011. I am really behind in Reader and Comments and we had a severe storm so I shut down for an hour until it passed.
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hi – we had storms on and off here too – and it is use to shut down and come back – and wishing you a nice rest of your Tuesday and TTYS
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Yes, 40,000 lost power – I feel lucky to have remain unscathed.
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very glad you did not lose power –
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Me too Yvette … I am toying with the idea of getting an instant-on generator, but more so as I worry about the Winter and losing power resulting in cracked pipes. These seasons are a force to reckon with and not the seasons I grew up with.
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well I remember similar extremes in westerner New York – maybe not quite as bad – but we had blizzards (especially in 1977) and then warm winters – I think it was 85 or 86 – but February was so warm and it seemed crazy back then – 🙂
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Maybe climate change was percolating way back then Yvette. I sure remember the Blizzard of 1978 as school was closed down at the time. I’m sure there were many more warm Winter extremes here that have slipped my mind. I long for the four distinct seasons I grew up … guess that will never happen again.
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Beautiful to find your writings, walk and work here Linda. It was a beautiful, important to see and inspiring post. Thanks for sharing, thanks for even documenting it visually so well.
Nara x
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Thank you for your comments Nara. I appreciate them immensely. I agree that it was beautiful and inspirational in a world where people are so often at odds with one another and seem to just care for themselves. There was no hesitation for people to drop what they were doing to come rescue these ducklings. I walked away with a really good feeling and was eager to share my experience with all of you.
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And then there are people like you, who first of all not only walk but well observe to make just that lil change. Makes my day enough. Thanks
Nara x
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Thank you Nara … I have to say that walking is the best thing I ever done for myself. I began my blog in 2013 based on my walking and it also got me interested in photography once again. This Park where I walk every day is nice as it has a creek running through it so there is always something to see and getting a chance to see nature right under my nose is very satisfying.
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What a heartwarming story! It was a great team rescue effort but you got the ball rolling and Rudy deserves a few extra accolades! I’m so glad you came across the distressed mother duck that morning. Great pictures, especially the one of the first baby rescued, quacking out his story as it ran back to its mother. 🙂 💙
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Glad you liked the story Barbara. I thought it was such a feel-good story that I could not wait my usual weeks and weeks to get the photos sorted and the post written. I am glad I was there at the right place and right time. I told Rudy that he was the hero because he just got it done without hesitation. Not everyone would jump into the sewer. That Mama Duck was so distressed and it broke my heart seeing her looking down the grate at her ducklings, quacking and them with their squeaky quacks back. It was a very tender moment. That first duckling … it made me smile too as you wouldn’t think they could run that fast; it just took off, with those extra-large feet over to Mama, his mouth open as if to say “here I am Mama!”
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Wow that was fabulous Linda .. relief all round and a happy ending!
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Glad you liked it Michael. It was a lot of drama for the Duck family as well as all of us who banded together to make the rescue happen and it had a happy ending which was the main thing. It restored my faith in mankind as well.
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Miss Linda…………………………………….you live an exciting life!……………………rescuing baby ducklings…………………and a big thanks to Rudy who went down into the sewer water……………….actually Mama duck probably had 10 ducklings to start with she lost a few along the way maybe because of the hawks at night so she didn’t really know how many ducklings she had??………………………..or……………………she was so traumatized by all of the humans around her and the big scary nets………………….I always liked Lincoln Park people……………………………maybe next time they see a phone call from Miss Linda, the police will come sooner………………………..I was amazed about the lady thinking of grabbing a sibling to attract the other sibling ducklings………………………………….that’s so smart……………..this story should be in the local paper
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Ann Marie – Thank you for your very nice comments. I was lucky to be at the right place and right time and how amazing it was to see all these strangers pull together to get these five tiny little ducklings out of the sewer. Rudy was amazing going down into the sewer without even thinking about it. Mama was lucky wasn’t she? That’s true that Mama probably lost count of her brood, especially if she had the usual ten ducklings. The ducks are safest when they are in the water at the Creek. I wonder where she went that quickly? As you know from walking there, it is quite a long walk from River Drive, through the parking lot, then over to the Creek or even just to the Park where she could have hidden, plus she had to walk up Pagel. There are still hawks cruising around overhead. Last week there was one and I didn’t see it until I heard the birds giving some distress calls and some birds in the trees took flight (maybe 5-6 of them). So I looked up. I thought it was a great idea to grab a sibling to attract the other siblings and it sure worked … they recognized their squeaky brother or sister right away!
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I would’ve been worried sick too if I heard the squeaking and cries and seeing the mama duck’s nervousness. You have good intuition about animals and taking initiative like that started the ripple effects of others joining in the mission!!
Thank you sharing this heartwarming story and showing the goodness that comes from strangers working together! It must’ve been a worrisome and exciting rescue adventure. Linda, you witness a lot of animal drama and you document it well with pictures. I agree with another commenter that this story should be in the local newspaper.
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Thank you Ester … I appreciate you saying that. I know I worry about all these little critters. The recent house squirrel (Two-Tone) seems to be careful, dropping into the bushes to avoid a similar fate to the squirrels last year (Cooper’s Hawk), but scurries from her tree to my porch and it is necessary to cross the street … I can’t watch. A fellow blogger who is a wildlife photographer with feathered friends of his own (many eagles he has known for three decades) has the same dilemma. He says to face it, that our wild friends may meet their fate and hopefully we don’t see it.
This blog is actually carried on the local newspaper’s blog roll (since 2013). I did it at the suggestion of my friend/neighbor Marge, who is, as you know from our previous chats, is the person who got me interested in blogging. Thank you for suggesting it … my friend Ann Marie who lives in the next city suggested it too. Rudy is a hero to me … he jumped into the sewer to try and rescue these darlings. 🙂 Did you share this story with the kids?
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It was a heartwarming story and shared it with the kids! They loved it noting how cute the ducklings were and how awesome the people were to go through all that trouble for the rescue. Rudy took initiative and really put himself out there. That’s great!!
Marge gave you some great ideas and wonderful that your blog is on the newspaper. Your blog is perfect for showcasing the parks, animals, and nature places in your area.
Nature has its own life cycle but it seems so cruel. And if it deviates it upsets the cycle. We look at our fish and see how the bigger ones push around smaller fish and fight for territory. We had another incident with the big fish biting off the catfish tail. Many fish fatalities this summer.
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Glad they enjoyed it Esther … now you can tell them about today’s post; the duckling left behind is at the Duck Rescue/Sanctuary and there are other ducklings already there, so it won’t be alone. I used some pictures from the Sanctuary site to show all the other ducks that live there (rescues, orphans, wounded … all have a home with Matt and his wife). Good people make the world better. Fish fatalities when you’re a kid are monumental … I had goldfish when very young, before the Gouramis. One day, went to feed it … a goner. I remember winning goldfish at the local carnival or fair if you guessed something or played a game.
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What a happy ending to a stressful time for those little ducklings and mama. So good to hear how every one helps. Great story Linda.
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Glad you liked it Sandra … it was a feel-good story and as of now the last duckling was not reunited with its Mama, but is safe and Gabrielle is making arrangements for it, possibly the duck sanctuary I mentioned in the post.
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YAY! Thank you. My faith in humanity is temporarily restored.
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I feel the same way Sarah … this story was the breath of fresh air we all needed.
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I love this story! It warms my heart after reading about so much nastiness in the world. I think, deep down, most people are kind, generous, and caring. Thank you for first noticing that something was wrong and for getting the ball rolling. Odd that mama didn’t notice that one was missing, but maybe she was so relieved that she lost count.
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Glad you liked this heartwarming story Janis. Like you, I hear or read about so much nastiness in the world today that this rescue by strangers coming together gives you hope. I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time. i find it odd Mama marched off minus one duckling too. Gabrielle is making arrangements for it to likely go to a duck sanctuary where it will be safe and there will be other ducks there, as it is too young to be on its own.
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I am so glad that you were in the right place at the right time, Linda! It’s also good to see how your neighbors all came together in the rescue. This story sure made my day! 😊
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Yes, that’s so true Sabine and I likewise felt like all was right with the world, if only for a short while. Is your sister safe from the floods and devastation?.
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You are right, Linda! It was a great moment of people coming together and helping each other rescuing the ducklings! It’s the kind of feel-good story we all need more often these days. Thanks for asking about my sister. She is fine. They had a nearby creek overflow, flood all the fields and then her street turned into a small stream. Luckily her basement was the only house in her immediate neighborhood that stayed dry. They too had tons of rain, but nothing like the areas around the German, Dutch and Belgian border. It had rained in her town for about three to four weeks with very few breaks.
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Yes we need more positivity for sure Sabine. Glad to hear your sister is fine because from what I’ve heard and seen, it sure is terrible flooding. My weather alarm just went off for severe weather and 60 mph winds. They had said “garden variety rain” for tonight or else I would have not gone grocery shopping yesterday. It was very hot and humid today, so this cold front is going to cool us down for ONE day … one measly day, then the next four days we have rain and a very thunderstorms (nothing severe). A Summer to remember for sure.
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Such sweet creatures; definitely worth rescuing! So nice to see real goodness in the world! 🙂
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Yes, it was so heartwarming Tom, just when humans amaze and exasperate me daily. The Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary rescued a Mute Swan that had an arrow embedded in its neck – the photos made me feel ill.
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There are plenty of genuine human beings still out there, thank goodness! 🙂
Whoever did that to the Swan was an ugly monster inwardly… how sad.
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Tom – these days we sure need to know that genuine human beings walk amongst us, otherwise what hope have we got to go on living? Going into space and back does not make us better people – simply reaching out to help those in need like happened here is what counts. “Colonizing the cosmos” … great, but let’s work on fixing our relationships and life here on Earth first.
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Linda, that was a GREAT story with a happy ending! Thanks!!
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Thank you Pam – glad you liked it. The world needs more happy stories like this, people coming together and working so earnestly to rescue five little ducklings. (Six really – the remaining one was not reunited with its mom, but will likely be taken to a duck sanctuary here in Michigan.)
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Yes, so true, Linda, and maybe that ducky was supposed to leave the nest.🤓♥️
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This is such a lovely story and highlights the best of people, coming together to help out. I love a happy ending too. 🙂
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It is a feel-good story for sure Clare. I was glad to be there and take pictures and be able to share the goodness and happy ending with everyone.
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Hi Linda, would it be okay if I shared your duckling story? Thank you 🙂
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Hi Clare – Sure, feel free to share this story. It is so heart-warming and I am glad you enjoyed it.
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Thank you Linda. ☺
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You’re welcome Clare.
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WOW, wow, wow! What an adventure. Such heroes with great teamwork. It’s sad the whole family didn’t make it off together, but a happy ending to know the young girl will take care of the lost duck. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us!
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Glad you liked the adventure … it was great the way everyone pulled together. The last duckling was never reunited with the Mama (the last I heard) so it likely will be going to a duck rescue and sanctuary.
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It is great to see people getting together like you captured. Heart-warming indeed. I imagine that little duckling won’t be alone for long.
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Yes, everyone was so concerned and eager to help out – it was so nice to see. I just heard from Matt at the Sanctuary and he hopes to connect with the young woman, Gabrielle, who still has the duckling. I hope they make the connection. Matt has volunteers who will come and pick it up and he has other ducklings there right now.
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A wonderful end to the story!
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What a story Linda, and talk about a team effort for the neighbourhood! Yes, it is strange that she left the one behind……there might be a children’s book in that for you? They are so small and cute-looking.
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Glad you liked the story Joni. You’re right … so small and cute and the mom was so worried about them. As for the last duckling that didn’t go with Mama and its siblings. I am hoping Gabrielle makes arrangements with Matt to get the duckling there – he just responded to my message (I sent him the post) and he says they have other ducklings and it will be fine if it goes there as soon as possible before it imprints on her. That’s a nice thought isn’t it? Kids would love this story.
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What a great story Linda! I see these rescues on the news all the time, you’re a hero!
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Thanks Diane! I know I have seen the duckling rescues on social media or news sites and it’s usually the fire department or police officers rescuing these babies. This big rescue came together so quickly and it was fun to be there.
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Awww, what an amazing story! And I am so glad that everyone pulled together to help this little family out. 🙂 xxx
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I knew you would like it Heather. That neighbor thought nothing of climbing into the sewer to save those duckling. The one duckling that got left behind is now at that duck sanctuary. That guy has a heart of gold and rescues waterfowl and keeps them on his property with the pond. He has a team of volunteers who help him do the rescues and/or they do the smaller rescues on their own. There is good in the world … sometimes listening to the headlines we don’t always see it. This did make me feel good though. {{{ hugs }}}
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