Saving Ducks, Eating Chicken

A peculiar event happened to me today, but I must preface this with events leading to today.

Rewind to a few weeks ago when;whilst doing my job as a heating and air conditioning technician, I was on a roof of an indoor pool that is adjacent to a park that has a pond that attracts ducks. It has been mating season for the ducks so also, it has been nesting season.

While maintaining the equipment on the roof I noticed a duck that seemed to be loitering around a certain machine, and would get a little "quacky" whenever I approached the machine. Upon further inspection I realized this was the mother duck and she was protesting my vicinity of her nest and 5 eggs. "Hmm.." I thought. "How the fuck is she going to get her ducklings off of here?"

In subsequent visits to this roof, I continued to ask myself this question. I also cursed her as a bad mother duck. Though she never did abandon the nest. She stayed with the eggs every time I was there, sitting on her eggs and seemingly tending to making sure her young hatched.

Fast forward to today. Weeks have passed and I return to do a repair on a machine on this same roof that I have been awaiting (and received) a part for.

The mother duck (I recognized her because she had some unique black and white markings) was now on the ground near where I parked my vehicle. She was buzzing me and making all sorts of noise. "Shut the fuck up." I said to her as it WAS early morning and I really did not want her annoyance. I took a few steps and realized "Oh shit! I bet I am gonna find her ducklings on the roof."

I climbed the access ladder, opened the roof hatch and pulled my tools and part up on a rope I secured everything to before the climb, as I was pulling, here was the mother duck again. Now on the roof with me being noisy, seeming yelling at me that I was too close to her young.

I checked the nest and found it empty. I walked the roof, looking, searching the ground.
There they were. 4 of the 5 eggs are now ducklings.

I found myself in a dilemma of what to do. There no water on the roof. It's Friday and so even if I put water up on the roof, it will be gone by Monday, and these damned ducklings will haunt my mind all weekend. I know damned well they'd be dead by Monday if I left them where they were.

They were huddled near the edge, a small wall the only thing keeping gravity from taking them to their death. I did not know if I approached whether they could jump over, so I retreated.

I climbed off the roof and went to a fire station that is across the street and asked them if they did duck rescues. "Just leave them there." The fire man said crushing the image of any cat up a tree rescues we all have seen in the movies.
I called a co-worker who told me the same thing "let nature be nature." and he also called me "a big softy" I ignored the chiding and the advice.

I realized I had a box that my replacement part came in just downstairs. I retrieved the box and cut 2 square holes in the flaps to put my rope through. My mission was to get the ducklings, put them in the box, then lower the box down with the rope, climb down, and release the ducklings to their mom. All whilst making sure they did not do a suicide dive off the roof.

I approached, the ducklings tried to jump over the small wall, but fortunately they were too small. I gently cupped one, then two, setting them gently in the box. Three and four made a run for it, but tripped themselves on some stones that cover the roof. I quickly scooped them up, too and put them in the box. All the while they were sounding their tiny alarm to mom...who I have not seen for a while. I thought for sure she'd be screaming at me as well.

I tied a nice secure know through the flaps on the box and lowered the box to the ground. I climbed down to the box, I saw mom, took the box nearer to her while she screamed at me, and released the ducklings on some grass there.

Immediately mom got the ducklings to the pond. They followed her closely and with intent. Looks like they were swimming great and dad showed up, too.

It felt right to interfere with nature. I realize that some things should be left alone, but my conscience would not have let me have a nice weekend without helping.

On my way home, I stopped and got a chicken dinner from the market deli.

My conscience does not bother me about that.

On Being in Pain.....

The most painful thing in years happened to me last week when; through bad nerves and being worried, I found myself chewing on taffy during the day, and grinding my teeth at night.

I remember the very painful culmination of my dilemma. It was in the very early morning hours when I rolled over with force while at the same time grinding my already aggravated teeth.

This was the moment when my already weakened upper left molar (which had subsequent major work on it and was already weak) became severely cracked. I tried to ignore it, but from that moment on, this cracked tooth was not only going to cause severe pain and keep me sleepless for 4 nights. This tooth was also going to get very infected as the crack exposed my gums and sinuses to all the bacteria that my own, or any other human mouth harbors.

The bacteria and infection caused the tooth to become higher than the teeth surrounding it, so that anytime I bit down, I was pressing very hard on that sole tooth and the infection behind it.

The pain was unbearable. I don't know exactly why I did not go to the dentist sooner;I think it was denial and sleeplessness that caused the mind to be irrational, as well as his absence from the office.

It's a strange situation the human psyche finds itself in when so much pain is present.
From cussing an imperfect god that would make such a thing as "these fucking teeth!!" To pleading with a more perfect god for help. To finally doing the only smart thing and going to the dentist, who with his skill can relieve the pain and set the patient on their way much happier ( though poorer) than when they came in.

So, after a few days, and a scare yesterday that made me realize just how ill I was (I got severely dizzy in the shower after pressing on to do a lot of household chores all day) I realized that the human body is a wonder and a vulnerable vessel all at the same time. I have had the good fortune in life to have escaped illnesses that many others have succumbed to. I have often taken my good health for granted, while being thankful that I rarely ever get colds of flu that many others I know seem to battle every year. Save for the occasional migraine, I have been fortunate in health and life.

So, being laid up this past week made me realize that I really AM a fortunate person. I also realized that I do at times press myself too far and in too many directions. From work to school, to the Masonic meetings to the activities with the kids....it has been a whirlwind of activity for me these past few months.

I have decided to slow it down a bit. Concentrating mostly on school and maybe not striving so hard to become a Mason. This will come in time. But graduating has to be my first goal in my personal life right now. I am very close to this goal with a graduation date of spring 2011.

Life is good!! Take stock of what you have and strive to make life better for you and everyone you care about.

Til next time!!