I've always been lucky, with the geegees and H2O ... -- Flying Squirrel Fancier

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Date Posted: 10:56:58 05/04/09 Mon
Author: Beverly
Subject: I've always been lucky, with the geegees and H2O ...
In reply to: Cathy C. & Princess P. 's message, "Good to hear from you Bev!" on 11:49:10 04/28/09 Tue

(I've always been lucky, with the geegees and H2O ...) - mine always crossed and even cantered through the Connetquot without a worry. On the other hand, just once took a horse to Fire Island (with the Smithtown Hunt - fox sighted, but not taken, thank Heavens!), and could not get within 10 feet of the surf.

Riding through the Connetquot creek one afternoon, I came upon a mallard pair that did not take flight as my grey mare and I approached. I continued toward them (the creek is not deeper than 2', at the northern end), and still they just paddled in the same spot - quite unusual. Finally, when I was within just 3', the drake took flight, and went about 15' downstream - but the duck remained in place.

That's when I realised what the problem was - her leg was caught in a muskrat trap! Happily for me (tho I'd have done so, no matter ...) I was wearing rubber riding boots. I got off the mare in the creek, held the reins with my left hand, and scooped up the duck. Once I had her tucked close to my chest, I was able to use both hands, and open the trap, releasing the duck's leg. The leg was pretty badly mangled, so I figured I'd take her back to the barn, and contact the DNR, to try to get her some help/rehab.

My mare was very patient with me, as I remounted with the duck tucked under my left arm. The duck was quacking, but not especially frantic. The drake did not follow. I got to the barn, called the DNR - and they did come and take the duck.

The story, however, does not have a happy ending. To my dismay, when I spoke to the stupidintendent of the Connetquot, he advised me that mallards were 'a dime a dozen', and the duck was taken to a raptor rehab center ... I'll leave it to the readers' imaginations to understand what I was being told. Had I any idea that the duck would be so 'rehabbed', I would have just released her from the trap, and let her go. Indeed, it was because of that 'experience' that I never again called the DNR to assist with any critter that I found in need of help.

A few years later, riding in the Connetquot, I was down near the administration center. The stupidintendent was there, standing with both arms behind his back. He called me over, and asked me if I had a lightbulb. I said, 'Not on me at the moment, Gil ...', and laughted. He brought his arms forward, and in one hand he had a mallard duckling - barely the size of a tennis ball. He said the duckling had just been dropped off by the owner of the Lab that had brought the ducking to the back door of its owner's home. He asked if I wanted to try to raise the duckling to the 'flight' stage. I did - and thus home with me (and Molly - who was in my sleeve at this particular time), came 'Moby Duck'.

The 'lightbulb' question was Gil's way of suggesting that the duckling would do best kept under the warmth of a lightbulb, much as one might do with chicks. Moby, however, like Molly before her, seemed to prefer being tucked into the neck of my cotton turtleneck shirt, for warmth. I did set up a 'lightbulb' nest for her - but only used it when I could not actually be holding Moby.

Moby was such a delight. Molly was not impressed, at all. The first night that Moby spent snuggled against my neck, Molly was very territorial, and had a 'hissy fit'. Molly was sharply rebuked for her selfish attitude, and thus spent her first night not snuggled in my elbow, at dawn, but instead in the woodpecker hole of the willow branch I'd brough in to provide 'recreational apparatus' for the den of my LI home.

Moby thrived. She followed me everywhere, watched TV in the evening with me, went to the barn for 'chores' with me. Funny thing - even as a tiny duckling, when she had to 'go', she'd get 'squirmy' in my turtleneck. I'd take her out, put her on the ground - she'd take about 3 'backward' waddles, squat, and go! So, 'housekeeping' was never really a problem! If she was watching TV with me, on the couch, I would have a terry towel under her - but she'd still 'give warning', by backing up, before pooing - so I'd almost always be able to get a papertowel under her bottom, before she'd go!

At the time, I had a small goldfish pond, and when she was about a month and a half old, I'd take Moby for a swim there. She LOVED diving under the water's surface, to reappear in another spot. Before long, she would be getting me up in the morning, by getting out of bed at dawn, and 'quacking' at the bedroom door that lead to the backyard. Moby would waddle up to the barn, through the center aisle, to the far end, where she'd go through the washroom, to the goldfish pond. If I didn't follow, Moby would quack madly, until I'd come to her. Soon enough, Moby felt secure enough to paddle around the pond, content that if she 'quacked', I'd answer from the barn.

In about two and a half months, Moby was flying from the bedroom door up to the barn - a ground-grazing flight, sometimes with short stops. Gil had advise that she'd likly take flight in 14 weeks - and he was right on target, there. He said she'd find the nearest big pond (which was at the Stony Brook Grist Mill), and take up with the first mallards she spotted. Moby left on the morning of July 5th - and did not return, as far as I could tell (we often had visits from the occasional mated pair of mallards - but never did I have one show any particular interest in coming to me, or to the goldfish pond). Somewhere around here, I have some photos of Moby - but they're snapshot photos. I'll have to see if I can find them, then scan them into a Webshots album!

>Here I am again, days behind. The grass is growing and
>I'm busy making all my potted flowers, cleaning off
>the porch, brushing my horses and bathing tails.
>Missy got a bath and so did KiKi cat. Poor KiKi
>didn't know what he was in for. I wonder how quick
>he'll be to get in to the tub next time. I have a
>hand held shower which is really nice to shower the
>critters with. It's been too hot to ride this past
>weekend and so far this week. I have a problem with a
>creek back in the woods. er...rather Cheyenne has a
>problem with the creek. I need to take her back there
>and spend some time teaching her how to cross the
>creek with confidence and that it's not bottomless and
>with a horse eating dragon in it. The last time we
>tried to cross it I got a mud bath. I often think of
>how you took your little squirrel along on your rides.
> How nice that would be........I love looking at your
>postings on (oh heck I'm having a senior moment and I
>can't remember the name of it). Ah well, gotta run.
>Looking forward to more chatting this summer.

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>(I've always been lucky, with the geegees and H2O ...) >- mine always crossed and even cantered through the >Connetquot without a worry. On the other hand, just >once took a horse to Fire Island (with the Smithtown >Hunt - fox sighted, but not taken, thank Heavens!), >and could not get within 10 feet of the surf. > >Riding through the Connetquot creek one afternoon, I >came upon a mallard pair that did not take flight as >my grey mare and I approached. I continued toward >them (the creek is not deeper than 2', at the >northern end), and still they just paddled in the same >spot - quite unusual. Finally, when I was within just >3', the drake took flight, and went about 15' >downstream - but the duck remained in place. > >That's when I realised what the problem was - her leg >was caught in a muskrat trap! Happily for me (tho I'd >have done so, no matter ...) I was wearing rubber >riding boots. I got off the mare in the creek, held >the reins with my left hand, and scooped up the duck. >Once I had her tucked close to my chest, I was able to >use both hands, and open the trap, releasing the >duck's leg. The leg was pretty badly mangled, so I >figured I'd take her back to the barn, and contact the >DNR, to try to get her some help/rehab. > >My mare was very patient with me, as I remounted with >the duck tucked under my left arm. The duck was >quacking, but not especially frantic. The drake did >not follow. I got to the barn, called the DNR - and >they did come and take the duck. > >The story, however, does not have a happy ending. To >my dismay, when I spoke to the stupidintendent of the >Connetquot, he advised me that mallards were 'a dime a >dozen', and the duck was taken to a raptor rehab >center ... I'll leave it to the readers' imaginations >to understand what I was being told. Had I any idea >that the duck would be so 'rehabbed', I would have >just released her from the trap, and let her go. >Indeed, it was because of that 'experience' that I >never again called the DNR to assist with any critter >that I found in need of help. > >A few years later, riding in the Connetquot, I was >down near the administration center. The >stupidintendent was there, standing with both arms >behind his back. He called me over, and asked me if I >had a lightbulb. I said, 'Not on me at the moment, >Gil ...', and laughted. He brought his arms forward, >and in one hand he had a mallard duckling - barely the >size of a tennis ball. He said the duckling had just >been dropped off by the owner of the Lab that had >brought the ducking to the back door of its owner's >home. He asked if I wanted to try to raise the >duckling to the 'flight' stage. I did - and thus home >with me (and Molly - who was in my sleeve at this >particular time), came 'Moby Duck'. > >The 'lightbulb' question was Gil's way of suggesting >that the duckling would do best kept under the warmth >of a lightbulb, much as one might do with chicks. >Moby, however, like Molly before her, seemed to prefer >being tucked into the neck of my cotton turtleneck >shirt, for warmth. I did set up a 'lightbulb' nest >for her - but only used it when I could not actually >be holding Moby. > >Moby was such a delight. Molly was not impressed, at >all. The first night that Moby spent snuggled against >my neck, Molly was very territorial, and had a 'hissy >fit'. Molly was sharply rebuked for her selfish >attitude, and thus spent her first night not snuggled >in my elbow, at dawn, but instead in the woodpecker >hole of the willow branch I'd brough in to provide >'recreational apparatus' for the den of my LI home. > >Moby thrived. She followed me everywhere, watched TV >in the evening with me, went to the barn for 'chores' >with me. Funny thing - even as a tiny duckling, when >she had to 'go', she'd get 'squirmy' in my turtleneck. > I'd take her out, put her on the ground - she'd take >about 3 'backward' waddles, squat, and go! So, >'housekeeping' was never really a problem! If she was >watching TV with me, on the couch, I would have a >terry towel under her - but she'd still 'give >warning', by backing up, before pooing - so I'd almost >always be able to get a papertowel under her bottom, >before she'd go! > > At the time, I had a small goldfish pond, and when >she was about a month and a half old, I'd take Moby >for a swim there. She LOVED diving under the water's >surface, to reappear in another spot. Before long, >she would be getting me up in the morning, by getting >out of bed at dawn, and 'quacking' at the bedroom door >that lead to the backyard. Moby would waddle up to >the barn, through the center aisle, to the far end, >where she'd go through the washroom, to the goldfish >pond. If I didn't follow, Moby would quack madly, >until I'd come to her. Soon enough, Moby felt secure >enough to paddle around the pond, content that if she >'quacked', I'd answer from the barn. > >In about two and a half months, Moby was flying from >the bedroom door up to the barn - a ground-grazing >flight, sometimes with short stops. Gil had advise >that she'd likly take flight in 14 weeks - and he was >right on target, there. He said she'd find the >nearest big pond (which was at the Stony Brook Grist >Mill), and take up with the first mallards she >spotted. Moby left on the morning of July 5th - and >did not return, as far as I could tell (we often had >visits from the occasional mated pair of mallards - >but never did I have one show any particular interest >in coming to me, or to the goldfish pond). Somewhere >around here, I have some photos of Moby - but they're >snapshot photos. I'll have to see if I can find them, >then scan them into a Webshots album! > > > > >>Here I am again, days behind. The grass is growing and >>I'm busy making all my potted flowers, cleaning off >>the porch, brushing my horses and bathing tails. >>Missy got a bath and so did KiKi cat. Poor KiKi >>didn't know what he was in for. I wonder how quick >>he'll be to get in to the tub next time. I have a >>hand held shower which is really nice to shower the >>critters with. It's been too hot to ride this past >>weekend and so far this week. I have a problem with a >>creek back in the woods. er...rather Cheyenne has a >>problem with the creek. I need to take her back there >>and spend some time teaching her how to cross the >>creek with confidence and that it's not bottomless and >>with a horse eating dragon in it. The last time we >>tried to cross it I got a mud bath. I often think of >>how you took your little squirrel along on your rides. >> How nice that would be........I love looking at your >>postings on (oh heck I'm having a senior moment and I >>can't remember the name of it). Ah well, gotta run. >>Looking forward to more chatting this summer.
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