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Good morning, Netizens…
Looking over the news this morning, I could not help but become aware of two females who, in their own respective ways, somehow managed to grab the golden spot atop the news wires since Friday.
The first, a horse named Rachel Alexandra rode into history by becoming the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness. People, at least those associated with horse racing, will talk about this victory for decades to come, mostly because this big rangy mare set a blistering pace in the race, handily beating out male competition at the finish line.
However, the story that perhaps eclipsed that of Rachel Alexandra winning the Preakness took place in downtown Spokane where a pretty duck sat on eggs for the second year in succession in a concrete awning at the Sterling Savings Bank, eagerly watched from inside by banker Joel Armstrong and Crystal Tobeck and a cast of thousands of others via the Internet. A local television news station took it upon themselves to assign a name to this poor mallard, but to me, she will always be Mama Duck.
Mama Duck chose her nesting spot well, for it is sunny, relatively free of predators, and as we have seen, within easy walking distance to the Spokane River. The rub has always been safely getting the tiny ducklings from their nesting spot ten feet above the sidewalk to the water, and last year Armstrong gathered the fledgling ducks together in a box and helped Mama Duck convey them to the river’s edge.
This year, however, not to be outdone by the Lilac Parade, and despite efforts to replicate last year’s duckling rescue, after a trial-and-error assist from members of Sterling Bank, Mama Duck took charge and marched her brood through bank employees, members of the news media and curious bystanders to the river in their own version of a Grand Duck parade.
This picture, shot by Jesse Tinsley of the Spokesman-Review, captures the moment when, aided and abetted by Joel Armstrong and Crystal Tobeck, Mama Duck proudly marched through the crowds assembled for the Lilac Parade to the river as proudly as if she owned the sidewalk.
One cannot help but wonder at the miracles involved: that Momma Duck unerringly remembered the safe place she found last year to hatch her eggs, and despite the humans that occasionally got in the way, she remembered the way to the river and in so doing, touched a thousand lives with her story.
Dave
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lewis8457 on May 17 at 9:10 a.m.
Every spring I have a momma starling build a nest under my eves and have some babies. I have always wondered is this same bird year after year or could it be one of her chicks all grown up playing mommy. Watching them eat is rather entertaining it reminds me of a Congo line. One of the birds will station himself out on the telephone wire another is on the porch railing with a chirp from each a bird will come out of no where fly down to my porch take a piece of cat food and fly away this continues until everyone has been fed then it is the two guards turn the one from the wire is first then when everyone is gone with no help from them the porch railing bird will fly and get some food.
Watching nature sure puts things in perspective.
lewis8457 on May 17 at 9:15 a.m.
The parade last night was a lot of fun. My niece graduated from Whitworth College with a Masters in Education Saturday morning and then that night she was marching with a cheerleader squad she teaches from North Central. This uncle could not have been prouder. You go girl!
lewis8457 on May 17 at 9:25 a.m.
It is being reported from city hall that the mommy duck failed to buy a permit to hold a parade in the city.
The mayor and chief of police are in a meeting to decide of mommy duck will brought up on charges.
After 12 officers failed to bring the duck in last night the charges may also include resisting arrest.
Poor mommy duck you would think someone would have told her stay away from Spokane.
Dave Laird on May 17 at 9:14 p.m.
Good evening, Lewis…
There has to be a punchline in this discussion somewhere, something about a bill from the ducks for entertainment. However, I am road weary and cannot come up with a good line to match yours.
Dave
lewis8457 on May 18 at 10:16 a.m.
Spokane is so odd sometimes how they will follow a duck and her babies around oohing and ahing, while we kill thousands of animals in our shelters every year that are just as cute and cuddly.
Being in the wilderness you would think we would be more appreciative about our natural fiends. Not in Spokane the old boy atitude is alive and well here,go out and kill a animal that starved and survived through winter only for his antlers.
I can only imagine if mommy duck was dirtying up Mayor Verners windowsill she would most likely be a victim of a SWAT sniper. That is what they did with the squirrels at the finch arboretum, well I mean they didn’t shoot them, but they did blow them up.
Dave the duck can’t bill for their entertainment costs they didn’t have a permit go figure, now we wait to see if Steven Tucker will prosecute a duck and her babies.