The last time I wrote about Anna Maria, she was having to sleep in a crate at night because she had been injured by the other ducks in the middle of the night. She hates being separated, and she gets so mad at me. Of course, I have to help her get well. Thankfully, after five nights in the crate, she was healed up enough to go back with the flock. I crossed my fingers that the five days away would give the rest of the ducks enough time to forget the little habit of being aggressive to Anna Maria. And, thankfully, my plan worked.
Anna Maria has been doing very well. In fact, I think maybe, finally, she is making some friends in the flock. She no longer spends her days alone. It’s challenging for her because she is so blind, but it seems like the rest of the flock is doing more to help her find them. We are also learning what to do. We can’t change anything in the yard. We can’t move the food. We can’t open the gates to the strawberries to let the ducks eat the bugs because poor little Anna Maria can get in but can’t get out.
She is so blind that, at night after peas, I often have to help her find the duck house, so she can go to bed. I have been learning though, since I stress her out, that if I just wait and watch, most of the time she can bump into stuff until she figures out where to go.
Last night, I was doing that. I was watching and waiting, but she kept going the wrong direction. I was just about to see if I could intervene when I saw one of the other ducks lean around the duck house from the front door and look in the direction of Anna Maria. Then, the she quacked.
When Anna Maria heard the quack, she went toward the sound and was able to find the door. I watched as Anna Maria went inside, and then, right behind her, the other duck followed.
This could be a coincidence, of course, but it’s pretty hopeful. Wouldn’t it be great for Anna Maria to have friends? She deserves it.
I love this mental picture of one duck quacking so that Ann Maria can hear her and find her way into the duck house. I’m hoping it was kindness among ducks.
Me too! Me too! At the very least, it seems that the flock is accepting her much more, and that’s so good. I love that duck. She has been through so much and deserves the best life we can manage for her.