The Chronicles of Donna the Duck:
Chapter 11: THE END OF HER STORY
The Dogs,
In all we had the pleasure of Donna's company for almost 5 years. In that time she saw dogs come and go. Shortly after her first Xmas with us, dear Meg died of old age. Lost without her we soon acquired ourselves another Border Collie, a puppy called Peg. Donna and Peg became great
friends, Peg never knowing life without a duck around, played with her as though she was another puppy. At times it looked as though Donna was in trouble as Peg's jaws reached around her head and neck, but she never hurt her. In fact Donna seemed to enjoy it as she would follow Peg and ask for more. We often sat and watched the performance amazed that that frail looking neck never came to any harm.
Then on one boating trip, Bess had a stroke and quietly passed away. Though so sad we were pleased that she was enjoying her boating and with us until the last.
Later Peg had a litter of puppies and we kept one, and that was Belle, so boating with Meg and Bess became with Peg and Belle. Donna came too.
The Trips.
Donna boated with us all around the canal system and became very well known. We made lots of friends on our journeys because she broke the ice and initiated a conversation. The boat with the duck was heralded by loud quacking as we approached a lock or passed moored boats. Fishermen were known to curse, but they cursed at boats any way. We attended several National Rallies and at one at Manchester became a tv star. A tv crew were making a video as a record and memento of the rally and they visited Donna and interviewed us. We were fortunate with our mooring, there was a large indentation in the bank which our boat sided onto, making a proper enclosed pool for Donna and they filmed her splashing around and me picking her out. A moment of fame that unfortunately got no further than the cutting room floor as when the looked forward to video arrived after we got home, our segment was missing.
It was at these rallies that she became to be known to the organisers, thus when they were organising the opening of the newly restored Frankton Locks on the Montgomery Canal they invited her along to perform her own opening ceremony of a Duck Ramp as part of the celebrations. As you will see elsewhere, Donna wrote her own report on this magnificent event . Mel and I were highly delighted when at the Award Ceremony, where all the participating organisations and volunteers received a specially minted Rally medal, Donna was included and we accepted it on her behalf. Later back home, we had a visit from the reporter from our local paper and a report on Donna's opening of the Duck Ramp, together with photo of her in her tin bath appeared in the paper.
Emigration
Sharon and Simon's visit had indeed started a ball rolling. Mel and I decided to visit Western Australia, partly to attend Sharon and Simon's wedding and partly to take a look at life down under. We were helped enormously here by our kind neighbour Maureen who offered to look after Donna so she could stay in her own surroundings. I think Maureen quite enjoyed this time with Donna and when we got home there was a large banner up proclaiming Donna's delight at seeing us home again. As we were both smitten with the lifestyle and the climate we had enjoyed, the emigration ball began to roll. First to go were our daughter Debbie and her husband. After a difficult three years Mel and I followed. We came back and collected Joan's Mum three years later, and Kenn their son was the last to join them. The ball came to a halt. Of course the dogs and Donna posed a problem for us, it was very hard to think of leaving either. We had to compromise over the dogs, we could afford to take one only, so chose the younger, we had a very good friend who was passionately fond of Peg so she happily went to him. Donna had other ideas.
Donna's End
Donna who had never ailed, stopped eating. Her bowl of lettuce and her pellets remained untouched one morning when I went to let her out of her kennel. After a day or two of this we took her to the vet. We left her in the car until our turn was called, we didn't fancy sitting with a duck on my knee surrounded with strange dogs who might well be somewhat aggressive. We still got some odd looks when I walked through to the surgery with a duck under my arm. I think the young vet swallowed hard as he saw the problem and he openly admitted he had little experience with ducks. Still he manfully attacked the problem and gave her a vitamin injection, and some antibiotic to be put into her water. After a worrying few days Donna perked up and began eating again and we relaxed. A few months later the problem reoccurred and this time, vitamins, steroids, and antibiotics all failed to bring her back to health. It was winter and we brought her into the kitchen and established a spot for her near the boiler so she would be warm. Whatever delicacies we tried to tempt her with failed to get her to eat and she became weaker. I tried a warm bath, putting her into the sink and sponging her plumage as she seemed unable to preen. I dried her and put her back into her box and we left her and went to bed. That was the last time I saw her. Debbie and her husband were staying with us at this time waiting for their emigration flight, and Deb getting up first one morning found she had died in the night, and came and broke the news. Although not unexpected I was devastated and had a good cry. Thanks to a wonderful family , I never had to see her again, they buried her in the garden near other pets who had gone before. So she was not alone and was still in her garden where she had had so much enjoyment. She was truly missed, even the dogs seemed strangely affected, they both lay in the kitchen, pointed at where she had lain, looking dejected, in an attitude we had never seen before, so perhaps animals mourn too.
Although we had three years to wait before we could follow Deb to Australia, I am very mindful of the fact that Donna took that very hard decision of how to leave her, out of my hands, and I am grateful for that.
Ducks in Australia
I still had not got ducks out of my system and as we had a very much larger garden than before, we soon had a pair of ducks. I did not want another Donna, she was special, a one off not to be repeated, so we had a pair of Muscovy ducks, Aylesbury's were unobtainable. I loved seeing them waddling around and Belle in her new home accepted them In time we had the pleasure of ducklings and they all enjoyed the large pond installed for them. We also had Pekin ducks at one time and even a Khaki Campbell drake who spent all his time outside our patio door squirting , until he had to be re homed to preserve our sitting out area. Now my duck days are over, our garden only has the two current dogs strolling around and it seems quiet and I often think back to those days with Donna. She was a pet of distinction, lots of personality and we enjoyed her thorough going, I am sure she had a good life with us and I'm delighted that her story should be told on the 'net and I hope some other duck crazy people will read this and perhaps be encouraged to get their own Donna.