Pocahontas--we love you girl
I just wanted to write about a very special duck in my life. She left to go to Heaven this afternoon around 6:30p.m. I just want to share some of the memories I have of her.
My family and I have had 25 different ducks. Our 2 favorites were Jake and Topaz; they were muscovies. They were the first 2 ducks we ever got so we just adored them. They were sisters, so they were always following each other around. We had Jake and Topaz for 3 years and we have SO many wonderful memories of both of them--funny times--scary times--and happy times.
Topaz and Jake both had babies. Their babies were gorgeous and we fell in love with every one of them. We kept them in the house when they first hatched until they were about a little over a month old. Then we made them a special baby duck pen to keep them in away from danger.
We had no idea if the babies were boys or girls, so we just named them names that we liked. We named one little baby Pocahontas, and she is the precious duck that left to be with the Lord today.
Pocahontas' mom (Topaz) got killed last year in June by a dog and Jake grieved for Topaz so much and she died in September. That was very hard to go through since our ducks aren't just 'ducks' to us. They are way more than that--like a dog really. They mean so much to us.
Pocahontas was such a pretty little duck when she was a baby. She had the cutest eyes and was just so adorable. She loved to eat baby chicken starter grain! She would go crazy over that stuff. She also loved it when I would catch worms for her. I use to do that quite often because I knew how much she and the other babies loved it.
Pocahontas grew and grew and she looks almost identical to her mom 'Topaz.' Pocahontas was just a tad bit taller and thicker than her mom.
When she grw up into an adult she use to fly on top of the house and sleep there at night. She and her sister JR would also stand on the sides of our swimming pool and sleep their at night. These babies were so special to us. They were so sweet and they meant a lot since they were Topaz's babies too.
Well, we have always 'not clipped' our ducks' wings incase they ever needed to get away from a dog/fox/ whatever. We've always just had a shed/dollhouse for them to get in at night. They usually preferred being under a bush or something though.
After Pocahontas was about 4 months old she started flying over to the cow pasture next door. There are about 20 other muscovy ducks there and there is also a large pond, so the ducks love to hang out there and they live there all year long. Pocahontas found out about them and left home. She started living at the pond, but early in the morning she would always come home and expect some grain and crackers. I always tried to make sure I was awake when she came so she would get to have her favorite snacks!
Pocahontas did this for about 3-4 months every single day. She would stay a few hours and then fly back to the pond right next door. I can see the pond from my front porch and I could look out our kitchen window and see her over there almost anytime I wanted to.
Afer several months Pocahontas decided she only wanted to come see us once every 1-2 weeks. She got to where she also brought another female muscovy with her. They would stay a few hours and then go home to the river. So, every few weeks is how often we have been seeing her. Her sister Diego didn't leave and live at the pond; she wanted to stay here, so everyday Diego sits and watches for Pocahontas to fly over. She didn't come every day, but Diego still hoped she would. They were really close.
I use to stand outside and several times I got a chance to see her fly in and land in the yard or either on top of the roof!! LOL She was funny. It is really neat to get to see a duck flyng that you've loved and raised. Well, to me it was anyway :)
I was riding down the road today coming home from the store and I glanced over at the pond and saw Pocahontas! She was sitting along near the water with another big white male muscovy. I think he must have been her boyfriend because I've seen them together a lot lately. I almost stopped to get out and talk to her, but my brother and niece were with me so I went on home.
This after noon around 6:30pm or so my mom asked me to go to my grandparents' house to do something and they live right next door. My brtoher and I got in the car to go and I started to pull off and then I saw a duck lying on the right side of the road. I thought 'oh no, please don't be Pocahontas' but we got out to see if it was and there she was--lying on the road. I picked her up to make sure it was her, and it was. She was already gone, and it had just happened because her little body felt so warm still and she was so limp. I canOT believe that my little baby girl is gone! She would have had a birthday on May 20. That's my birthday--they were born last year on my bday and so it was a GREAT bday present for me.
I got her and went home with her in my lap. I brought her in and we wrapped her up. I'm going to bury her tomorrow next to her mom and also next to some of our other ducks that have died in the last few years.
I can't belive that Pocahontas is gone. I can't stand to think she was trying to maybe cross the road and some crazy driver was going too fast and ran over her. She did NOT deserve to die and especially not that way. She was probably only trying to hunt some bugs to eat and then something like this happens. I am so sad--angry--upset--depressed and I just cannot believe that she is gone. I keep thinking 'I should have clipped her wings last time she was home' but then if I had of she wouldn't have got to have the life that she wanted. Little Pocahontas chose to be wild and free. I know she loved us or she wouldn't have come back home all the time, but I hope she knew how much she meant to me and my family. That little duck will always be remembered and I'll always love her and never forget the times we had together.
Tomorrow I'm going to go to the pasture where the pind was and see if she might have had some eggs laid some where, so if she did maybe I can get them and hatch her babies.
I just really really miss her so bad and I feel so sad that I wasn't there to see her and get her away from the road before the car hit her. I don't understand why someone would hit a little innocent duck. I know accidents happen, but people drive too fast down our road and it's not fair that Pocahontas had to suffer for it. I'm just going to really miss all the times she comes home to visit and eat her favorite snacks.
POCAHONTAS, We love you so much girl! I know your mom is glad to see you, so fly and be happy and we'll see you again someday girl!
Pocahontas
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ahontasbig.jpg
Topaz (her mom) they favored so much...
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h1...nyMP/topaz.jpg
