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Dolls N Dreams
The Duck Darwin Awards......
Ducks have it rough in the big city, People.
"Something really amazing happened in Downtown Spokane this week and I had to share the story with you. [My colleague] Joel is a loan officer at Sterling [Savings] Bank. He works downtown in a second story office building, overlooking busy Riverside Avenue. Several weeks ago he watched a mother duck choose the cement awning outside his window as the uncanny place to build a nest above the sidewalk."
"The mallard laid ten eggs in a nest in the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks and Monday afternoon all of her ducklings hatched."
"Joel worried all night how the momma duck was going to get those babies safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban environment to take to water, which typically happens in the first 48 hours of a duck hatching."
"Tuesday morning, Joel came to work and watched the mother duck encourage her babies to the edge of the perch with the intent to show them how to jump off!"
"The mother flew down below and started quacking to her babies above. In his disbelief Joel watched as the first fuzzy newborn toddled to the edge and astonishingly leapt into thin air, crashing onto the cement below. He couldn't watch how this might play out. He dashed out of his office and ran down the stairs the sidewalk where the first obedient duckling was stumbling near its mother from the near fatal fall. Joel looked up. The second duckling was getting ready to jump!"
"He quickly dodged under the awning while the mother duck quacked at him and the babies above. As the second one took the plunge, Joel jumped forward and caught it with his bare hands before it hit the cement. Safe and sound, he set it by the momma and the other stunned sibling, still recovering from its painful leap."
"One by one the babies continued to jump to join their anxious family below. Each time Joel hid under the awning just to reach out in the nick of time as the duckling made its free fall."
"The downtown sidewalk came to a standstill. Time after time, Joel was able to catch the remaining 8 and set them by their approving mother."
"At this point Joel realized the duck family had only made part of its dangerous journey. They had 2 full blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs, and pedestrians to get to the closest open water, the Spokane River."
"The onlooking office secretaries then joined in, and hurriedly brought an empty copy paper box to collect the babies. They carefully corralled them, with the mother's approval, and loaded them up into the white cardboard container. Joel held the box low enough for the mom to see her brood. He then slowly navigated through the downtown streets toward the Spokane River , as the mother waddled behind and kept her babies in sight. As they reached the river, the mother took over and passed him, jumping into the river and quacking loudly. At the water's edge, the Sterling Bank office staff then tipped the box and helped shepherd the babies toward the water and to their mother after their adventurous ride."
"All ten darling ducklings safely made it into the water and paddled up snugly to momma duck. Joel said the mom swam in circles, looking back toward the beaming bank workers, and proudly quacking as if to say, 'See, we did it! Thanks for all the help!'"
Back Road BearsThat is so neat! What a wonderful story and photos!
Past Time BearsWhat a terrific story! Thanks, Tami! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
DoodlebearsTami, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story and well done to Joel, what a great and caring guy he is. 
I am so pleased that the ducks all reached the water safely.
Hugs, Jane. 
Woodbury Park Bearswhat a lovely story thanks for sharing Tami. :hug: I love the last photo of them all in the water 
Raewyn
What a beautiful story Tami ~ many thanks for sharing this.
Hugs
Carolyn
Laurie Lou BearsWhat a lovely story Tami and the last picture was great
Laurie :hug:
Waggle BearsOh, wow, what an amazing story and pictures. Very special. Yea for the duckies and for Joel and his group.
Chaska, MinnesotaWhat a wonderful story...
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsOh my gosh, that is one of the BEST stories I've heard in a while! I love t!! What a great guy Joel is for being compassionate and helping momma duck!! :)
Kimberly W.
Nikkel Bearsthat's a fantastic story Tami - stories like this put your faith back in humanity. I'm going to tell my sister-in-law about this guy. She will love the story as well. When Kim first started work in Sydney (city) she 'adopted' a baby pigeon that had fallen from a nest perched precariously on a window ledge down to the footpath below and had been abandoned. "Pidge" lived to a ripe old age - as I suppose you would in relative luxury (bird style) and and abundance of food. Thanks for sharing.
Marg 
Dolls N Dreamsthat's a fantastic story Tami - stories like this put your faith back in humanity. I'm going to tell my sister-in-law about this guy. She will love the story as well. When Kim first started work in Sydney (city) she 'adopted' a baby pigeon that had fallen from a nest perched precariously on a window ledge down to the footpath below and had been abandoned. "Pidge" lived to a ripe old age - as I suppose you would in relative luxury (bird style) and and abundance of food. Thanks for sharing.
Marg
Hi Marg, that is a sweet story, Pidge was lucky to have your sister!
