Post for Edwina: A Lucky day!

Dear Edwina,

I cannot thank you enough for entrusting me with your precious duck, Lucky.  She has brought luck to me and our family in small and unexpected ways.

     Firstly, she has helped Pepper develop a taste for duck food. You will recall Pepper ate only peas, bananas and crushed cashew and peanuts.  Her tastes were quite simply draining our savings.  Now Pepper will eat grain formulated especially for ducks (that are being fattened for ... oh, I won't go into that).  

Lucky and Pepper have a treat at night - some peas with their grain.  It enables me to lure them into their cage for the night.  

     Secondly, Lucky is a sensitive creature.  Hardened souls will consider her skittish and nervy, but she is one of God's creatures nonetheless. She is reluctant to be cuddled and keeps a healthy distance from me and I respect that.  The distance she keeps is less than when she first joined our family. Her presence is a constant reminder to me to treat her and other less vocal, demanding spirits with sensitivity.  

     The list of Lucky's luck for us goes on.  Pepper has a friend, a devoted and caring friend.  But sometimes Pepper can be nasty to Lucky and I take full responsibility for that.  Pepper Zen was indulged as a duckling and finds it hard to accept she is not the only much-loved duck alive.  However, Lucky tolerates Pepper snapping at her food and rousing her from her tub of water.  I continue to discipline Pepper, but old habits ... 

     For some reason, Lucky loves Pepper nonetheless and if separated for a few moments, Lucky squawks for her companion until reunited.  There is a lesson for me; to be more tolerant of my children when they are fighting and not to disturb the neighbours with my screeching reprimands.

     Lucky is a fount of joy for me.  What could be more joyful than gazing upon one duck sleeping?  Of course, two ducks sleeping.  Lucky is a feathery manifestation of what the great religions attempt to teach us mere mortals; we need to accept, we need to wait (all things in God's time) and we must 'be'  wherever we are and whatever we are doing. No doubt Pepper can learn too.

Watching the clothes dry!

     Those universal messages don't mean we need to sit on our tail feathers and wait for good fortune to fall in our laps.  No, we must be alert for wonderful opportunities and vigilant for threats such as those loud and sudden noises overhead (we live under the flight path for helicopters).

'What's that noise, Lucky?'

And Pepper no longer spends the long, dark nights alone in her travel crate.

     Today heralded a new and exciting era.  Lucky laid her first egg, large, smooth and snow white.  How lucky for us!

     Thank you, Edwina, for Lucky.