Yesterday I took Bailey for a walk at supper time and I walked to a large road near our home and waited while she sniffed all the bushes along the way. You know, in a dog daze...the place you go when your pooch is on a major sniff mission. Suddenly, Bailey jumped backward crying and when I turned to her she was shaking and quaking and licking her nose repeatedly.
I tried to calm her down and get a look at her nose, but she kept backing away and kept licking. And worst of all, her tail was through her legs and taped to her tummy. So, I turned around and kicked the bushes and made a big show of getting even with whatever had hurt her, but I couldn't see anything. Curious, I got down low and peered into the darkness under the thick juniper bushes. At first I didn't see anything, but eventually I saw what looked like big mushrooms glowing in the dark. And when I got closer, I saw a fine downy material under the mushroom like shapes. Finally I understood: This was a mallard duck's nest, almost invisible except at close quarters. Bailey's innocent but persistent sniffing brought her close to the mother on her nest and she struck out at her with her hard bill.
I couldn't see the mother duck, but she was there somewhere behind the nest, obviously agitated. After all, a big black four-legged monster had threatened her babies and she struck it with all her might. I backed off and took Bailey down the road, but she was really shook up. "Something bit me, Mommy. It hurt. Is it going to hurt me again? Is it following us?" She kept looking back worriedly over her shoulder and her tail stayed tucked under for a good block.
If she'd ever seen it, she wouldn't have been frightened, it was just that it was unknown and feisty and obviously, because it lived in the dark under the bushes, a monster. A few more blocks with lots of reassurance and a quick play date with Bubba and everything was forgotten. I wonder what she'll do the next time we walk that way....? Hmmm? To sniff or not to sniff? We'll see.
I tried to calm her down and get a look at her nose, but she kept backing away and kept licking. And worst of all, her tail was through her legs and taped to her tummy. So, I turned around and kicked the bushes and made a big show of getting even with whatever had hurt her, but I couldn't see anything. Curious, I got down low and peered into the darkness under the thick juniper bushes. At first I didn't see anything, but eventually I saw what looked like big mushrooms glowing in the dark. And when I got closer, I saw a fine downy material under the mushroom like shapes. Finally I understood: This was a mallard duck's nest, almost invisible except at close quarters. Bailey's innocent but persistent sniffing brought her close to the mother on her nest and she struck out at her with her hard bill.
I couldn't see the mother duck, but she was there somewhere behind the nest, obviously agitated. After all, a big black four-legged monster had threatened her babies and she struck it with all her might. I backed off and took Bailey down the road, but she was really shook up. "Something bit me, Mommy. It hurt. Is it going to hurt me again? Is it following us?" She kept looking back worriedly over her shoulder and her tail stayed tucked under for a good block.
If she'd ever seen it, she wouldn't have been frightened, it was just that it was unknown and feisty and obviously, because it lived in the dark under the bushes, a monster. A few more blocks with lots of reassurance and a quick play date with Bubba and everything was forgotten. I wonder what she'll do the next time we walk that way....? Hmmm? To sniff or not to sniff? We'll see.
