We just found a duck in our chimney! (pic added)

[Steve Foss]

True.

I've been busy guiding photo excursions and laker anglers most of this week, and so wasn't paying much attention when Lisa told me on Tuesday that she'd started hearing scratching noises in the walls.

"Mice," I said succinctly.

"They're bigger than mice," she replied, but I was busy with photo and fishing gear and just shrugged my shoulders.

This morning I went downstairs to find her with her ear to the brick chimney in our two-story house.

"It's in the chimney," she said.

"It must be a bat," I replied.

"We've got to get it out of there to save it," she said.

"Why?" I replied. "It roosts in there during the day and flies out at night on its own."

She gave me one of those looks, and the next thing I knew she hollered from the basement that it was a bird. She'd opened the soot removal door at the base of the chimney, and apparently the bird had been skidding and flapping its way slowly down the clay liner inside the chimney for the last three days because soot was raining down, and evenutally the bird landed on top of the soot with a dusty thud.

Lisa grabbed it with her leather gloves on, and we released the female goldeneye unharmed to fly away on a beeline to nearby Shagawa Lake, where no doubt a bath was in order.

Goldeneyes are cavity nesters, and we'd had a fire in the wood furnace on cold and rainy Monday, so no doubt the duck was attracted to the cavity atop the chimney and also perhaps drawn by the warmth still emanating from the chimney after the fire died, and in she went.

Who knew?

[Andy Loos1432404924]

That is crazy. Cant wait to see the pic.

[archerystud]

Wild.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

great story though, sounds like happy ending in the end

[finnbay]

You know. It's weird. There's been a goldeneye flittin' around my house this morning. It flies right over the top, then down to the lake and back again. I'm thinkin' it may have hatched some little ones on Minnow Lake across the road and they may be re-locating to the Big Pond. I've been watching for some fuzzy waddlers, but so far no go. Looking forward to seeing the pic of a sooty quacker. Reminds me of a white toy poodle story!

[Birdsong]

At least one of these should be a for not listening to Lisa's wisdom. Good story.

[mmeyer]

She looks to be in good shape anyways. That'll learn ya to listen to your wife. I ALWAYS listen to whatever my wife has to say. Ya, whatever!

[Steve Foss]

Originally Posted By: Steve Foss

At least one of these should be a for not listening to Lisa's wisdom. Good story.

She ignores what I say at least as much as I ignore what she says. After 13 years together, we are happy and well matched in our ignorance.

[Heartman]

Now that's a story with a good ending if'n I ever heard one!

[Birdsong]

She ignores what I say at least as much as I ignore what she says. After 13 years together, we are happy and well matched in our ignorance.

Ignorance is bliss, they say. Ah, sweet mystery of love. The duck, however, wishes to acknowledge Lisa's wisdom, since he had so little of his own. I like that girl. You mention a bat, and she still goes in with her leather gloves. But, does she know the difference between a wolf and a coyote?

[Steve Foss]

The duck, however, wishes to acknowledge Lisa's wisdom, since he had so little of his own. I like that girl. You mention a bat, and she still goes in with her leather gloves. But, does she know the difference between a wolf and a coyote?

Sarah, ducks don't acknowledge much (or maybe they do and I don't speak duck very well.) Nevertheless, I'm happy she's out and gone. T'would have been a bad deal on several counts if we'd fired up the wood furnace with the duck still in the chimney.

Lisa definitely knows the difference between wolves and coyotes. She's seen almost as many wolves as I have, and the coyote pack that runs around Shagawa and Miners lakes also runs and howls in our yard. And Lisa, enjoying her first cup of morning coffee, watched a coyote saunter right down the street in front of our house not long ago.

She also knows her own mind and her own sensibility, and doesn't listen to the doubts of others when her instincts fire off. After the Duck Ultimatum was resolved, she looked at me and said: "I heard that noise and knew there was an animal in distress. I just knew it."

And she did indeed know it. That is one of her many talents. She is an animal rescuer of the First Rank. Has been for a very long time. I am honored she chose me and continues to choose me for a mate. Nothing puts her more on alert and on her game than an animal she believes needs rescuing, and I'll happily be her driver, companion and bodyguard on those forays.

Uh, not that she actually NEEDS a bodyguard. I've watched her knock down a man who kicked a dog. Slammed him against a house, and he bounced off and lay on his back on the gravel like a boxer knocked out by a sharp right cross, his eyes rolled up so only the whites were visible.

That's some gal!

[shortfatguy]

Steve,

That is not the proper way to roast a duck!!

Nice picture and a cool story!

[gatorhunter]

Great job Steve and Mrs. Steve. This is the difference between folks who know how to live with wild animals as opposed to folks who don't. Those who don't have to call the Game Warden to "Come catch the bear or other critter living in my chimney!" Kudos again Steve.

[HawgMan]

Nice pic & a free chimney sweep to boot!! LOL