A letter from Ducky

I've had a letter from Ducky :>

Dear Mummy,

I'm just writing to let you know how I'm going.

Mrs T took us all up to Melbourne for a few days. It worked out OK because we'd had enough time to get to know each other really well before we left.

Douglas will be turning 91 on New Year’s Day and his arthritis is pretty bad. He has to use his wings to haul himself up but I found out that he can still bite like the dinosaur he looks like. He’s got this amazing tail which I find irresistible.  


So I sneak up behind him when he’s lying down and poke into his tail.  This makes him really mad, but by the time he’s realized what’s happening and has hauled himself up on his wings and tried to turn around to get me – I’ve learnt it is expedient to make a lightening exit. 

His missus Muscovy, Donna, kind of sticks up for him!  She sometimes just stands and stares daggers at me – which is really scary.  

But maybe it is because when I first arrived I had the time of my life jumping on top of her.  She wasn’t expecting that but now she knows how attractive I find her and so she menaces me with her dark stares.  Really Mummy – she might be beautiful but she is quite scary.

After a while and a few instances of Mrs T having to come racing over to save me from Douglas Dinosaur Duck, we all kind of got used to each other and so long as I can resist Douglas’ tail – everything runs smoothly.

Anyway, as I said before, Mrs T took us all up to her 10th floor apartment in South Melbourne.  Douglas and Donna travelled in their big plastic tray on the back seat of Mrs T’s car, and I was in my box beside them.  Once we arrived Douglas went into a sulk because he thinks he might get carted off to a vet or something frightening like that and even Donna couldn’t cheer him up.   


I remembered being there several years ago and found my reflection in the oven door glass window very fetching.  Mrs T put papers all over the place and barricades to keep me in, but I could see Douglas and Donna through the glass sliding door between us and it was great fun when they came over and we’d have a conversation about the weather. At least that’s what I was talking about.  Douglas might have been telling me what he thought about me.

When Mrs T tried to step into my papered barricaded area so she could get things out of her fridge, I would hurl myself at her feet and try to rip strips of flesh off. It was all in good fun really, but it meant that she didn’t hang around very long.

When Mrs T wasn’t out I was allowed to join the others on the balcony and I was able to go exploring behind the pot plants and in the kennel that Donna and Douglas’ sleep in at night.  It was awesome in there.  I also had a good look at the views across Albert Park Lake – stunning!

Then the King of the Ducks, Mr Laurie Levy came for a visit and played a little game with me.  He’d try to poke at me, but I was always too quick and would peck his hand.  He chuckled and I quacked and Donna and Douglas came over to watch and together with Mrs T we all had a good laugh.

After 3 days in town it was getting to be a bit boring, so we were all very pleased to return to Somers last night.  Mrs T. shone a torch around and I knew where I was immediately. 


Today I’ve been hanging out with the yellow plastic duckling in the pond and sitting with Donna and Douglas under the Cootamundra tree. They are also very pleased to be back at Somers.

Don’t tell Mrs T. but I am actually light years ahead of Donna and Douglas.  They really aren’t that smart.  Hanging out with them is a piece of cake now I know how to handle them.

Next week Mrs T has to go up to Morwell to sit in on a court case where two duck rescuers are being charged with dumb things like taking rubbish away from wetlands and swearing and other stuff.  


A nice duck rescuer will be here to look after me for a couple of days and then another lady will do it.  Mrs T. will be back on the 25th.  She says to send you her love and she hopes you’re learning lots and having a great time.

I have to go and check out that plastic duckling again now.

Love and endless quacks from

Ducky