A Thanksgiving Story (Wolfla Style)

When I was 13 I lived in Boise Idaho, in a cute little neighborhood where all the children played nice and peacefully together (I lie it was an all out war boys vs. girls). And we had a neighborhood park that we called "The Common Area". Many of my childhood stories revolve around The Common Area. This is just one of many. This story happened on Thanksgiving day it being almost Thanksgiving, I thought I would share it with you.

Title: Duck on Thanksgiving Day
Staring: Me as the distressed child,  Hank Wolfla as Dad, Pat Wolfla as Mom

It was the Thanksgiving of 1994. It was a cold day in Boise Idaho, it had been cold for a few weeks, freezing at night and cold enough for a winter coat and hat during the day.  My Dad was home in Boise for this Thanksgiving and he and Mom where planning a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

I always got up early on Thanksgiving to watch the Macy Day Parade in NYC, it was one of the fews days of the year I willingly got out of bed in the morning.  Sometime during the morning I decided to walk over to my friend Kristy's house to say Happy Thanksgiving to her and her family. Kristy's family was a lot of fun. They didn't mind having drop in visitors on holidays and I always felt welcome. Kristy was my only friend who was allowed to have friends over on holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To get to Kristy's house I had to walk through The Common Area and pass by our neighborhood pond, named "The Lake". The ducks and geese had been gone for awhile at The Lake... So was I surprised when I noticed a little female duck on the ice not far from the bank of The Lake about 6ft (or 1.9 meters for the Aussies).  At first I just thought she was sitting on the ice... So I went to the side of The Lake and tried to scare her away. It was cold out. I had on gloves and my big coat, there was a dusting of snow on the ground and all the grass was crunchy frozen under foot.  No matter what I did the little girl duck would not move from the ice. She just sat there. After a few minutes I realized what the problem was.. the duck was frozen to the lake.

Well I was concerned and upset... God knows how long this poor little duck had been stuck in the ice. She must have been there all night. Just to make sure she was really frozen I threw some sticks in her direction to double check... Yep she didn't budge.. nor seem to notice I had thrown sticks at her.. She must have been really distressed and cold. I ran home. Barging in the front door I ran to my Dad's office where he was happily having a Thanksgiving chat on the ham radio to his friends all over the county. (My Dad is a ham man, was then, and still is a radio man) I can still hear my Mom calling from the kitchen to shut the front door "Your letting the cold air in". "No time for that Mom, a duck is frozen to The Lake"! In a panic I told Dad all about the poor, cold, frozen girl duck stuck in The Lake. Like a good father my Dad jumped to help me free the duck.

Passing through the kitchen Mom got bits and pieces of the story from me and Dad. In the garage Dad and I found the tools we thought necessary for duck removal from The Lake. 1 box, 1 small saw and 1 small axe. Supplies in hand Dad and I rush back through The Common Area to The Lake. Dad tried to scare the duck away just as I had. Again the duck would not budge from its spot. She just sat there.. starring out into the distance and occasionally looking in our direction. Dad and I wondered if the ice was strong enough to support our weight so we could free her.. We decided the ice was still to thin to be walked on. So Dad then started to think.. "Well.. I am going to have to break through the ice and walk out to this duck in freezing cold water".....
He wasn't looking forward to it......
But I was insistent we had to save the life of this poor little duck before she died of exposure.

Just then a woman out for a peaceful pre-Thanksgiving jog passed by us. Dad and I looked up and made eye contact with her. She first looked shocked and then disgusted..... We must have looked like quite a site; a cute little 13 year old girl holding a small box just big enough for a duck in one hand and a small saw in the other. And a man in his 40's holding an axe about to attack a duck on a pond in the middle of a nice suburban neighborhood. The jogger slowed to take it all in and then quickly ran away.

Dad then turned to step onto the ice to begin to free the duck and you'll never guess... but that poor, cold, freezing duck stood up and took a few steps and then flew away.

I was so relieved.. Dad was pretty mad.. But we had a good laugh about it while we walked back to the house.. I am sure that jogger thought we were out to get us some duck for Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love to you and yours,
-Mary