Mr Flapper Duck

Too Too and Choo Choo

“Would you like to see my wings?”
too
I would, Toonie!

“Here they are!”
here
They’re looking pretty good, Petunia.

“Thank you.”
thanks
You’re welcome, Toonie.

Petunia’s wings are looking great. She has one wing slightly clipped so she doesn’t fly out of the yard, and she still has a little bit of damage to her wings from the raccoon attack in November. But once she molts again her wings will be perfect.

“Is that a worm?”
worm
It could be, Chewy. Why don’t you taste it and see?

“Blech! Blech. Not a worm.”
worm
Ha ha, that’s quite a face, Choo Choo.

“It was a slug. I don’t like slugs. I have very refined tastes.”
slug
Oh, I know you do, Chewy. I’ll be more careful in the future.

Chewy has always been a picky eater, but he’s a good eater, too.

snow
We got about 3″ of snow last night, but the ducks weathered it just fine. It’s a little chilly for them, but most of the snow melted today and no more is expected. Hopefully it’s warm-enough in the morning to fill their pools up a bit. Otherwise we’ll have to carry buckets out to their pens, which is never fun.

We’re expecting a few estimates on the new aviary in the next week, and then we’ll start building.

Stay tuned.

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February 27, 2009|Chewy Magooey, Petunia Peach|9 Comments

All Ready

The duck pens are finally rearranged and the ducks are settled in for the night.
pens
We had no idea moving and fixing the pens would take all weekend, and we’re exhausted!

Now the ducks are set up out of the way of where the aviary will be built. We’re not building it ourselves, but pricing it out. It’ll probably take about a month from beginning to end.

In other news, Meelee is feeling well.
meels
She was sleepy in this photo, but she is feeling fine and has a good appetite. We’ll weigh her in another week or so to make sure she isn’t losing weight.

Simon is doing well, too.

He is super snuggly these days. As soon as I sit down on the couch, he attaches himself to my side and stays put. As long as he’s leaning on me, he’s happy.

That’s it for this weekend. We’re TIRED!

G’nite everyone.

Here’s a quick look at the space the aviary will occupy when it’s built:
aviary space

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February 22, 2009|Chewy Magooey, Fuzzy Indoor Ducks, Mr Flapper, O'Malley Peepers, Petunia Peach|10 Comments

Preparations

Flap
Flapper & crew enjoyed a day in the yard today while I reconfigured their pens. We’re moving them to another part of the yard to plan for their big new aviary. They will probably still keep their predator-proof night pens, but in a month or so they’ll have a big predator-proof aviary for the day-time, too.

yard
We didn’t get everything done today, so Chewy & Flapper are sharing a tiny spot for the night. They are pretty tired so I’m sure they’ll do fine. But they’ll be happy tomorrow when they have their 3 squares back.

choo
Chewy is pretty excited about the new aviary, but it will still be a few weeks.

Quacks,

Tiff

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February 21, 2009|Chewy Magooey, Mr Flapper, O'Malley Peepers, Petunia Peach, Yard Stuff|7 Comments

Nancy Townsend

A great friend to all feathered creatures passed away this morning after a long battle with lung cancer.Nancy Townsend was the creator of “the duck diaper” and a great lady all around. We send heartfelt condolences to her husband Alan, and to all her family, especially her feathered kids.

Rest in peace, Nancy.

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February 19, 2009|Good Eggs|13 Comments

O’Malley is…

O’Malley is not a pterodactyl.
not

O’Malley is not a turkey.
turk

O’Malley is not a shark.
shark

O’Malley is not petite.
big

But O’Malley is a singer.
singer

And O’Malley is a biter.
biter

And O’Malley is a super good buddy.
buddy

And O’Malley is a snuggler.
snug

I love you, Malley.
kiss

XOXOX

Mom

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|O'Malley Peepers|15 Comments

pets at work

Even when I don’t have my pets with me, they often show up in my work anyway. Recently I was able to write some copy that secretly mentioned my Hodjee.

project
In this show description for Kid vs Kat on the new boy’s network Disney XD, I was able to describe the cat character as going “sharp-side up.” That was always my favorite description of Hodjee Podge. And that wasn’t the first mention of pets in my work.

game
In this Snowman Stacker game on miniclip, one of my designers worked Flapper into level 15. You’ll see him if you can stack that high.

Flapper has also made an appearance on this now defunct website.

ever

And he also shared the stage with Miley Cyrus for this DisneyChannel stunt last year.

wish

Of course Flapper has also appeared in person at the office before, even helping us earn an award for most pet-friendly office in the Northwest.

He prefers to stay at home, but it is nice to keep him in mind while I’m working.

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February 17, 2009|Silly Human|3 Comments

Saying Goodbye, and Meelee’s Health

Our heart-felt condolences go out to two very good friends who both lost loved ducks this past week.

First, our friend Adrian lost his buddy Thor, who lives with Fling and Juno (a rescue you know from this site). Thor was unfortunately killed by a raccoon while foraging on the lawn. Her humans were home and just inside the house when it happened, but didn’t hear it in time. They were being extra careful, too, after hearing that we lost our Georgie to a raccoon in November. Thankfully, Fling & Juno are fine, maybe because Thor protected them. It’s tough to lose a friend, and we wish Erin, Adrian, Fling, Juno and the rest of the family all the best as they grieve the loss of Thor. Here is a photo they sent us of Thor and Adrian from last spring.
thor
Rest in peace, Thor.

Also, our great friend Peter lost his young muscovy girl Sadie on Saturday, possibly from egg-binding or a reproductive infection (similar to what killed our own Phoebe Kay).

Sadie was a really beautiful muscovy girl who reminded me a lot of my own Georgie. It is so difficult to know when birds aren’t feeling well, as they hide it very well. Unfortunately that means they often can’t be saved. We wish Peter and the rest of his flock all the best as they grieve the loss of sweet Sadie. Rest in peace, Sadie.

In other news, we received back Hodjee’s ashes from the pet clinic. She passed away in December. In addition to the urn, they included a nice paw print for us to remember her by. I particularly like the claw marks in the ceramic, as Hodjee was so good at going “sharp-side up.”
paw
We sure miss Hodjee Podge around here, especially Simon. But we’re doing okay.

Lastly, Meelee had to go to the vet on Friday because she seemed in pain and looked dehydrated. She was growling whenever she moved around, and she seemed less active.
meels
After a visit to the vet and some fluids under her skin, today she is doing much better. She is so tiny (7.10lbs) and getting old, so a bad day can be pretty serious for her.

meel
Thankfully she is getting fluids for the next few days, and her blood work and urinalysis both came back normal. So she is fine for now. We will be watching her weight closely to make sure she doesn’t lose any more.

It’s been a tough week for our friends, and we hope the future brings us all more happy times and less sad times.

XOXOX

Tiff

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February 15, 2009|Fuzzy Indoor Ducks, Rescues|11 Comments

Valentine’s Day in the Yard

Hey, Malley. Do you think you could move your head?
mal
“Me? Why?”

Well I’m trying to take some photos of the other ducks, too.
why
“Who, Flapper? Just take more photos of me instead.”

Are you having fun swimming, Flapper?
yes
“Yes it’s a good day for swimming.”

“I’m going to get out now. Here I go!”
out

“Whee!”
flop

“Aaaaand flap.”
flap
Nicely done, Flapper.

choo
Hey Choo Choo. You are looking so handsome today, my buster.

blush
“Aww Mom, you’re making me blush!”

treats
“Did you bring treats for me? I want a muffin.”

Hi Petunia. I will share my breakfast muffin with you, yes.
share
“Okay good.”

wait
“Wait a minute. Is that a hawk?”

hawk
“Let me check. Hmmm… nope. Just an airplane.”

muffin
“Back to the muffin.”

eeps
“Eeps! I have to run from the boys. Save me some muffin for later!”
You got it, Petunia.

Why’d you chase Petunia away, Chewy?
like
“I don’t know. I just like to.”

Ha ha well no muffin for you then, buster.

watch
“Will you watch me swim now, Mom?”
You got it, Malley. I’m watching.

“Are you still watching?”
splash
I’m watching, Malley. Nice splashing!

“Super shake!”
super
Wow, Malley that was a very big shake. Good job, buddy.

mud
While Chewy swims in the big pool, Flapper doodles in the mud caused by the splashing water. It’s nice how they cooperate together to make mud puddles.

They played in the mud and then settled in for a long, Valentine’s Day nap.

Happy Valentine’s Day! — or — Happy Singles Awareness Day! (whichever you prefer) from everyone at Flapper’s house.

XOXOX

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February 14, 2009|Chewy Magooey, Mr Flapper, O'Malley Peepers, Petunia Peach|11 Comments

Bob

bob
Reuters

Bob is looking out for his new girlfriend, Sam. Her paws are hurting, but Bob is comforting her. I don’t think Sam looks very good, but they say she’s recovering. Best wishes, Sam.

Thanks, Bob. You’re a good egg, mate.

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February 12, 2009|Good Eggs|7 Comments

Galoshes

This is just about the cutest thing ever!
galoshes
A facebook friend just bought this for her house. Super cute! I think Choo Choo would love these for playing in the mud. The boots would have to be striped, of course.