# My Heart Stopped ..



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

OMG! I was taking birds out to my friend Bart's place today .. never been so scared in a long time ..

I had gone yesterday to Bart's with 24 ducks as he had called and said he had lots of good people calling and wanting to adopt ducks and did I have any. Silly man! Of course I had ducks .. about 50 of them. So, I took 24 yesterday .. all that could safely fit in the duck truck and said I would come back this morning with the rest .. another 6 .. the other ducks are either too little, too ill, or too crippled to be adoptable. Bart then said "Hey .. you got any pigeons? I'm ready to get back into pigeons". Yep .. I got pigeons .. about 163 the last count about 10 days ago .. about 60 of those are my personal pets .. How many do you want .. "Bring them all, Bart says". Well, I can't bring them all because some of them are too young, too injured, or too sick .. but I took off this morning with 6 ducks and 50 pigeons for Bart.

I got to the 91 Freeway and Main Street right before the I-15 connection and looked in the rear view mirror .. I SWEAR .. my heart stopped! Here is Squatty Body, a Pekin duck, out of his box and standing on the box. This is in the open bed of my little duck truck with loads of traffic moving past at about 70 mph. Truly, my heart stopped.

I pulled over and was praying every second that Squatty Body just sat tight .. thank goodness he did! I got out with net in hand and had traffic brushing my butt but was telling Squatty .. "Just don't move" .. "Don't do anything" .. "If you move at all, you're gonna be dead and probably me too and others that are involved in the accident" .. "JUST DON'T MOVE" .. Thank goodness that Squatty was so overwhelmed by where he had found himself, he just stood there with eyes as big as saucers and wings slightly out and balancing on the top of the box. I put the net over him and picked him up and was shaking so hard that I could hardly stand. I would have probably died if Squatty jumped into traffic cuz I would have gone after him .. we would have both likely been killed.

It was a very lucky day for Squatty and me, and I am most grateful and very, very tired after this eventful day.

Tomorrow all!

Terry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

THANK GOODNESS ALL ENDED WELL, TERRY!!

One can only read so fast and I was thinking right along with you..."DON'T MOVE, SQUATTY!!" 

YIKES!! Now THAT is what I call a CLIFFHANGER!! May you NOT have any more...any possibility of getting a camper shell???

Love and Hugs

Shi


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

Wow! my eyes were buggin reading this.
Thank the Lord it ended good, very scary. 
Have you ever thought about getting a camper shell? I think that's what there called.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

My eyes are bugging out too....I have goosebumps all over!!  What a terrible fright!! Thank God he didn't fly....oh I can't imagine how terrifying that was. What a miracle. And congratulations on finding some great new homes!!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Phew! Thank goodness you saw him in time!


Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Whew!! That was definitely a heart stopper, thank God you moved quickly and he didn't!!!

Glad it ended well...


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Knowing all to well how the freeways are over there, I was nearly breaking out in a sweat reading about your adventures, Terry.

You both must have been scared silly. I'm so glad neither of you were injured. 



KIPPY said:


> *Have you ever thought about getting a camper shell?* I think that's what there called.


Sounds like a thought to ponder. 

Cindy


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Oh Terry, you had my heart stopping reading this!

I'm so glad that it worked out so well, but so sorry you had such a scare! I probably would have had to turn around and head home and go straight to bed after that!!!

Linda


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

I bet you aged about 50 yrs. the moment you looked into your mirror!

I'm so glad everything turned out good. And how wonderful that the ducks AND so many of the pigeons found new homes.


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Terry,

I couldn't breathe while reading your post. OMG, I am so thankful that no one was injured!!! Both of you had angels on your shoulders with that one.

Of course you know that nature abhors a vacuum. Hmmm, 30 ducks and 50 pigeon spots vacant...............?

Hugs and love, 
Margaret


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

OMG...Just reading it, nearly made my heart stop.
You do have your adventures...LOL.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Well, count me in on the horror of what you went through, Terry. I can't imagine how scared you were but thank God that you were able to snatch him up. He is probably still bragging to the other ducks about what he went through.

I'm happy for you that Bart was able to give you some relief. That is bound to help you all around. I'm glad too to read Bart is feeling well enough to get back into pigeons. 

How long did you sit on side of the freeway before you could stop your legs from shaking?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Holy crap!!!! And that's probably what I would have done..............SOOOO glad it all ended well..............you gotta stop doing this to us *AND* to you!!!


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

I think a camper shell would have saved us all from a bad moment, just then!


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## Feather (Dec 8, 2005)

Terry,

My heart was in my throat, I could feel your heart pounding and the traffic zooming by.

I had the complete visual on this caper of yours. It is a good thing the little Squatty must have been in a semi shocked state, or he would have went right in that traffic. Have a safe trip today.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)




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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks everyone! Both Squatty and I fully recovered from our adventure. I, too, was so glad that Bart was wanting pigeons again. We released them into his loft, and he stood there for the longest time just watching them and then told me he would be sitting in there with them for a couple of hours every day until he knew them all and who they were paired up with.

Yes, at least a few vacancies have opened up here, but there was already a waiting list for newcomers. Time to start over again, I guess, but I will enjoy a few days of taking it relatively easy. 

If the money fairy should happen to sprinkle some $$$ on me, I will definitely be looking into the camper shell or even just devising a huge cage that could sit in the bed of the truck and be easily removed when not needed .. it would DEFINITELY have a top!

Terry


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

It sounds like Bart is continuing to do well.  

Cindy


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

I think I need to go change my pants now 

Thank god everything worked out well and no one did get injured. I would have been hyperventilating and probably would have spooked poor Squatty just from my own nerves!

I'll add my vote for the camper shell too (and if you do find the $$$ fairy, send him/her my way after helping you  )

Glad to hear some of your charges went to such a good home too!

Now I'll go do some laundry


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*HI TERRY, Glad that everything turned out well. I wish that I had a friend that would take about 80 birds off my hands. By the way that nice white hen that i got from you awhile back has raised 4 nice looking young so if you know any one that is looking 3or4 mostly white birds let me know * GEORGE


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