Part two of the Fourth of July party posts belongs to Duckie from Virginia.
Duckie’s family wrote:
Kind Stuffed Animal Doctor, Do you think you can assist in rejuvenating “Duckie?” He is three years old and continues to be much loved by my 4 year old. She has taken good care of him: no amputations, no eye enucleations, and no vivisection. All his war wounds come from constant love and attention.
We agreed Duckie would enjoy the cleaning, restuffing, and fluffing of a spa. Here he is on arrival at the hospital:
A bit gray, a bit flat… he started with a bubble bath, as many patients do:
But unlike many patients, the photo of Ducky in the bubble bath went to his little girl and I got another photo back, of her hugging the ipad photo of Duckie! 🙂
While he was drying, a letter came from Duckie’s four year old person:
Dear Duckie,
I really miss you. So much. I got a little baby bear from Mary and Aunt Leigh Ann and his name is Baby Bear. And I really really really really hope you have a good time there and have lots and lots and lots of friends.
Come home soon and have a good time there. I still love you more than the baby bear.
Love,
L
Of course, Duckie wrote back:
Hi L, I really miss you too… but I loved my bubble bath and the doctor thinks I’ll get my heart in early next week. Then I’ll be able to come home. I love you too… maybe Baby Bear will be my friend. Love,Duckie
This is a transcript of the response L’s dad sent me:
She loved the letter. “How did he write that letter?” “He didn’t write it, he told the doctor what to say and she wrote it. Just like you did when I wrote what you said and sent it to Duckie.” "Did Duckie really SAY that to her?“ "Duckie didn’t need to talk. The doctor knows how to understand what stuffed animals are saying without their talking. She is a stuffed animal doctor.“
Ducky got his heart as promised, yellow to match his fur:
And then he was restuffed, enough to sit up a bit more but not too much to hug and squish. And his fur was fluffed:
Duckie’s people planned a party for his return home too, and they sent photos! Here is the entire gang waiting for him (including some older duckies and a brand new one who acted as a substitute huggee while Duckie was in the hospital):
And just in case you’re hungry, here’s a closeup of those cupcakes:
Duckie isn’t in these photos because he’s busy being hugged! I have many photos of that too, but as you know, I don’t put humans on the blog without explicit permission… but the photos are in the hospital to encourage all future patients!
Yesterday a man came into my work, all scruffy and dirty with a big backpack on his shoulders, and as he was leaving I told him to stay dry because it’s been raining almost none stop for a few days.
He stopped and turned around and laughed, and then he showed me his new shoes that he just bought and said “I’ve been walking the perimeter of the United States; these shoes will last me another month, rain or sunshine.”
We talked for a bit and he told me about how he’s walking around the perimeter of the entire U.S. to raise awareness and money for the homeless. He told me about some things he’s seen and the places he’s been so far. Before he left, he gave me a big smile, said “God be with you,” and walked out the door with the happiest strut I’ve ever seen.
He started off in Virginia and made it all the way down here to Florida on foot, and he’s still got a long way to go. He was very kind and very optimistic.
I’ve never met someone like him before, so I want to try and spread him and his effort here on tumblr.
He isn’t very popular yet, but I really want to try to spread his word and raise awareness of the homelessness issue here in the U.S., and try to help him raise money for this cause.
His name is Leroy Bailey and if you want to follow him around the U.S. his facebook is here.
I didn’t get a photo of him so I took this one from his facebook
It’s been almost 3 months since I posted this and Leroy is now in Texas! He still has a really long way to go though so let’s keep this circulating, get his name and his cause out there!
Favorite image of the day: A photo taken by Brett Cizek of a common merganser with a massive brood of over 50 ducklings trailing after her. Biologists guess that she picked up at least a couple dozen who got separated from their mother, and maybe a few more pre-hatching since ducks often lay a couple eggs in other ducks’ nests as a way of not…er…putting all their eggs in one basket. So big broods are not uncommon, but this is definitely larger than usual.
Apparently since this photo was taken, she’s picked up another two dozen and is now wandering around Bemidji, MN, with over 70 ducklings in tow.
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