Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M. June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010 |
Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017), including his wife Jody (1938-2021).
“Four ducks on a pond, a grass-bank beyond,
a blue sky of spring, white clouds on the wing - what
a little thing to remember for years, to remember with tears!”
―William Allingham
What is more relaxing than watching ducks swim? They are soft, fluffy, silly, and fun. They have an intricate family structure - definitely a pecking order. If you follow me on social media, you know I love ducks. The Milliron pond was home to many ducks. After Jody passed, Jessica gathered the Milliron ducks and took them to a new home.
When Jessica came over last Wednesday, my neighbor stopped by to say that one of my ducks was in his shed. The only female, Gerdy, was missing. I was concerned when she wasn't at the pond that morning.
Jessica handed me a cardboard box, we filled it with hay, I grabbed a handful of cracked corn, and I was off to my neighbors. Gerdy recognized my voice, but she had lost an eye and wasn't trusting anyone. I wasn't having much success catching her, so my kind neighbor, Kevin, brought a blue blanket from his house, threw it over Gerdy, and we put her in the box. Whew. (Thank you, Kevin!).
Jessica knows a lot about animals. I suppose growing up a veterinarian's daughter, she assimilated everything - like a zoologist or Mother Earth. Maybe it's inherit nature.
"Just put the box on my front seat. I'll take Gerdy to a good home." With lots of quacks and ruffled sounds coming from the moving box, Gerdy was at last rescued from drakes, coyotes, neighbor's dogs, and all other SE Ohio predators. That evening, Jessica released Gerdy to a pond where she could thrive in peace - a pond with only hens.
Have a great week ahead.
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Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.
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