Grouchy ducks, grumpy geese and other undesirable animals

Our mother was out at the clothesline while the rest of us were in the house. Suddenly, she burst through the back door, so frightened and angry she couldn't speak clearly.

She kept asking for a shotgun or a rifle, and all I could imagine was that a mountain lion or something akin was in the back yard. Finally, our mother calmed down enough to say, "That damned duck!" and we understood her frig...