There has been some discussion in the comments yesterday, and yet, as anal as a bunch of y’all are, I’m surprised none of you recognize the character. Jesus, you people will bust my chops if I get the caliber wrong on a type of revolver, but you didn’t see who this is?

A little bit of spoiler: No. She is not related to Omar or Maria. Sometimes I just draw characters with Orphan Annie eyes.

So, let’s see how many fires I can start in the comments here:

First off, there’s this article, penned by Nick Hanauer. Really a brilliant read, and I agree with it 100%.

Secondly, I have a bit of a dilemma. It’s a zombie duck.

I work out about 3-4 times a week, on my day job lunch break, by hiking 2 miles with 30 lbs in my hands, doing various arm positions. I walk a trail, around a lake, that’s rife with joggers, bicyclists, and tons of wildlife.

Three weeks ago, I saw, on my workout, a duck that very obviously had been hit by a car and barely lived. It was bleeding out of its eyes and mouth, the head and neck were coated in dried blood, one wing was very broken, and its tongue was hanging out the side of its bill. I would have put it out of its misery, but there were other joggers and bicyclists around, and I didn’t want to try to explain to the cops why I grabbed a duck and broke its neck. I figured it would die on its own anyway.

Last Friday, I saw the duck again.

Still bleeding out of one eye a little bit, still dragging the wing, still twitching and making ugly noises that were like zombie quacks. And now that the blood was gone, I could see that the DUCK IS MISSING A BIG FUCKING CHUNK OF ITS SKULL AND I CAN SEE ITS BRAIN. HOW IS THIS FUCKING THING NOT DEAD?

I went back yesterday and took pics and video of the duck. I’m loathe to post it here. The footage is pretty fucking gruesome. But I might post it in the comments.

Seriously. IT HAS A FUCKING HOLE IN ITS SKULL. THROUGH WHICH ONE CAN OBSERVE BRAIN TISSUE.

So the question here is: What do I do?

I can call animal control. They’ll probably kill it (on the taxpayer dime, hardy har, god damn it, I could end this thing’s life with one good tax-money-free stomp of my boot).

But one of my fellow outdoors people pointed out that this duck appears to be healing and thriving, even. As fucked up as it looks, if this duck was unable to eat or survive, its feathers would be falling out and it wouldn’t be moving. It IS moving, and its feathers are fine. The bird isn’t emaciated – hell, it’s actually a bit plump.

So do I report and it and let it die, or shut my yap and watch it heal, suffering the whole way? I don’t like watching animals suffer. I’m a hunter. A hurt animal, that cannot possibly heal right, should be put down. But this is the first time I’ve seen an animal so grievously wounded, that still looks like it might make it?

Maybe a wandering dog will solve the dilemma for me. Pfugh. I just don’t like being indecisive.