Life Goes On

We have been following a local story about a pair of ducks who had taken up residence in my friend's front yard, and all of us were waiting for the usual spring-type news of nests, etc. Finally, the pair had a nest and the eggs were laid.

Then, one day, disaster -- the drake was killed on the road. However, the Momma duck continued with her duties, and even entertained several interested drakes.

This morning, my friend called me at work to say, the ducklings were hatching! I actually closed up my office, left a sign on the door, and off I went, camera in hand.

This little duckling peeked from under her body. The duckling walked all over and under the mother, many, many times. As it turned out, our local wildlife lady drove by and she said the ducklings pick up the oil from the mother during this climbing activity, so they can swim. There is another little guy somewhere among those feathers, and more eggs under her. They will have to cross that dangerous road again, to get to the lake.

This was a lovely, encouraging sign of new life, good things to come, life goes on.