Just Ducky

Our 2026 boating season was bookended by two sad events. my mom passed on June 6 and Jim's mom passed on the 1st of September. This led to all sorts of feelings...and logistics...and paperwork. On the one hand, there were things that had to be done to pay proper respects and settle affairs for both our moms. On the other hand, one becomes very aware of one's own mortality as we become the "older generation." This makes for a real push-pull feeling. What must be done right now and what can be put off a few weeks? vs. Summer is short and our lives are finite and being on the water is good for our souls.

We did our best to prioritize appropriately, which made travel even more hectic than usual. We had delivered "Perseverance" to Escanaba June 2 and slept there one quick night before rushing to Illinois to say goodbye to my mom. With all that ensued in addition to our normal obligations, we were not able to return to Escanaba until June 29.

That is when I noticed it for the first time. Ducks. On my deck. Not the mallards that hang around the harbor (thankfully,) just tiny yellow resin ducks. How did they get there? They were soon followed by a couple of frogs and a flamingo. They made me feel curious, and kind of happy. Like having a secret admirer. I put them in a special spot just in front of the pilot house.

I accused my friend Roy of ducking me but he denied it, as did other friends. After the 4th of July we took off for Sturgeon Bay with Kent & Hannah. It was a lovely trip and the tiny plastic critters looked adorable on that little ledge below my windshield...until the storm we hit on the way home. We were able to run away from the worst of it but we still took a lashing. When we got home I was down a frog and a flamingo who apparently had washed out the scuppers. I felt a little sad. I have a soft spot for flamingos.

We had to run home for a few days before our big Lake Huron cruise in August. Upon returning, I found a small handful of additional ducks in various colors and a new flamingo! For the remainder of the summer the critters continued to appear sporadically, mostly ducks. I started putting them on the window ledge by the door where they wouldn't wash away.

The last week we were in Escanaba was the first time all summer that we really had a day or two to lie around. Sitting on the sofa with a book, I finally caught the duck man in the act. He is a regular walker at the marina, a retired teacher, I think. Tom, I know who you are and I want to thank you for adding a little joy into a boating season that needed it. (I still think Roy was in on it.)

We took the boat to winter storage in Wisconsin a bit early this year in order to have some extra time at home to take care of our mothers' affairs. So, I guess it's time I get my ducks in a row and get to work.