Duck-a-roo

     As I was just in the finishing stages of my daily aliyah reading this morning, I heard a duck bleating. The last time I heard one of our local Egyptian geese, that live here at the river, making this kind of sound, she had been stuck in a narrow gap between the tennis court fence and the boundary wall (not my tennis court, the neighbours).

    The SOS sound was coming from our garden, so I went outside to see if I could locate the source of the trouble. As I got downstairs and looked up the driveway, I saw a mommy and a daddy duck walking their gaggle of little chicks around on the driveway. I walked slowly towards them - my heart was so filled with joy at this beautiful sight - and gently asked them if everything was OK. The parents appeared to become afraid I was going to hurt their babies, but they seemed cornered and I wasn't sure how they had got from the river to our yard, as there is a little wooden fence separating the two - they must have found a gap in it and come on through.

    What a blessing from the LORD to see this sight!

As I followed them up the driveway, the one parent went towards the gate which led to the street and I thought they might all go for a stroll down our road, as the little ones were all following.

    But then the other parent - the bigger and more colourful one, which I suppose was the daddy - got all puffed up and, while keeping the evil eye on me, led the little ones to the edge of the parking space, where he jumped down into the garden. I held my breath and wondered if the little ducks would follow, as it is quite a distance down. They did. One after the other they all fell down to where their daddy was. The mommy was very hesitant to go, but when she saw me still hovering, she took the plunge, seeming to prefer the danger of the fall to me.

    I heard them noisily making their way through the lush, forest-like garden (I live in a Gan-Eden-like space, Baruch HaShem). They must have re-discovered the gap they came through to get here and bless me, because I now hear them making their way along the rivers edge.

    Baruch HaShem that they are safe. Baruch HaShem for the beauty He showed me this morning. It has put a smile on my face that comes from my heart. The beauty and wonder of our Father's creation.