Chocolate Finale

A delicious grand finale is what we experienced this afternoon as friends treated us to lunch after church in honor of our anniversary. The restaurant offers a Sunday Brunch with more delicious recipes than anyone could possibly taste, but I did a fairly good job of filling my plate with a sampling of way too much food. The "fun food" is the sampling of desserts and the opportunity to dunk a variety of options in this fountain of chocolate. The dunking options were marshmallows, little rice squares, chunks of pineapple, and my choice -- strawberries.

As we left the busy shopping area where the restaurant is located, which is near a man-made lake, we watched a mama duck crossing the busy highway with 7 or more babies following her. Thank God the car in the lane next to us spotted them too and stopped just in time. With a line of cars forming behind both of our cars we waited for the mom to get across the highway. Once across, the mom jumped up the curb, but the babies could not. They just sort of huddled waiting and not knowing what to do. We sat in our car squirming. I keep thinking someone would jump out to help them. Nope! So I finally opened my door, jumped out (I was wearing a dress, nylons, and high heels), and sprinted across the highway. At first I thought the babies were going to run from me and then they just huddled tightly to each other. So one-by-one I lifted them up the curb into the center median strip and then I ran back across the highway to our car.

Then Mr. Fun pulled to the curb on our side of the road and waited for the traffic to clear. He wanted to see if Mama Duck was going to get them across the median and on the far side of the highway. We waited and waited; then once she started moving again, Mr. Fun got out of the car and thankfully another couple who had seen the entire episode had stayed to see what would happen, and that gentleman helped to slow traffic and Mr. Fun coax the mama to get across the highway. Again she jumped up the curb, but the babies could not. So Mr. Fun lifted them and this time he just held all of them and hoped Mama would follow him toward the lake and she did. She was not pleased that he had her babies. He placed the babies in the lake and Mama flew in after them. That ended our heart stopping moment and we drove toward home. Whew!

Good night from Southern California,
The Duckie Rescue Team: Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol

P.S. I must mention that today marks the second anniversary of "Bob Dog's" departure. Two years we were in terrible emotional pain. I wish I could say that it is no longer painful, but late this afternoon as I walked our three pooches around the pool coaxing them to find a spot to potty, tears welled-up and rolled down my face as I thought about what a wonderful creature he was and what joy and contentment he contributed to the two of us. So in his honor, I mention him today. Thank you to everyone who commented 2-years ago during this tragic week.