Duck Crossing

My neighborhood quacks me up.

It would quack you up too if you wandered through.

If it wasn’t already the sweetest little corner of the world, now we have an official and highly entertaining duck crossing.

Every morning just after dawn, and every evening just before dusk a large family or two (and a maiden aunt everyone ignores) waddle across the road to nosh near my neighbor’s bird feeder.

When the ducklings were so little they looked like fragile little puffballs marching in a row, my neighbor Sharon stood guard for them, blocking traffic until the whole family landed safely on either side. They’re a little older now, sturdier on their feet and more mindful of their surroundings.

Sharon and her daughter Sami made a Duck Crossing sign to warn motorists, and now two families — one with 10 large ducklings and the other 12 — make the daily trek from the retention pond on one side of the road, to their yard on the other.

But Sharon still hustles out there when she spots them gearing up for the crossing. For the most part, motorists pause respectfully. Many of them, and the bicyclists and walkers who also stop for the show, pull out their cellphones to record all the cuteness.

I know ducks are a common sight. Nearly 50 million live in the United States, according to Ducks Unlimited.

I also know ducks grow up fast and fly off to bigger ponds.

But, I think the world needs a little good news every now and then and my news is that it feels really good to see a bunch of humans pause their busy lives to help a duck family find its way home.