Ducks

Ducks haven’t been a major part of my life, but our paths have crossed now and again.

Once, for example, I was driving north of Moorhead, Minnesota on — I’m not sure what its name was then. These days it’s called 57th Avenue N, CSAH 22, or 40th Avenue N; depending on which stretch of pavement you’re on.

Anyway, on its way toward the Red River,the road went through a cluster of homes. It was like those housing developments that popped up after WWII. Except that the houses weren’t all alike, and there were trees.

I gather this is because folks had built their homes piecemeal. Most of them apparently liked trees, and had varying notions of what their house should look like.

It wasn’t a monument to urban design, but I liked the result. Particularly compared to what happens when a developer clear-cuts land, plops housing units on what’s left, and I’m drifting off-topic.

Just Me and Some Ducks

This particular duck encounter happened when I was still living in Moorhead. I’d been driving to Fargo and decided to take the long way, on — whatever the road was called.

I was still driving between fields, maybe a thousand feet from the houses and trees, when I saw something in the middle of the road. It was a duck, waddling deliberately down the road’s centerline.

So there I was, sharing a road with a duck. With decisions to make.

It’s not the sort of situation discussed in the Minnesota Driver’s Manual. Not specifically, at any rate. So I was on my own, without official guidance, facing a duck.

There wasn’t anyone else in sight, just me and the duck.

I stopped the car and watched the duck. And my rear-view mirror, of course: so I wouldn’t be blocking the road for someone else.

As soon as I stopped, the duck turned its head — to look at me, I’m guessing.

It paused, then turned again, so it faced the grass growing by the road. I couldn’t hear it quack, but saw its bill open and close. Then the duck did a quick about-face and scooted for the left side of the road, with a brood of ducklings racing after it.

Within seconds, mama duck and her ducklings were out of sight in the tall grass.

I waited a few moments, making sure there wasn’t a straggler still in the grass to my right, and then drove on.

Animals

I’m none too fond of mosquitoes, ticks, and leeches. But by and large I like animals, and think they should be treated humanely. That’s something I didn’t need to change when I became a Catholic. I’ve talked about animals, priorities, and somewhat-related matters before:

• “Elgin, Animals, Ethics, and a Decalogue Detail” (January 24, 2026)
  • Old Rules, and Reminders
  • Loving Animals, But Loving People More
• “Animals, Consciousness, and Conscience” (June 29, 2024)
  • Of Mice and Men and Little Albert
    • Animals, People, and Paying Attention
  • “Little Less Than a God” —
    • — With All the Responsibilities That Come With Our Nature