As many of you know this was my third summer that I spent a week on Mallard Island in Rainy Lake. I have gone with the St. Croix Writers Group as a writers retreat.
Three summers ago, when our group was on the Island, Dennis, a fellow writer, took me in a canoe and we went around several Islands and I took a ton of pictures! We found this mama Mallard and three babies. As we got a bit closer, one of the babies got stuck in between two rocks and couldn't get out as mama and siblings kept going toward safety. It didn't take long for the little one to free itself, and then was nowhere near the family...Dennis and I felt really bad...he paddled us around until we got behind the mama and two babes.
Slowly, we gently guided them to the single little lost baby. What an amazing feeling that we were able to help this little fuzzy baby...without mom, it was sure to die.
Often over the past two years I have wondered, did that little one survive? Was it a boy or a girl? Sometimes I would surmise that it was a she and that she has had babies and that she was a great mom...dreams, you know...
This year, we were able to be on the Island in July, instead of August! We had a big fire to mark the full moon, we all laughed, shared stories...then the sun sank and the moon was rising...we all grabbed our cameras and headed to the front of the Island so we could see the sunset and the moonrise!
As you can see, it was stunning!!! The moon came up and I only had my 18-55 lens which means, no moon pictures for me! I watched with everyone else and took some shots of the others watching the moon...then a noise in the water begged my attention...slapping her feet on the rock in front of me, close enough for my lens to reach...there stood a mama Mallard and her babies...OMG! I was struck with the feeling that this was the little one we saved two summers ago...she made sure I looked her in the eyes, then they all climbed up the rock and jumped off the other side.
What a true, humble blessing this was...can't wait to share the story with Dennis!!!
Smile, because you can!
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