This summer started with little growing things: grass, leaves, toddler flowers, sprigs of trees. Standing or sitting close to the lake, I especially noticed the mother duck in the water, leading a string of seven floating ducklings. They looked to me like fuzzy tennis balls, some floundering, some getting out of line to explore.

The mother leads them to the shore, and she waddles away.

I think: that huge body of water must be frightening to ones so small!

There is one, he tilts his head, stretches his neck and is looking over for his six brothers and sisters. They are scattered, peeping back and forth.

Some might think it’s just peeping, but there’s more to it than that! I can’t resist eavesdropping.

It’s Constantine speaking, “Joe, what are you doing?”

“Just sitting here, waiting for Mom.”

“What’s taking her so darn long?”

“Oh, she and Dad are fighting again.”

“Well,” says Constantine. “I’m dying to get out in the water! Where’s Norma? Where’s Sandy?”

“Oh, I see them splashing, taking a bath by the shore.”

Constantine wonders, “What about Chuck, Fergus, and Kevin? I don’t see them around.”

“Kevin went over to see what is going on with Mom and Dad…what’s taking her so long!? Chuck and Fergus are practicing diving for bugs. Fergus looks so funny trying to dive! His head goes into the water, and his tail goes up, and the rest of him goes under the water. And then he gags and pops up for air, choking to death!”

“Fergus looks like he’s not doing it right!” frowns Constantine.

“Yeah, but he’s trying. I’m afraid of that stuff. I’m afraid of putting my head under water!”

Constantine shrugs, “Well, me too. But hey, there’s a whole world out there! A huge lake….and I’ve gotta get out there and explore!”

And then, I see Constantine getting his little legs going and off he goes, past the safe tall reeds, out to the Big Water, and such a determined look on his face.

Joe quacks louder than he thought he could, “Hey, alone? Without Mom!!!??”

“Why not? I can take care of myself.”

“You better not! Mom will have a fit when she comes and see only six of us! And can’t find you!”

Constantine sits tall in the deep water. “I feel strong and determined. I feel like I can do anything! I’m out of here! Bye!”

This duck appears to be quite happy… even feeling like a grown-up duck out there alone in the midst of the world of water. I can see he’s a bit out of control… flapping along, zigzagging, bouncing a bit. But he won’t admit it. Now he’s got his mind on that other shore! Ah, but so fun to try to paddle his legs in the water, seeing where his body takes him. The water is so wet, but holding him up so he can motor ahead.

A wet, furry head passes by him. Their eyes meet. “Bet that’s one of those muskrat kids Mom told us about.” Constantine looks around his tail. “I wish I could make a silvery wake like he can!”

Now in the water, feeling hungry, Constantine is trying to nosedive like Mom was teaching him yesterday. He stretches his little legs behind him, closes his wings tight to his body, puts his neck out, and flip…..there he goes…under! He opens his eyes and sees murky figures moving along in the water around him. Rocks, mud, plants. Fish. He pops up, reaching his beak out to catch a bug. He snaps, missing it. “Oh, well,” he says. And goes down again.

What fun he’s having!”

But, look! A great huge black shadow is coming over him…..he feels a splashing, an explosion of water! A mound comes toward him….and is almost upon him, a huge mouth opens to grab him! Our Constantine flips around and paddles his little legs as fast as he can make them go. There is water erupting all around him. His heart is loud in his ears.

He feels so scared he hardly knows what to do! “Don’t panic,” his Dad would say. “Just think it through and do what you have to do!”

Something tells him to zig- zag, dive into the water, swim under the water, pop up and down, but go! Go home!

Looks to me like he’s getting away, his little flapper feet skimming on top of the water like a blur!

“Mommy! Mommy!”

Eavesdropping again, I can hear the excited peeping of the brothers and sisters gathered to greet him.

Constantine flaps to the shore, a little shaky, and his fluff wet and matted.

“Oh!” Norma exclaims. “You could have gotten eaten up by that big thing!”

Joe says, “Well, that was a stupid thing to do!!”

Kevin: “Were you trying to be a hero or something? We were worried about you, Constantine!”

I see Dad show up, his face is folded in a dark frown. Mom is scowling, quickly waddling to Constantine’s side. “Don’t you ever do that again! Not alone ! You scared me to death!”

Then all is quiet. Her eyes soften, and she nudges the little fluffy guy with her head, making a soft quacking sound I hadn’t heard yet. She is whispering something. Is she saying how proud she is that he has that courage to go out and face the world like that? He does look a little proud of himself, holding his head a little taller.

Well, that’s enough of my eavesdropping for today. I think they’ll be OK.