Duck! Who goes there?

My Unusual Morning Happening

A odd duck nestled high in barren branches, as snow lingered on nearby rooftops. What an odd duck, indeed!

Perhaps it flew from the neighborhood pond? Perhaps it got lost while traveling south for winter? Perhaps it preferred to sit in trees rather than paddle water?

No bother that it did not have orange webbed feet or a long orange beak. It quacked like a duck, therefore, it must be a duck. What an odd duck that nestled high in barren branches, as snow lingered on nearby rooftops.

Welcome to my cold December day 2023. I am pondering today’s ducky visit while wrapped in a fluffy red robe and sitting on my front porch with coffee in one hand and prayer in my heart. Crisp brisk air awakens my day as sunshine peeks through the clouds and melts yesterday’s snow.

I was surprised to find so many birds flitting about. One bird caught my ear’s attention. It was the odd duck nestled high in barren branches across the street. The creature in the tree quacked forth its quacking quacks. It was a duck, indeed. (I had a pet duck growing up named, Rover. I know what a real duck sounds like.)

I am embarrassed to admit, but I looked towards the quacking quacks and expected to find a duck sitting in the treetop. How on earth could the branches hold the weight of such a large creature? How could webbed feet clutch the twigs? None of this made sense, but after all… I know what a duck sounds like. This was a real duck, an odd duck, who preferred to sit in trees rather than paddle water.

You probably guessed what happened when I looked towards the tree. There were no orange webbed feet, nor a long orange beak, nor a super-sized winged creature, sitting near the snow covered rooftops. Only one small bird nestled in the barren winter branches; a little bird with incredibly strong vocal cords.

My lightning quick mind kicked into gear. Imposter!!! You are such a mocking bird sitting high up in that tree. You don’t fool me. You have been with orange webbed feet and long orange beaks of real ducks with quacking quacks. “Well done!”, on your pretending quacks, but you pretend nonetheless.

I thank the silly mocking bird for smiles and joy-filled thoughts. I also thank the silly mocking bird for an early day reminder. Just because it quacks like a duck, it does not mean it IS a duck. In other words… Not all who talk the talk, walk the walk.

Dear Reader, we live in a world that clamors and mimics the true. We are faced daily with a choice. We can simply talk the talk (or quack the quack) or we can actually walk the walk (even if we do not not have orange webbed feet or a long orange beak).

Hark! Who goes there? Mocking bird or duck? That is the question!