Pinky Pie

Seven little ducks went IN one day,

Over the quilts and not far away.

Mother Duck said, “Quilt, quilt, quilt, quilt.”

And finally seven little ducks came back out.

Can this quilt pattern be far behind?

With all apologies to children’s singer/songwriter Raffi, I am about to tell you the story of a mother duck and seven little ducklings in a quilt store, River Road Quilts, which is located within Nelson Flag & Display in La Crosse.

Before I go any further, I admit the mother duck would be a better quilter than me. But that’s beside the point.

On warm but not hot days, my good friends who manage the shop keep their doors open for cross ventilation. Chris was in her office about to walk to the quilt shop when she saw the something quite unexpected.

“There’s a duck!” she shouted.

But my two other friends in the quilt shop only heard “duck!” Which, they did. (Apparently, they learned their duck and cover lessons well in schools in the 1950s.)

Duck & Quilt?

Ducking was not what Chris meant, but the mother duck startled and flew up in the air over their heads. After several wild passes in different directions, she found an open door and flew out.

Meanwhile, those ducklings were quacking for their momma and waddling in all directions, bumping into this or that.  Chris and her husband, Steve, co-workers Betty and Muggs plus friend Sue ran around trying to get the ducklings back to momma.

It was a lot like herding cats – and that’s just for the humans.

There were cries that they shouldn’t touch the ducklings or their mother would not take them back. Apparently, it’s a myth.

Eventually, ducklings were in a box and or picked up and taken out to the side yard of the store to reconnect with dear old Mom. Outside, ducklings still went in different directions, including at least one heading to a major road. The other side would lead them to the backwaters of the Mississippi River. Steve got into the road to head those cute little doggies back toward their mom.

Eventually they thought they had them all, except for one that turned up a bit later and was rounded up for that safe family reunion.

Oh, how my friends wish they had photos afterwards.

The first duck I noticed in our city away from the river was a mother duck who built a nest and hatch babies against the back of our house, which is a good couple miles from the Mississippi. Steve commented then that the mother duck knew her family was safe near my kitchen. I’d never cook them. It was true.

Now that they had their own duckling invasion, they plan to keep their doors closed with air conditioning on.

But the Ducks Unlimited meeting planned for River Road Quilts has been postponed indefinitely.

Do visit the quilt shop at 2501 South Ave., La Crosse. It would be just ducky.