I was driving up onto the highway yesterday, coming up one of those sharply curving entrance ramps that climbs uphill before merging into traffic.
As I reached the top, I suddenly slowed down. No one was behind me. And I wasn’t on the highway quite yet.
But before me, a mama duck and four tiny ducklings were crossing the lane. I think they actually walked underneath my car after I stopped.
My first thought was, How did you all get up here? Had they somehow crossed the highway’s three lanes of traffic? They had come from that direction. Had they wandered all this way and simply ended up on the entrance ramp? I have no idea.
What I do know is that they were precious. And what I do know is that they were in a precarious position.
I wish I’d been able to get a photo, though that’s certainly not a good idea on an entrance ramp. But I hope they quacked all about it later, telling their buddies over dinner.
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 