Saturday, April 22, 2006, 6:15 AM EDT, No. Billerica, MA:
I awoke to the sound of loud, insistent quacking and allowed it to mix with the usual symphony of morning songbirds, cooing mourning doves and braying jays as it washed over my half-awake state. When the quacking continued over the next 10-15 minutes, to the point where it started to sound hoarse, I grew concerned that the duck might be in some distress – perhaps caught or trapped in the tiny cemetary next door or across the street in the woods.

I tossed on some clothes and tiptoed out of my parents’ apartment and exited to a crisp April morning. As I walked the perimeter of the apartment complex, I began to realize that the quacking was coming not from outside the complex, but within it, where there is a good-sized courtyard, complete with swimming pool. So, back into my folks’ apartment building I go and exited out the other end, to the courtyard. Peering around the corner, there they were: a duck couple obviously in the throes of spring courtship: the male quacking away happily in the swimming pool, the female watching intently poolside.

Saturday, April 22, 2006, 9:15 AM MST, Gilbert, AZ:
Tracey awoke to the sound of loud, insistent quacking and allowed it to mix with the usual symphony of morning songbirds and cooing mourning doves as it washed over her half-awake state. When the quacking continued over the next 10-15 minutes, to the point where it started to sound hoarse, she grew concerned that the duck might be in some distress.

She tossed on some clothes and stumbled half-asleep to the slider that looks out on our backyard. Scanning the yard to see where the noise was coming from, there they were: a duck couple, obviously in the throes of spring courtship: the male quacking away in the swimming pool, the female watching intently poolside.

Two people, two pair of ducks, two swimming pools, 2,729 miles and 6 hours apart, sharing for a brief moment in time the curious and exhilarating ways of nature. A beautiful thing.