A Duck Story-San Antonio, Texas.......

Something really cute happened in San Antonio. Michael R. Is an accounting clerk at Frost Bank and works there  in a second story office. Several weeks ago, he watched a mother duck  choose the concrete awning outside his window as the unlikely place to  build a nest above the sidewalk. The mallard laid ten eggs in a nest in  the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She  dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks, and Monday afternoon all of her  ten ducklings hatched.    Michael worried all night how the  momma duck was going to get those babies safely off their perch in a busy,  downtown, urban environment to take to water, which typically happens in  the first 48 hours of a duck hatching. Tuesday morning, Michael watched  the mother duck encourage her babies to the edge of the perch with the  intent to show them how to jump off. Office work came to a standstill as  everyone gathered to watch.    The mother flew down below and  started quacking to her babies above. In disbelief Michael watched as the  first fuzzy newborn trustingly toddled to the edge and astonishingly leapt  into thin air, crashing onto the cement below. Michael couldn't stand to  watch this risky effort nine more times! He dashed out of his office and  ran down the stairs to the sidewalk where the first obedient duckling,  near its mother, was resting in a stupor after the near-fatal fall.  Michael stood out of sight under the awning-planter, ready to  help.    As the second one took the plunge,  Michael jumped forward and caught it with his bare hands before it hit the  concrete.. Safe and sound, he set it down it by its momma and the other  stunned sibling, still recovering from that painful leap. (The momma must  have sensed that Michael was trying to help her babies.)    One by one the babies continued to  jump.. Each time Michael hid under the awning just to reach out in the  nick of time as the duckling made its free fall. At the scene the busy  downtown sidewalk traffic came to a standstill. Time after time, Michael  was able to catch the remaining eight and set them by their approving  mother.    At this point Michael realized the  duck family had only made part of its dangerous journey. They had two full  blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs and past pedestrians to  get to the closest open water, the San Antonio River , site of the famed  "River Walk." The onlooking office secretaries and several San Antonio  police officers joined in. An empty copy-paper box was brought to collect  the babies. They carefully corralled them, with the mother's approval, and  loaded them in the container.. Michael held the box low enough for the mom  to see her Brood. He then slowly navigated through the downtown streets  toward the San Antonio River . The mother waddled behind and kept her  babies in sight, all the way.    As they reached the river, the  mother took over and passed him, jumping in the river and quacking loudly.  At the water's edge, Michael tipped the box and helped shepherd the babies  toward the water and to the waiting mother after their adventurous  ride.    All ten darling ducklings safely  made it into the water and paddled up snugly to momma. Michael said the  mom swam in circles, looking back toward the beaming bank bookkeeper, and  proudly quacking.    At last, all present and accounted  for: "We're all together again. We're here! We're here!"    And here's a family portrait before  they head outward to further adventures....    Like all of us in the big times of  our life, they never could have made it alone without lots of helping  hands. I think it gives the name of San Antonio 's famous "River Walk" a  whole new meaning! Maybe you will want to share this story with others.  Doctor York told me she had forwarded it to 20 people. It's too good to  lose!  Live honestly, Love generously, Care  deeply, Speak kindly & Leave the rest to God.