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I'm sure there are many unsung heroes in Four Seasons. Today I want to share the tale of one ingenious birder who saved eight lives. One evening last month, Tina Canon stepped out into her front yard to get a breath of fresh air and maybe pull a weed or two. She saw a mother duck and her duckling walking around the plants and trees. Suddenly, the baby duck disappeared! Tina realized that it had fallen into the aerator pipe next to her olive tree. She ran in to have a quick conference with her husband, Michael, who said he thought the pipe was only a couple of feet deep. Tina put on her longest gardening gloves, and reached down the dark pipe. The duckling was sitting quietly, and she lifted him out and handed him to his waiting mother. Then to her surprise, she felt another duckling just below where the first duckling had been! And then another! And another! And another! Eight ducklings in total, all rescued and reunited with their family. The mother duck waddled off, followed by her brood of babies, moving from the danger of open pipes into the danger of Four Seasons traffic. Tina hopped into her golf cart and escorted the duck family all the way down to the pond by the windmill, where they were able to have a happy and safe swim. You will also be relieved to know that Tina has now covered the opening at the top of her aerator pipe with a screen, so it won't present a danger to any other ducklings or animals who might fall in. Join us for birding on the first Saturday of each month at 8 am at the Potrero Creek trailhead in The Lodge parking lot. We'll be looking for birds and maybe sharing another sequel to the classic children's book, Make Way for Ducklings. For more information, contact our leader Gerrie Karczynski at gerrie201516@gmail.com. ~ Kathy Hull Our selection for Sept. 10 is e First Ladies by Marie Benedict. Here is a brief description from Amazon.com: "The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women's rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams — and holding each other's hands through tragedy and triumph. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband's secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women's desire to fight together for justice and equality. This is the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in which their singular friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement." Our meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 am in the RCN, Room #3. All of our book selections are recommended by book club members. Someone volunteers to lead the discussion about the book we have chosen for the month. For more information about the Four Seasons Book Club or to put your name on our mailing list, please contact me at michelesrosen@gmail.com. ~ Micki Rosen FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2024 41 Birding CLUB Book Club Mother duck and one duckling at Four Seasons Photos below by Tina Canon Reunited duck family on Four Seasons Circle Duck family in the Four Seasons windmill pond

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