The Second Annual Memorial Day Duck Race
Like a bouyant little army, the ducks stood proudly in the sunshine.
"Sign Up For Your Duck Here!"
Chris and I stood at the table, contemplating which duck to choose. The one with the stars and stripes hat? The one with the pirate kerchief? The one with the black marker all over its tail?
"How about this one?" Chris pointed to the smiling, orange rubber ... whale.
"Perfect." 
We signed up as "Mutant Rubber Duck #14" and removed our "duck" from the table.
The Duck Races are a new tradition in my family, inspired by the babbling brook in front of my mother's house and the constant flux of bath toys my 5 year old nephew brings to her house. My mother is one of seven children and I am one of nineteen grandchildren, so every family picnic is a raucous, chaotic, and laughter-filled gathering. Last year, the duck races were an impromptu walk down to the brook with our ducks in hand. 
This year, my younger cousins Mikayla and Lisa orchestrated a race fit for a Mark Twain tale.
A formal finish line stood ready at the end of the brook, just after two mini waterfalls and a bit of a whirlpool. Two medals, made of construction paper and curly ribbon, were to be awarded to the runners up. A trophy, fashioned out of an empty juice bottle and a gold painted rubber duck, waited for the victor.
Last year, my ducky came in dead last. Caught in the whirlpool and impaled on a stick, my duck had to be fished out and gracefully tossed across the finish line.
This year, I came to win.
Everyone gathered at the edges of the brook, standing on rocks and leaning against trees as Lisa prepared to let loose the ducks.
"Ready?" she shouted from the base of the little waterfall.
She was met with a resounding, "Ready!!"
The younger kids ran along the side of the brook as they followed the ducks. Even the adults were grinning and cheering on their ducks.
"Come on whale! Come on," I yelled.
The whirlpool sucked a few ducks in. Floating sticks deterred the paths of others. Some ducks collided and twirled as they fell back from first place.
And our little mutant duck?
My family. By blood or by marriage, by sheer and beautiful luck.
United by ducks.
Comments
That looks so fun, love the picture they're cute. there is a park not far from my house that has an annual rubber duck race for charity a different one each year. you win a price too.
i went once it's kinda fun and my duck came 2nd!!!!
c ya
Posted by: vicki | May 31, 2006 03:11 AM
What a neat tradition. And congrats on the big win!!
Posted by: Shannon | May 31, 2006 07:06 AM
excellent! I always wanted to do a duck race at camp - I even tossed a duck onto the pond to see how long it would take for it to move to the edge (answer: wayyy toooo long). Congrats on a whale of a race :)
Posted by: Kassie | May 31, 2006 07:22 AM
I'm thinkin' this duck-race phenomenon could really catch on. And being from a large family myself (one of seven kids), I just KNOW we'd all groove on this kind of thing.
Hmmm... maybe the next family gathering...
And hey, congratulations on the win and having all that fun!
Posted by: Sandra Miller | May 31, 2006 09:44 AM
Sweet...the whale wins the duck races!!! Hope he is sitting on your shelf ready for next year's race...you will need to go for two in a row!!
Posted by: Batman | May 31, 2006 09:44 AM
What a whale of a tale.
I'm thrilled it all went so swimmingly for you and that last year's loss was like water off a duck's back.
yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm going, don't push.
Posted by: julia | May 31, 2006 12:13 PM
It sounds like the whole family had a great time! I probably would have picked the orange whale too- probably because they are my favorite animals. Good to see that the whale beat all those ducks at their own game!
Posted by: Elizabeth Zabell | May 31, 2006 12:28 PM
Funny!
You should have taken a magic marker (or some white out) and put a big "33" on the sides of your "duck".
Sounds like a very fun tradition.
Posted by: Scott K. Johnson | May 31, 2006 01:49 PM
Congrats on the big win. But, was it really fair? I mean a whale versus a duck? Come on :-)
Posted by: Penny | May 31, 2006 08:40 PM
I think the whale cheated!
Posted by: JulieShroo | June 1, 2006 02:40 PM
that's pretty cute, the "Ugly Duckling" comes out first after all!
(not you,Kerry-the whale)
Posted by: type1emt | June 1, 2006 05:21 PM
Sorry-feel free to delete the repetitious comments.
Posted by: type1emt | June 1, 2006 05:24 PM
The whale is a bit of a cheater. He was considerably more aerodynamic than the bulkie ducks. I concur, LeeAnn. You guys can have the whale next year. :)
Kassie - CBC should start a duck race. The pond would serve just fine for that.
I would heartily endorse the implementation of Duck Races at family gatherings of all times.
If there is no brook, a kitchen sink with the drain open makes for an interesting whirlpool race.
Posted by: Kerri. | June 2, 2006 12:36 AM
you should enter the annual duck race on the Willamette River
Posted by: matt | April 22, 2007 04:32 PM