Published on Friday, August 25, 2006
in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Not the usual traffic report

Wednesday evening, at about 6:15 p.m., my wife and I were driving north on U.S. 41. Suddenly, about 3 miles south of the Jacaranda Boulevard intersection, a state trooper pulled out of the median into our lane, turned on the emergency lights and positioned his car to block traffic. We were puzzled, because we couldn't see any accident or other problem.

When we slowed and got up to the Florida Highway Patrol vehicle, we saw what was happening. A family of ducks -- mother, father and eight little ducklings -- was blissfully waddling, single file, across the highway. As soon as they cleared the pavement, the officer got back into the car, drove a few yards down the road, crossed the median and set up another roadblock in the southbound lane until the duck family could make it across the road and into the safety of the grass on the west side.

Not much of a story, I guess, but with all the gloom and doom in today's news, this simple act of kindness surely brought joy to us. The officer certainly earned our admiration.

Grant L. Beardsley

Placida