Go, you chicken fat, go away!

This morning was an interesting run.  We got some summer monsoon last night.  There was water in the Floodway.  When I got to it, I heard a clear sharp noise.  I honestly thought it was my wife calling my name.  I hope she doesn't read this.  I stopped and looked around but couldn't see anyone.  I heard it again, but since I was stopped I was able to distinguish that it sounded more like a duck.  Now, I don't speak duck, but it sounded like it was saying, "Somebody help my babies!"  Since I have saved baby ducks before, I knew I was the man for the job.  It sounded like it was coming from the Floodway as I kept hearing the quack over and over.  Like every 7 seconds.  I couldn't see it.  I wondered if it was coming from the culverts.  I didn't want to get my shoes/feet wet, but I decided I had to.  I couldn't let the baby ducks die.  When I got in the water, I couldn't hear it anymore.  I waded away looking in each culvert box.  Nothing.  Maybe I scared it and it flew out the other side.  I decided to enter one of the boxes.  It's about 7' tall and maybe 6' wide.  There's an 18" pipe that discharges through the sidewall.  I turned my flashlight and looked in.  Just cobwebs.  Well, maybe it wasn't a mother duck in distress.  Maybe it was a daddy duck in heat.  I decided to get out of there before I became the object of some lecherous duck's affection.

After about a mile it started to sprinkle.  It sprinkled the rest of the way.  I stopped to take a picture of the Canal.  That was the second time I stopped.  I think I stopped about 5 times.  Actually it was 7 times.  I just counted.  The third and fifth time was trying to cross University.  Lots of traffic.  After crossing University and heading towards Main St. I heard the duck sound again.  So I stopped and creeped up to the edge of the Floodway.  I couldn't see any ducks.  I could hear at least three quack noises, but no ducks.  I should be able to see ducks!  They're fairly large creatures!  Then it started to remind me of the noise I heard the time I did the Rangnar Chase the Moon.  I posted it on Facebook and somebody told me it was frogs.  I recorded it again, and now I'm convinced that it was frogs.  So I guess my wife sounds like a frog.

Anyway I continued running, stopped to cross University again and stopped shortly after that because I actually did see some ducks.  I wanted to take a picture, but my phone and finger was too wet, so it wouldn't unlock.  I started running again and was looking for the hobo.  I thought I could see a tent set up from a distance.  The closer I got, I could see something laying on the side of the Floodway path.  Was it the hobo?  Why wasn't he in the tent?  Was it really a tent?  Nope, it was something haning in a tree.  And it was the hobo laying down underneath another tree on the pavement.  Was he dead?  How did he survive the night without a tent.  No.  He's moving.  I got to him and he asked if I knew what time it was.  7th stop.  I pulled my phone out and told him it was 7:15am; meaning it was exactly 25 hours since I told him what time it was yesterday.  I then asked him where his tent was.   He said, "Oh, I don't have one."  I said, "I thought you did."  He said, "No.  What're you gonna do?"  I said, "How was it last night?  Did it rain all night?"  He said, "Yeah.  I was about as wet as you are."  I was soaked.  He looked real dejected.  We told each other to have a nice day and I finished up my run.