What the duck is going on! I returned from my two-week holiday and found this little guy hiding in my chest of drawers. This new member of the duck family suddenly showed up and I was perplexed about how this happened. After a short scan of my memory bank and coming up empty, I knew that something was up!

As most of you are aware, I have written several duck stories in the past. For those of you who are not aware, the tales of the duck are steep in history! My friend Kirk and I have a friendly match-play competition most of the times we visit each other. The loser of the competition must keep the duck (in picture below) safe and carry it periodically while playing a round or two until we have a chance to play again.

The rules are straight forward. I have to give Kirk strokes because of the difference in our handicaps. Half of the fun of the competition is the discussion / negotiation of how many stokes aside I have to give Kirk! But, that is a tale for another day. If we are still tied after 18 holes, we count the strokes (he receives a total of the negotiated strokes towards his score) to break the tie. I won for the first time in 4 tries in the spring and right now, the duck is in Europe safe and sound!

Back to new duck. I knew something was up because my friend Kirk or his son Brandon (who as an original member of the competition) had not visited in some time. So, someone different was getting involved in the duck saga. The first person I asked was my darling wife and she kept a good poker face and denied knowing anything. Still wondering, I started to think of who had been in our house recently!

Well, it did not take me long to realize that the pranksters were our friends, Kathleen and Michael, who visited us from Europe! Actually, I think that Michael was an unsuspecting accomplice in this entire ordeal, but he and I will discuss that over a libation or two in the future. Through my superior powers of deductive reasoning, I concluded that Kathleen, who is a fair golfer in her own right, had to be the culprit! She had the opportunity and devious mind to think of how to get involved! So, back to my wife I went!

With a big smile and chuckle, she came clean and told me the whole story. Sometime during their visit, Kathleen told Teri that she wanted in on the duck challenge! She asked if she could get involved and Teri immediately said that it was all good. With a smile, Kathleen fired the first shot and now she has started the second chapter of the duck saga.

Little does Kathleen know, that she has opened the door for retaliation. She will not know when or how I will be planting a duck or two around her house, but it will happen. Additionally, she has to challenge me to our first match-play competition. I do not expect that to happen anytime soon (as she is likely shaking in her boots), but it will happen.

Well Kathleen, you are in it now. All joking aside, thanks for the laugh and welcome to the duck saga!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!