A short story for your Friday, with gifs.

Guess Who just stopped traffic on a busy highway so she could help a mamma duck and her babies get across?

I’m driving north on Hwy 100 (for the locals, at the intersection of Hwy 100 and National/Cleveland Avenues). It’s very busy on a good day. Extremely busy the Friday before a holiday weekend.

I see Momma Duck and 8 little babies in the parking lot of a pizza place.

She’s gonna cross the street. With the babies. Not a doubt in my mind. This is bad. Tons of traffic and a speed limit of 40mph (which means cars are cruising at 50+ mph)

So I stop my car. Put on my flashers. I don’t even think. I just hop out and stop traffic.

And. It. Stops.

Okay. So now Momma needs to follow me. I tried to herd them back from whence they came and she was having none of it.

So across six lanes of traffic I’m leading this duck and her babies. While cars are backed up for blocks.

We get to the median. Halfway there.

There’s traffic stopped at the light in the southbound lanes. No cars are coming.

I get them halfway across that road then some young punks decide they’re not stopping. For me or the ducks. So I get between the ducks and the car. Yeah, stupid. But they did go around.

There were a few choice words. And hand gestures.

We get across the street, to the parking lot of a strip mall. Behind said strip mall is a residential area and, more importantly, no more roads.

The babies were so tiny they could barely hop the curb.

They disappeared into the bushes. Godspeed, Momma.

I play Frogger getting back to my van.

Where I realized I’d left my keys and my phone (so no video, sorry).

But I get in and a guy stops and gives me a thumbs up.

And another woman thanks me for being a “decent human being.” (She missed me flipping off the jerks, apparently).

And now I’m gonna go home and even though I’m not supposed to drink for another two weeks, I’m having a glass of wine.

My mom thinks I’m nuts. And she’s not exactly wrong.

And I hope no one filmed cause I’m wearing my chore clothes and I’m dirty and sweaty.