Over the last year, the entire hillside South-West of campus has been completely transformed. It began with the cobblestone path zigzagging the overgrown woods of the South-campus hill. The deep, muddy ravine that claimed dozens of tennis balls, flip-flops, and tennis-shoes weekly became a stone-lined stream with crystal water tumbling over sand-colored rocks and spilling out of boulders in artificial waterfalls. The overgrown underbrush was cleared and pruned. Stone tablets now mark the freshly-planted foliage. Iris cascade from the hillside, nodding their fragrant heads to passerby.
And finally, the duck pond. The dirt paths leading to the banks of the pond have been paved with dusty, burnt red cobblestones. Fresh, dark woodchips blanket tree beds, kissing the green grass in crisp, curved lines. And a new wooden dock frames the once unkempt dirt pond banks.
This Sunday afternoon, I watched as young families gathered on the wooden benches eating sandwiches or fried chicken. A larger group sang happy birthday to an elated young boy, then passed out ice creams to the energetic children. One boy pushed a stroller with a watermelon almost as large as he. The children knelt near the dock edge, gripping the wooden rim and leaning eagerly over as they pointed enthusiastically at the young ducklings swimming in that adorable quick-bobbing fashion.
A handsome mallard perched on a large rock in the water, lazily pruning his feathers. The rest of the ducks horded near the bank where three young boys were tossing bread crumbs. Two females, however, broke from the group when they eyed me sitting on the far bench. One cautiously hopped up on the dock. When my attention remained focused on my notebook, the duck began quacking insistently, waddling in my direction and eyeing me pointedly. Smiling, I promised her I’d bring bread crumbs next time I visited. So the young brown duck waddled to the grass to nibble clover heads, clearly disappointed.
This duck pond and the cobblestone path above it are by far my favorite places on BYU campus. Here are some great ways to spend time in this pleasant little area:
· Play Sequence® – my favorite card/board game – at one of the metal tables next to the stream and the hillside path.
· Picnic under a large tree in the green grass next to the pond.
· Read a novel in the summer shade.
· And of course, feed the ducks!
