Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are back on the trail. They arrive in late February or early March every year when the water level is high, swimming in the small ponds at the sides of the hiking/biking/walking trail that winds through the city. In May, they disappear to who knows where.

Maybe a quieter place to tend to their ducklings. Homes surround the part of the trail they claim, and it's clogged with bicycles, runners, and dog walkers. A bridge near the east end bustles with cars daily.

Most everyone on the trail is in a hurry. Bicyclists whiz along at high speed. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are never in a hurry.

The meeting of unhurried ducks and charging humans results in a "duck jam or quacking congestion." Whether dogs are walking too close or it's time to swim in the pond on...

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