Mallards. I think these are bibbed mallards (the two on the left) swimming with a regular mallard (on the right). This picnic was at Potawatamie Park in St. Charles, and we were sitting in the beautiful wood pavilion looking onto the Fox River. The whole time I was there, there was a threat of rain; the clouds were overhead, there was a wonderful breeze, the temperature was perfect, but it was humid and “close”.

There were several types of ducks swimming together, which I couldn’t identify.

I had no idea there were different types of mallards.

They were gathering underneath the pier for shelter, and would come out swimming in groups, stopping to preen like this one.

There were a number of young families there with children, and although there were signs that said don’t feed the birds, they did it, anyway.

So it was no wonder when I started to take pictures of them, they began to swim TOWARD me.

This little boy looked very much like his mother.

This little fellow was excited about getting a ride on a boat.

The beautiful pavilion has a tower that you can climb up into to take in the surrounding scenery from a bird’s eye view.

This little girl and her daddy must have been looking up at someone they knew, like mom and another sibling.

They were adorable.

This young man had his 6-week old son in a carrier, and was holding onto his son’s little foot.

This family stopped to have something to eat on the bridge. Either that, or the bread she’s handing her son is for the DUCKS.!!!

I thought this photo was particularly cute because the little boy seemed so excited over getting something to drink at the drinking fountain.

This couple was unusually dressed for the humidity and heat; and we speculated what was in the basket; probably a picnic lunch. The guy with the hat on reminded me of the actor Harry Anderson from the old TV Show, Night Court.

This is one of the piers - I think this the pier that people would use to board a ferry boat.

Behind the ferry you can see a peninsula where people were grilling and had pitched tents for camping.

Several boats were out; these guys were just hanging out drinking beer, but there were a few other boats that were devoted to guys with their sons, fishing.

There were boats that you could take a ride on, canoes that you could take out, paths that you could walk or ride a bike on, a place where you could get food and drink, and a number of other interesting things - like a miniature golf area - that I didn’t get pictures of, but it’s an absolutely stunning park area, and we had a lot of fun.

It’s the same area, by the way, where my mom had taken me to watch the Native American dancers that I mentioned here. St. Charles always has interesting things going on.

People showed up with their small children and babies, and at one point, two adults were holding two babies who were sitting opposite each other, looking into each other’s faces.

I just couldn’t get pictures of it all…but it was terrific.

So there ended the busy day, starting out with getting over to the Minuteman Protest, and ending with a wonderful time on the Fox River with my parents and the church group.

Even my 70-something year old mom’s 90-something-year-old harmonica teacher showed up; and played a rendition of “How Great Thou Art” on her harmonica.

What a trip it was!

I met the pastor, his wife and his family, and several other folks, but by this time I was getting tired from the air and heat and had pretty much stopped taking pictures. I showed up early, at about 1:00, and they didn’t really start gathering until after 3:00, and I left at about 4:00.