It was a beautiful summer- gorgeous weather, a fantastic Fourth of July Parade, lots of wonderful Town Park activities to enjoy with visitors from afar, friends from down the street and even Ms. Phyllis!.. But now we move on to Fall! Madame is very much looking forward to this year's Jazz Festival at the Town of Duck Park. Join moi on the Green Sunday, October 12, 2008. The music kicks off at 11 am and won't stop until dusk! The line-up includes Gerald Veasley, The Fuzz Band, Jackie Scott & The Housewreckers, Connected and the First Flight Jazzhawks. The Festival is held rain or shine and don't forget blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets! The popular- and free- Tai Chi classes held at the Park at 7:30 am, Tuesday mornings, will continue through October so it is still not too late to take advantage of this offering!   Madame and her children have a new addiction to confess.. Baldie's Burgers & Ice Cream has been an all too frequent stop for us this summer. Ooo la la, the burgers (try Madame's favorite with lettuce, pickle and mayo), the hand cut French fries, their number is programmed into moi's cell phone! (Baldie's is located in downtown Duck next to Wee Winks and across from Kitty Hawk Kites. True blue take-out but they do have a few picnic tables.) A memorable dinner was also had this summer at Red Sky Café, just across from the Park. Madame is still dreaming about the Escargot Florentine and highly recommends pretty much everything else on the menu. Monsieur Wes and Madame Cindy continue to maintain high standards of quality and service that result in a delightful epicurean experience.

Madame spent more than a few hours this summer beside the pool at Duck Woods Country Club. Duck Woods is the only 'true' Country Club on the Outer Banks with golf, tennis, pool, fitness and dining amenities for members to partake of. Mssr Patrick O'Keefe is doing a wonderful job as General Manager and is more than happy to talk with any prospective new members and offers a personal tour of the Club. (Need moi mention there is a non-resident membership category?)  

Felicitations to Jared Smith. Mssr Smith is the new Captain at the Duck Volunteer Fire Department which, while manned primarily by volunteers, is busy enough to now have three paid officers- Chief Donna Black, Assistant Chief Bill Walker and now Captain Jared. It has been a busy summer for the DVFD so please, please- if you see flashing red lights coming up behind you with or without a siren- please move to the side of the road and let these wonderful people get to where their help is needed!  

Madame is very concerned about the residents and visitors of Duck who are feeding our local wild animals particularly foxes. It appears that our fox population in some neighborhoods has become so accustomed to daily handouts of cat food- and even McDonald's hamburgers!- that they have lost their natural fear of humans and have become downright nuisances. Their numbers are evidence that the population is thriving and this human interaction is unnatural and dangerous. Please do not feed wild animals! The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has this to say about the matter on their website 'If you are feeding wildlife, you should stop.' Any questions?  

Have a delightful Fall! I'll be back in November to share with you Madame du Canard's 2008 Magnifique Must-Have Holiday Gift Giving Guide. Au revoir- or until we meet again! At the Jazz Festival!