Act Two… Cut.
Pictured: Ian McNair, who carved and painted all the decoys
Saturday November 29, 2025
7:11 AM
Coffee in hand, I walked around the corner of the pump house. The frost was heavy; the switchgrass cracked under my boots.
A week ago we were hammering the calls, watching teal cut acrobatics across the marsh. Now the place is quiet. Only the wood ducks break the stillness. I stop moving—the noise underfoot isn’t helping—and listen. They’re still here. After all our racket in the blind—calling, talking, shooting, missing, laughing—they’re still here. The teal peep their Morse-code rhythm, and a wood duck lets out its sharp screech. Peace.
The second act—the split of the waterfowl season—is finished on the Shore. I’m grateful for every fellow actor who came to make the show meaningful.
We had a blast—laughing, telling lies, sharing old stories, and offering each other counsel on life and work. Much is discussed, solved, or at least earnestly contemplated in a duck blind. This second act was no exception. We had good days and slow days, and it never mattered. We all knew our lines, and we played our parts with conviction.
We were simply glad to be there. Glad to take the stage. Act Two is finished. Onward.
As the fowl move through the Chesapeake, Act Three awaits.
To all my fellow actors out there—prepare your lines.
Act Two is complete. Cut.
