The Mayflower Gang

Hello my friends. It's Darcy here in a somewhat reminiscent mood.

I'd had a phone call from Wade Waters. He reminded me that it was May and that it was probably time we fulfilled our promise to an old childhood chum, especially as we'd missed a couple of years. I agreed, saying I'd contact my pal Spencer Maces and we'd arrange a time to meet up in our special place.

So it was that Wade, Spencer and I met up at Laburnum Grove. We had timed it perfectly as the brilliant yellow flowers of the trees were at their most profuse. They always are in the first month of May.

"Still looks excellent," said Spencer. "Jerky would be happy."

"Aye," said Wade. "Shall we sing our song?"

"In a bit," I said. "Wouldn't it be better to do it on the site of our old den?"

Spencer nodded. "That would be more appropriate."

 

Appropriate because it was the meeting place of the Mayflower Gang.

o 0 O 0 o

Yes, I was a member of a gang. There were four of us: Wade, Spencer and I you have already met but the fourth was Jericho Flora. If you're wondering how that gathering came to be, I suspect part of the reason was that we were home-schooled and had apprenticeships with our own families. I spent a lot of time learning the family business at the Mellowdene Examiner and the others had similar stories. Clearly we needed further connections with kids our own age. 

Wade and I were already friends as our parents used to socialise. Spencer and Jericho were neighbours and had decided to pair up for the purpose of fun and games. They were originally unsure what to call their partnership, calling it the Maces-Flora Gang, but this mutated to Mayflower when we were given the opportunity to join them.

This appealed to my sense of adventure as it was a secret gang. The change of the gang's name was part of this. How can it be secret it comprises two of the members' surnames? It's odd we did not think we risked that secrecy by meeting in a place where the flowers were at their most splendid in May. Not as blatant, I suppose. 

We continued to strive for anonymity by giving ourselves secret names; in retrospect they were not that obscure but in our young minds they gave us an identity. Spencer Maces was Messy, Jericho Flora was Jerky, Wade Waters was Wonky (he refused Warty) and I was Dorky.

We worked on coded signals. We experimented with citrus-based invisible ink. However, our initial project was to build our secret den within Laburnum Grove. 

I had better tell you about Laburnum Grove. It is situated where Laburnum Road meets Briony Lane. At that time both Jericho's and Spencer's family lived on Laburnum Road and Wade lived on Waterfront Road close to the other end of Laburnum Road. They didn't have far to go, and to be fair, I was only a few streets away. I wonder now, was our den that secret? I suspect our parents were happy to give us the illusion of our independence.

The den was between a dense growth of evergreen shrubs. Growth in the area between the shrubs was restricted by a rocky slab so we were able to push back the encroaching ground cover to give us a solid floor. Spencer's family were co-owners of the Applewood Department Store and he was able to retrieve some broken wooden palettes destined for recycling. We recycled them to create a solid structure for the walls and the roof of our den. 

 

 

Jericho claimed the remnants of some rolls of waterproof fabric left from his family garden. Once this material closely enclosed the den structure, we bent supple branches overhead and weaved them together. Into this we inserted divots of grass and moss, encouraging other plants to root within. It took a few months to get it into shape and we kept it maintained long afterwards. It was our place. 

Of course, there came a time after all this careful preparation when needed to discuss what the Mayflower Gang should actually do. Secret codes and invisible ink were all well and good but we needed a project in order to use those skills.

"You've got the intelligence network, Dorky," said Spencer. "Your dad's newspaper must have the scoop on all sorts of stuff."

"What are you thinking, Messy?" said Wade.

"There's bound to be stuff in there from the Sheriff's Department," said Spencer, "asking for the public's help. I'm guessing not all of that info goes into the printed newspaper, with editing and all that. If we've got the full info, couldn't we help investigate things?" 

"Wouldn't Sheriff Huckleberry think we're in the way?" said Wade.

"Good point, Wonky, but we'd do it secretly," said Jericho, "and when we solve whatever it is, the Sheriff shouldn't have any complaints. What about it, Dorky?"  

  

"Well...," I said, "I'm working jn the newspaper archives area. Some of that includes filing correspondence. It might not relate to the latest events."  

"So we look at cold cases," nodded Jericho. "You'll have the council press releases too. Could be useful."

"I won't be able to take anything out of the building, Jerky." 

"You won't need to. When it's clear you can let us in."

It didn't sound the best plan to me; discovery was always at the back of my mind. It didn't happen though. We found four reports that interested us and that led us to mount surveillance operations. It shouldn't surprise you that nothing came of it, although we were able to use our coded communications.

It was a year or so later when we received an urgent summons from Jericho.

o 0 O 0 o

"It's my parents," said the lop-eared rabbit. "Their fancy flower fiddling has got out of hand."

I should explain. The Flora family are totally enamoured with flowers and plants of all descriptions. Jericho is not. His passion is reserved for wild flowers. The centre of Laburnum Grove is a haven for a wide variety and I'd often seen our rabbit chum sitting and gazing at those flowers with a happy smile on his face.

His parents were dedicated to creating new varieties of flowers by selective fertilisation. They had a small laboratory at the back of their house to assist with their experiments but there would be a time when they'd want to plant their creations out in the open.

"They want to plant a garden of the stripy tulips they've been working on."

"It's too late for tulips, isn't it?" said Wade. "Aren't they more March or April?"

"Ordinarily, Wonky," Jericho sighed, "except these are late bloomers. Slap in the middle of May. And one of the sites that could be affected is Laburnum Grove. All our wildflowers will be taken out."

"That's terrible," said Spencer. 

"You said one of the sites..." I began.

"What can we do to help?" said Wade.

"I was hoping you'd say that," said Jericho. "I have a proposed mission for the Mayflower Gang."  

o 0 O 0 o

"There was a choice of three sites to develop for a special tulip field, each agreed by the council," Jericho explained. "Laburnum Grove, a plot near Hop Lane accessible from Cloudberry Road, and one running alongside Goldenrod Lane. My mum and dad checked them out, leaving Laburnum Grove to last. I went with them and couldn't believe they were considering our place." 

"Did you say anything?" said Spencer.

"About the den? No, but I did say there were wild flowers that it would be a crime to remove."

"And?"

"They said they'd think about it. I had the feeling they'd already decided. The Hop Lane site has a lot of small stones and rocks to move so they mainly compared the other two. They was little to distinguish between them, but Laburnum Grove was nearer to them."

"So they eventually told you that they'd chosen that."

"No. I found the paperwork. They are engaging some contractors to prepare the site when we're away to visit my uncle out of town. I wonder if it is so that I'm not upset about losing the Grove."

"Considerate or sneaky?" said Wade.

"Could be either," Jericho acknowledged, "if they think I might protest." 

"What will the preparation involve?" I asked.

"Most of the work," said Jericho. "Clear the land, set up the planting areas with the predetermined soil with accessible walkways."

"What about the planting?" asked Wade.

"That too. The contractors include two critters from the Sylvanian Horticultural Institute. The bulbs will be planted according to the plans."

"Are you saying everything will be completed by the time you're back? That it would be too late to change anything?" said Spencer.

"Yes," grinned Jericho, "and that's how our mission could work."

 

o 0 O 0 o

The plan was audacious. It emerged the paperwork had still to be sent to the contractors and they would be posted as the Flora family left the village. Jericho had borrowed the pages that specified how Laburnum Grove would be processed. We had to work quickly. 

As I had experience in manual printing at the Mellowdene Examiner, I would produce custom forms according to Jericho's specification. He had created diagrams of the Goldenrod Lane site and typed out instructions for that particular piece of land. 

 

 

These would act as substitutions for the pages mentioning Laburnum Grove. The general papers, including those bearing the signatures of his parents, would be copied using the Examiner's duplication facilities - with the signatures blanked out. These would replace the signed pages in the original contract. If Jericho's parents should notice the missing signatures they might be momentarily confused but it would be simple for them to sign them again. We were hoping, should that happen, it would be attributed to an oversight on their part. After all, the contract was otherwise unchanged.

The revised contract for the Goldenrod Lane site would include the pages with the original signatures and these wouid be placed into an identical envelope and a switch would be made before it could be posted.

After the Flora family had left, the remaining members of the Mayflower Gang would go into action. Messy, Wonky and Dorky would relocate the signs created for the benefit of the contractors.

And did this work?

o 0 O 0 o

It certainly did. The contractors had finished setting up the tulip field before Jericho and his family returned.

There were some intense discussions!

And yet, being Sylvanians, the discussions were positive. Jericho's parents had not appreciated the strength of feeling about preserving the wild flowers. The Goldenrod Lane Tulip Field presented an amazing display of hybrid striped tulips in May, and it even transpired the site was a better one as it allowed for expansion.

A couple of years later, Jericho's parents became employed by the Sylvanian Horticultural Institute and moved away. However, Mellowdene wouldn’t long be without representatives of the Flora family as his cousin's family would take up residence on Cherry Blossom Avenue.

 

Spencer and Wade didn't face any consequences, so at least some of the Mayflower Gang members maintained an air of secrecy.

Having used some of the newspaper's resources I did face some consequences. My reasons were understood but the consensus was that I had been left to my own resources too much. 

"It's about time he mixed with others anyway," said my mother.

I suspect my father was secretly proud of my independence but he agreed. "And I know how we could fix that," he said. "It's about time he had some academic studies to supplement his apprenticeship here. Time he was enrolled in school."

 

And the rest is history.

o 0 O 0 o

"Messy, Jerky, Wonky, Dorky

Thinkie first before you talkie,

Faithful duty do not shirkie,

Wonky, Dorky, Messy, Jerky"

The Consequence of April Showers on the Duck Pond

Apriĺ in Mellowdene is an interesting month when it comes to weather. Primrose Evergreen's extensive meteorological records prove it. Every year about this time we have ten days of light showers. Not continually - alternating between an hour or so of rainfall and a couple of hours without - but every day in that ten day window will be affected. Such a high degree of predictability might be considered unusual although established villagers are used to it. It proves convenient when planning the dates for our Melting festival. With outdoor celebrations we must avoid exposing musical instruments to the elements. Also it's not a good idea to have excitable children on a chocolate bunny hunt running about, slipping on the wet grass.

With all the weird stuff I've learned regarding the so-called wild energies both beneath the nearby mountains and at the other end of the county in Tall Tree Forest, I wouldn't be surprised if the uncanny predictability of our April showers was yet another aspect of this Sylvanian anomaly. But that idea has only just òccurred to me - and it forms no part of this tale.

 

The showers tend to be quite pleasant - not too cold, light enough not to soak one through, and as I said, not overly long lasting before it pauses. Refreshing at times. I know Denzel has welcomed the odd shower when he's been doing some hot work, hard landscaping. Most crittizens incorporate the showers into their daily routine. An excuse to visit a neighbour or a shop if the rain starts to fall.

Some families enjoy an excuse to get damp - those with an affinity for water. There are a number who live on Mallard Road, close to the Duck Pond. The capital letters are there for a reason - the first villagers to have houses nearby were ducks. As simple as that! Anyway, the name stuck.

This tale involves both April showers and the Duck Pond. It was told to me by our good friend and Cecile's cousin, Coltsfoot Ivory, about this time last year.

 

o 0 O 0 o

I was chatting with our deputy mayor, Bill Waddlington. We had met up soon after the success of the plan we had hatched alongside Cecile. In case you don't recall, we had managed to manipulate my cousin Rowan into resuming his career as an (incredibly talented) architect after his years of drifting. (*See note)

"You did a good job, Bill, preying upon his community spirit. He can't abide injustice so I was confident he'd take action to avoid it. Playing the bad guy can't have been easy for you."

"Thanks, Colt. But don't worry; it was actually fun, using my acting skills from my college days. As for Rowan, I can live with him being a little wary of me for a while. In any case, that's not why I asked to see you. I have a more pressing worry and I'd welcome your advice. It concerns the Duck Pond."

As Bill explained, I could understand the reason for his concern. The level of the Duck Pond was increasing, and with the April showers there was a growing risk that the waters could overflow and reach the nearby houses. This shouldn't be happening. Let me first explain something about water in Mellowdene.

 

Even in the early days when the first houses were being built in Mellowdene, drainage was a consideration. Draining gullies were provided and these eventually became pipes that would channel excess water either into storage containers or into the river. Much later, as the village expanded further from the river, a reservoir was constructed to store water for our use. It was linked into the subterranean river network (boosted by Sweetwater Lake) that also supplies Vandyke's Waterworks, the numerous springs that irrigate our county... and the Duck Pond. 

 

The reservoir is a masterpiece of engineering - hence my interest - and it has a series of immense underwater valves that regulate the amount of water available. Stone slabs, precisely balanced, respond to water pressure, determining how much water is admitted/released from that branch of the underground river. As an engineer myself, I was fascinated by the clever design. The Silverfur beaver family are responsible for the reliability of its water management and I have had some wonderful conversations with them. They showed me the original design documents. Fascinating. Well, for me they are.

 

Because of my interest, I had learned something relevant within those old documents. The reservoir design was inspired by the Duck Pond. I mentioned this to Bill.

"I'm wondering if the natural flow out of the Duck Pond into the underground river has been compromised. Blocked, maybe."

 

"How would we check that out?" said Bill.

 

"We'd need to find the outflow channels, check them for damage and fix them if we can."

"And if we can't?"

"Remove the 'valve' - or its natural equivalent - entirely. It would mean the Duck Pond would settle at a much lower level. It would be barely a pond at all. It would prevent any flooding, though."

"Oh," said Bill. "I'd have to discuss it with the Mallard Road residents, but if flooding is the alternative, we'll have to get things moving. I can get the admin sorted with Ramsey and the rest of the council, preempting any action, but I suggest we begin the investigations before the April showers make things worse. Could I prevail upon you to get things going?"

He could - and I did. 

 

o 0 O 0 o

One of the residents was Maurice Floater and he had volunteered to swim down and have a look. He was accompanied by Miller Silverfur who had brought along his waterproof camera. 

 

When they emerged from the Duck Pond I was waiting to hear their report.

"You're right," said Miller, accepting towels from his son. "In one place the stone slab has worn and cracked. It has shifted so that the action of the murkweed has become irrelevant. It's a major outlet and I'd estimate that the water flow has reduced by around 80%. With the April showers, the Duck Pond will continue to rise. It might be okay this year but some action needs to be taken soon."

Maurice looked confused. "What's the murkweed got to do with it?"

Miller gestured for me to explain whilst he began to get dressed..

"It's like the reservoir, Maurice. The deeper the pond, the greater the water pressure, and there are some slabs of stone that tilt to allow the water to drain back into the underground river network. However, whereas the mechanism for the reservoir works through precision engineering overseen by Miller's family, the Duck Pond mechanism is totally natural. Growth of murkweed does the job.

"When the water level is too low, the murkweed gets more light and that encourages its growth. It pushes back on the stone slabs and counteracts the water pressure. Less water drains away and the Duck Pond rises. And it works in reverse. Higher water level - less light to the murkweed - the plant isn't as effective resisting the water pressure on the slab - more water drains away. The photo-reactive attribute of the murkweed makes it an efficient regulator."

Maurice nodded. "I see. And now the slab has cracked..."

 

"...it has wedged at an angle so that the water pressure cannot tilt it," said Miller. 

"What can be done?"

"Well, I'll develop the photos I've taken so that Colt can see, but I think the damage is to the extent that it can't be repaired. A new slab might be needed."

"You've seen it, Miller," I said. "I'll look at your photos but I'll bow to your experience. I'll have a word with Forest Evergreen. Warn him so that he can find some suitable stone to use."

 

Whereas Forest's mother was from a family involved in meteorology, his father was from a long line of stone masons. Forest continued the family business.

 

"You'll need a sample of the existing stone," said Miller, "and the dimensions."

Maurice was watching us with concern. "If the broken slab does need replacing, what happens to the Duck Pond during the work?"

 

"It might be worth informing the Mallard Road residents all together," I said. "I'll get Bill Waddlington to organise that. But I expect you'll see the Duck Pond level become very low once the broken slab is removed."

 

Maurice looked crestfallen. "So if we want to swim..."

 

"I'd take advantage of the current depth while it lasts," said Miller. "The April showers will give you that in the short term."

 

o 0 O 0 o

The stone did need replacing. For the few days that the outlet was fully open, the Duck Pond became very shallow and the murkweed grew significantly. Some of the plant broke the surface but the April showers kept it damp. Forest Evergreen produced a sturdy replacement slab to our specifications and many of the Mallard Road residents assisted in putting it into the correct place. 

I had suggested that an artificial mechanism was added to the slab as a failsafe. A simple one whereby a ratchet could be engaged and a group of residents could manually angle the slab as required. The murkweed would need a short time to recover before it could continue its job.

o 0 O 0 o

Coltsfoot Ivory's intervention was well timed. A possible flood was averted as he calculated the April Showers would have caused the Duck Pond to overflow. This year, Colt, Miller Silverfur and the Mallard Road residents are watching the Duck Pond carefully but reports thus far indicate the murkweed has resumed the task it had performed for hundreds of years. No manual effort was required. That said, Colt has recommended that the failsafe is tested every few months. That comes as no surprise to me. He has pride in his work.

 

o 0 O 0 o

Note: See "The Future of Cherry Blossom Park" posted March / April 2025.