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.

The Future of Cherry Blossom Park (Part 2)

"I'd like to take action based upon the findings of the Housing Survey," said Bill Waddlington, deputy mayor of Mellowdene. "We want more houses in the village itself rather than expanding at the edges. The vast majority opted for homes like those in Cherry Blossom Avenue. They liked the style and everything those fine homes provided."

"I see," said Ben. "Rowan Ivory was the architect and I have to say that his plans were particularly clever transforming what was a difficult landscape into the Avenue. It's true that the houses have been very much admired."

"Yes. And that's why we'd like to extend the avenue."

Ben frowned. "Extend it? There isn't room to do that."

"I have every confidence you'll find a way."

"There are currently twenty houses. Even one extra house would block the road at the river side."

"Couldn't you bend it back on itself? There's some land there, I believe."

"The rock gardens? All those varieties of heather?" Ben stared at the deputy mayor. "Even if we were prepared to destroy that, we'd need to demolish number nineteen to properly extend the avenue back on itself. And they wouldn't have Cherry Blossom Avenue addresses as the new homes would be adjacent to Stonecrop Lane."

"Hmm. Good point. It would be better to extend the Avenue at the other end."

"Cherry Blossom Park? We couldn't do that."

"Of course you could. We have some excellent landscape gardeners in the village. The Park could be relocated. The new houses could replace the old Park site. We might need to renumber the existing house addresses..."

Ben shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mister Deputy Mayor, but that isn't the kind of work that Henry-Lloyd Construction does."

Bill Waddlington raised his brow, fidgeted with his medallion of office and paused to think. "That's disappointing. We wanted the same care of design. That was paramount. I didn't want to approach companies outside Mellowdene. They might be able to copy the style but it wouldn't be what we want."

"Cherry Blossom Park is too important. It is an oasis for meditation. No matter who you contracted to do the work I don't believe Mellowdenians would agree to its destruction."

"Movement, not destruction."

"It amounts to the same thing. We couldn't be part of that."

"Well, I'd like you to go away and reconsider. Failing that, come up with an alternative for houses as beautiful as those on Cherry Blossom Avenue."

o 0 O 0 o

"And that was the end of the meeting," said Ben. "I discussed all this with my father and with Hector Corntop and the consensus was we needed someone with the inspiration of Rowan Ivory. The concept of using the rough land alongside The Wedge, adapting the houses accordingly, was all your brother's idea, Cecile. We need another good idea."

I couldn't keep silent. "I can't believe Bill Waddlington would even consider threatening Cherry Blossom Park. Or the Rock Garden, come to think of it. And the Park is used for so many who go there to enjoy the silence and think of those who have passed."

"I know," said Ben. "As a mayor, Ramsey Nettlefield does a good job for Mellowdene despite his minor faults. We tolerate his over ambitious schemes because we know they rarely get anywhere - but he would never..." He gave a long sigh. "The funny thing is I considered Bill Waddlington to be an efficient chap and a great addition to the council. He has proved to be a benefit to the village's administration -  but I didn't think that efficiency would make him so cold and dismissive."

The door opened and in came Rowan, Hector Corntop in his wake.

"Eliza let us in. Hector's been telling me about that numpty, Bill Waddlington."

o 0 O 0 o

The discussion was quite intense. I could tell Rowan was annoyed by the way he was walking about during the chat. Everyone agreed that Cherry Blossom Park must remain untouched. No one liked the idea of touching the Rock Garden either.

"What about continuing Cherry Blossom Avenue at the other side of the park?" suggested Hector. "Call it Cherry Blossom Close or something like that?"

"It would mean getting the allotment holders to move," said Ben.

"If the Park was relocated, you'd have the same issue," said Rowan, "unless there were four, or at most six new houses. How many homes did Waddlington want?"

"He didn't get far enough to tell me. Our meeting went downhill as soon as Cherry Blossom Park became an issue."

Cecile stood. "Wait a minute. Did Bill definitely say he was fixed upon extending Cherry Blossom Avenue, or did he just want something to the same quality?"

Ben considered. "He started by saying he wanted to extend the avenue, but when I left he said 'houses as beautiful as' the avenue."

"Perhaps we could push the latter," said Cecile.

"He'd want something in the village rather than at the outskirts," said Ben, "so we'd need to find a suitable location. Any ideas, Hector?"

"Nothing obvious," said Hector Corntop who then turned to Rowan. "How about you, Rowan? Can you think of anywhere where your design skills would fit?"

"Me?" said Rowan. "I've not done any architectural design for years and you've been doing it all the time I've been away. These days you've got more experience than me."

"Not your flair though, mate. And you know as well as me that your tricksy mind lets you think laterally. It appears as though Bill Waddlington might be swayed by your design skills. Divert his attention from Cherry Tree Park."

"We'd be grateful," said Ben.

"It sounds as though the whole village would be grateful," I added.

"Well..." Rowan regarded both of his former workmates in turn. "I could have a look."

o 0 O 0 o

The following day, Cecile was busy on the telephone so I left her to it and went to make a sandwich. She subsequently called me back into the room, a smile on her face.

"A couple of things. Firstly, Rowan has taken a job at Henry-Lloyd Construction. Temporary for now, but who knows? He's looking into finding somewhere for a dozen houses that he will design."

"That's good. Has Ben informed Bill Waddlington?"

"That's the second thing. You and I - plus a couple of others - have been invited to see Bill later today. We will find out what's happening about the whole Cherry Blossom Park thing."

o 0 O 0 o

When we arrived at Bill Waddlington's office, Ben Henry-Lloyd was there but also - surprisingly - so was Cecile's cousin Coltsfoot Ivory. He and the deputy mayor were laughing and they stopped when we entered.

"Hi Cess," said Colt. "Good news, eh?"

He saw my confusion and added, "Rowan back working as an architect, Jack. Good news."

Bill Waddlington laughed. "The plan worked," he said, which confused me even more.

Ben explained. "I was in the dark too. It appears Cecile and Colt conspired with our deputy mayor to con Rowan to resume his calling as an architect."

Colt nodded. "I agreed with Cess that Rowan needed to do this. Flitting about with part time jobs could only last so long. He needs stability both for himself and his family. I've seen his work for the Henry-Lloyds and - with my engineer hat on - I can say his aptitude is tremendous. I can't abide waste."

"And we owed him a prank," said Cecile. "Incidental to the matter in hand, but we did."

Everything was beginning to make sense. Cecile had expressed her concerns about her brother's ephemeral employment. Was this all one big prank to help settle Rowan Ivory? I asked the deputy mayor.

"The Cherry Blossom Park thing?" said Bill. "Never going to happen. I was talking to my old friend Colt about the need for high quality housing and he told me about Rowan and how he had designed his house. How he had abandoned his job years ago and how he might need a push to get back. Colt brought in your good lady wife and we formulated a plan."

"Our meeting was apparently one big act," said Ben.

"It was fun pretending to be horrible," said Bill.

"I'm still not sure why I wasn't brought in on this," Ben mused.

"You had to be convincing in order to get Rowan all fired up," said Cecile. "I know my brother."

"And me, Cess?" I said. "Why didn't you let me know?"

"Ah, my love, I love seeing the sense of confusion on your darling face."

"At least you weren't called a numpty," said Bill.

I guess I will have to be content at that.

o 0 O 0 o