[MarketHunter]

This is one of those "you know you're from a small town when" stories:

Went duck hunting with a couple friends on Christmas Eve despite it being warmish and rainy. Just figured we'd might as well go and we did actually have some fair success. We hunted till about 10am and killed five mallards, a nice little holiday hunt even if we did get a little dampish.

I'd just pulled up into my folks driveway and was unloading my gear. The postman was driving up the other side of the street and must have noticed me getting out duck equipment. He pulled over and walked up into the yard, me thinking maybe he was delivering a last minute Christmas package or something. He kind of sheepishly asked if I'd been duck hunting, I was pulling out a sack of decoys at the time so it was fairly clear. I said yes, just went for a little while. His next question was had I done any good? I replied in the positive and showed the three big mallards I had inside the decoy sack. He then says kind of sheepishly: "Well Sir do you want all those ducks? I sure would like a couple to cook tomorrow. I've not been able to hunt much myself this season and would taste awful good for Christmas." I've got plenty in the freezer at home so happily handed all three over to him and wished him a Merry Christmas. He laid them in the back of the postal truck next to all the mail and drove off smiling.

Only in a small town would the postman stop and ask if you'd let him have some wild ducks to cook. It actually kind of made my day, seemed almost like the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting.

He was a young fella, called me Sir and was particularly respectful. I've got an idea he was a veteran, being so young, well spoken, and in a government job like that. I hope he was, that would make me feel even better about it.

Anyway, just thought you boys might get a kick out of that.

Merry Christmas!