My buddy Blue Duck and I went to the beach Friday night after work.

He and the other two ducks, Yellow and Pink, had spent a long week trying hard to stay in a row. When the clock hit 5:30 pm I suggested a jaunt.  Yellow and Pink, workaholics they are, said no thank you. So Blue Duck and I went to the beach by ourselves.

Man, it felt good to walk on the sand and float in the waves. (Blue didn’t mind being tethered because you never know what rogue waves have planned at high tide.)

Blue spied a bottle coming in toward the shore. At first we expected a message inside.

What we saw was a whole ‘nother world, sloshing high tide inside under blue sky.

Blue just had to play Pirate, jumping on top, yelling “Ahoy!” to the boat passing by. He looked a bit silly but happy and isn’t that what Friday nights are for at the beach … for unfrazzling frolics?

Blue has amazing balance. He had fun pretending to swashbuckle with the bugs jumping nearby.

Better balance than me, who fell over laughing. My ankles got wet, so I said, “Let’s go sit down.”

We just sat there, we two, on the driftwood. We sat there inviting the sun to soak into my soles. It was nearing six-thirty. One hour til the September sundown.

It’s good for friends to unfrazzle on Fridays. We should do it more often.