Adventures in Gainesville: The Duck Pond

As soon as I woke up early Saturday morning (which I found odd because I normally wake up in the late afternoon on weekends), I had received a text from my friend, Olivia, asking if I wanted to tag along with her and a couple of other friends to explore the Duck Pond and the neighborhood. Originally, I was actually planning on going Sunday morning, but I knew that my body woke up for a reason; my gut was even telling me to go with them instead. So, I did, and I can honestly say it was an experience I shall always treasure. Olivia drove, Rosa had shotgun, and I was in the backseat, enjoying Gainesville’s forestry. The trees around my apartment have slowly been losing its green-tinted leaves as days go by. However, a majority of the trees near downtown Gainesville had already become beautiful shades of orange with hints of green, reminding me that autumn has only begun. It also reminded me how Miami’s palm trees definitely do not undergo such a gorgeous transformation, which only made me even more excited to arrive to the Duck Pond. One of the things I learned from our trip is that downtown Gainesville at day is just as beautiful as downtown at night, if not more. When we arrived to our destination, we were confused as to where the pond exactly was because we had only spotted a ravine. No ducks. No pond. After a few minutes of circling around the neighborhood in confusion, we heard a peep, except this peep was not just a normal ol’ “peep.” It was quacking. We all freaked out and got out of the car as soon as Olivia parked, and then, we came face to face with two big ducks, species I have never seen before, and a smaller black and white duck.

We laughed because we had realized that the pond was actually in the middle of a road, right in the center of a neighborhood. How could we have missed it? The location was just odd, but its location is what actually intrigued me the most. I began to ask to myself, “Why is this here? Was it done on purpose? How long has it been since it was established? Do the people living near here appreciate this pond or do they just pass by as if it were like any other landscape?” (Note: This was before I read my professor’s backstory on the Duck Pond.) A few minutes later, two of our friends, Andre and Marcel, showed up. Andre surprised us and brought a bread slice so we can all actually feed the ducks. From what it looked like, the ducks were just as excited. In fact, another large black duck (he was apparently hiding behind several trees in the middle of the pond) came out and joined in. Families were also strolling by and they also fed the ducks with their children.

While we were feeding the ducks, a woman had pulled over and asked my friends and I for directions to a place none of us have ever heard of. We were not able to help her locate where she needed to go, but regardless, she thanked us and said goodbye with a bright, friendly smile. Then she went off to explore in the unknown area. This was actually the catalyst to our further explorations. After feeding the ducks, my friends and I decided to explore the neighborhood on foot. Despite having cars, we all came to an agreement that everything felt so close in the neighborhood; if we were to drive around, we would surely miss something interesting and even important. As we walked around, I noticed that there was hardly any decent parking spots with pay tolls. Cars were usually just parked near the sides of houses or sidewalks. Plentiful of people also walked around. The neighborhood was enveloped by tall trees wrapped with Spanish moss like dropping, knitted scarves. The weather was cool and for the most part, shady and comfortable. I looked up but only bits of the sky were visible because of the tall trees. There were moments in our adventure that felt like fiction such as the moment when a sudden gust of wind pointed to the direction that we were intending to walk to, almost as if reminding us to keep going. Our curiosity aggrandized so we proceeded to the direction nature was pointing to. Any route we chose led to more pathways to choose from. Despite it being a "neighhborhood," it truly did feel as if the Duck Pond area was more like a very tiny country.

Indeed, we did come across multiple sights--sights with open gates and low, picket fences, as if welcoming those who wandered throughout the area. History lingered in almost every house we walked by. From the size of the houses to the actual design and exterior, it reminded me of Lauren Groffof's description in an excerpt from her story, Ghosts and Empties. She described the setting (that did take place in the Duck Pond area) as a neighborhood that is antique, lined up with "huge Victorian houses radiating outward into nineteen-twenties bungalows, then mid-century modern ranches at the edges." Some houses were much more modern than others, but nonetheless, their past was still intact. We were able to destinguish these historical buildings from others because they had little plaques somewhere in the front, usually near the door, with a name and year. The very first house we discovered was actually near the Duck Pond. It was called The Fagan House, which was was constructed in 1910 but later on renovated in 1982.

Here are some other examples that give an idea of the modern to antique touch within the neighborhood.

Some houses even had small trees growing fruit such as lemons and little yellow-orangeish fruits (Olivia said they looked like papayas), which I had never seen face to face before. Even though we were tired by then, we probably would not have seen these details if we were in the car, so I was thankful to be tired for a good reason. Based on what I saw, I noticed there were no bus stops near. Bicycles were common. Eventually, we also figured out that these houses were in fact very near (walking distance) University avenue, which was crowded with various and diverse restaurants as well as small shops. However, there were still plenty of cars parked by the sidewalks, but just like us, perhaps these cars belonged to explorers that did not mind the walking from Duck Pond to the more active part of downtown. We also noticed that there were hardly any places that offered jobs near the Duck Pond area so, we thought that people still owned cars because jobs were far from where they lived. My friends and I kept wandering around until we got huingry. We spotted a park near the area we were exploring, which was next to what seemed like an elementary school. Children were frolicing about on the slides and swings. Families were watching the children play, as they sat near them on similar benches we also sat on. All that was heard was their laughter. We took a break (and took some selfies!) and sat down on a small table near the park and tried to decide what to eat. Earlier in the trip, Olivia, Rosa and I had spotted an elegant italian cafe called "The Fat Tuscan Cafe." It stood out because of its golden yellow exterior and it also looked like any other house! We ended up not eating there (even though we wanted to) because us college students are on a budget! We vowed to return there one of these days to check it out though.

We did not really decide what we wanted to eat (except Olivia who wanted Wendy's but there was no Wendy's to be found) but, we had a feeling that we would eventually figure it out if we cotinued with our explorations. So, we proceeded to walk, heading left from the park. We noticed an abundance of cars, busy streets, buses, and overall, activity. I recognized some parts of the area, but as I mentioned before, downtown is very different at day than it is at night.

Soon enough, we inadvertently walked into the Pride festival. I had completely forgotten all about it. I was the first to figure it out because my friends and I were actually supposed to go there, but I had no idea where it was. Talk about two birds, one stone! We lurked through the event from stand to stand for a bit, but we still did not find a good place for lunch. The hotdog stands were just not appetizing enough! When we finally reached the end of the event, Olivia had pointed to a pizzeria right across the street we were about to walk away from. It was called Big Lou's. It had a nice outside area, but it was unfortunately filled up so, we had to sit inside. It was old-fashioned and did resemble a typical "New York pizza parlor" with brick walls, a long bar area with round, ruby red seats, and wooden tables with wooden chairs to compliment them. Unfortunately, it was very humid inside, but after a while, I was too distracted to notice. The pizzeria had such a friendly vibe, and my friends and I were cracking jokes the entire time until our abs ached. Everyone ordered what they wanted to order and all for good, manageable prices. From the first bite, I grew fond of the place quickly; it was honestly the best pizza I have had in Gainesville. I am most definitely coming back there, too!

After we were done eating, we walked back to The Duck Pond. This time, the walk felt shorter and I did not want it to end. We all reflected on what we saw and what it all meant to us. I just find it so interesting how a small place like the pond brought all of us together into a spontaneous adventure. It all began with the pond, and it ended with the pond. One last time, we sat near the pond and watched the ducks from afar. They were still honking at each other. The sun’s light was reflecting from the body of water which caused the pond to shimmer as if a hundred clusters of stars were floating on it. There was also a huge mansion-like house right next to everyone's parked cars. It actually reminded us of the house in which the murder in Groffof's story took place. It was pretty ominous, but it became more symbolic to us than just a creepy house. We all "felt" it.

To this moment, I think about what it would have been like if I went alone. I think I would have just pondered and contemplated too much, which would have been less enjoyable. However, I do plan on going back there by myself to observe my surroundings, like the voyeuristic narrator in Lauren Groffof's story. I am curious as to how different every experience will be. With that, my advice to anyone who has yet to go to The Duck Pond is to a) go with close friends, b) go with acquaintances, and c) go alone. The Duck Pond is truly a place where its waters not only carry history, but also memories. It is such a divine sight in Gainesville, with autumn echoing at every corner. I look forward to coming back and reuniting with duck friends very soon.