August 5, 2026
Dear Journal,
Today will forever be remembered as The Great Mountaineer Field Goal Championship of 2026.
It all started after breakfast when Kiwi landed on the kitchen table wearing a tiny blue-and-gold bandana.
"I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!" he squawked.
Peanut didn't even open one eye.
"If this is about sunflower seeds again..."
"It is NOT!" Kiwi replied proudly. "Today we determine who has the strongest kicking foot in West Virginia!"
"Or paw," I corrected.
"Or beak," Kiwi added.
"Or webbed feet," said the Quackers together.
Just then there was a familiar knock at the door.
It was our good friend Gracie!
Not five seconds later the room became cool, and a gentle glow floated through the wall.
"The Ghost of Maybelline has arrived!" Kiwi announced like a stadium announcer.
Maybelline smiled.
"I heard there was going to be football."
"You heard correctly," I said.
Our destination?
Milan Puskar Stadium at West Virginia University!
The stadium looked enormous as we walked through the tunnel and out onto the beautiful green field.
Kiwi immediately spread his wings.
"I can already hear seventy thousand imaginary fans cheering!"
The Quackers began chanting,
"Let's Go Mountaineers!
Quack! Quack! Quack!"
Peanut rolled her eyes.
"I preferred the quiet library."
We decided to have our own field goal contest.
The rules were simple.
Kick the football as far as you can.
Winner gets bragging rights...
...and the first hot dog.
First up: Me!
I took three determined steps.
Wagged my tail.
Kicked with all my might...
The football sailed...
A magnificent...
Twelve feet.
Everyone applauded politely.
"I'll take it," I said.
Next came Peanut.
She casually walked over to the football.
Looked at it.
Looked at all of us.
Then smacked it with one paw.
The football bounced sideways and accidentally knocked over the kicking tee.
"I meant to do that," she said.
Nobody believed her.
Then Kiwi strutted onto the field.
He insisted he didn't need feet.
"I shall kick...WITH SCIENCE!"
He flapped both wings furiously and somehow managed to launch himself backward while the football barely rolled forward six inches.
"I was testing wind conditions," he explained.
The Quackers worked together.
One duck steadied the football.
The other duck took a running start.
QUACK!
The kick actually wasn't bad.
The football bounced nearly thirty yards before stopping.
They celebrated with synchronized victory dances.
Gracie was surprisingly athletic.
She backed up.
Focused.
Ran forward.
THUMP!
The football flew high into the air and landed somewhere around the thirty-yard line.
Everyone cheered.
"That's going to be tough to beat!" I barked.
Then came Maybelline.
She floated gently over to the football.
"Being a ghost," she smiled, "I'm not sure this will work."
She lightly touched the football with one ghostly paw.
To everyone's amazement, the football slowly lifted into the air by itself.
It floated...
Drifted...
Spun gracefully...
And landed perfectly between the uprights.
The entire stadium echoed with imaginary applause.
Kiwi nearly fell off the goalpost.
"I OBJECT!" he yelled.
"Ghost magic!"
Maybelline laughed.
"I'll gladly accept an exhibition victory."
So Gracie was declared the official champion.
Maybelline received the "Most Spectacular Kick" award.
Kiwi awarded himself the "Most Creative Attempt."
After all that kicking, everyone's stomach began rumbling.
Peanut looked toward the concourse.
"I smell popcorn."
Kiwi froze.
"I smell hot dogs."
The Quackers gasped.
"I smell pretzels!"
Without saying another word...
...we all raced toward the concession stands.
It was glorious.
Fresh popcorn filled giant tubs.
Hot dogs rolled on warm grills.
Pretzels the size of steering wheels.
Nachos.
Peanuts.
Cotton candy.
Even giant soft cookies.
Kiwi dove headfirst into a mountain of popcorn.
"I HAVE FOUND HEAVEN!"
Popcorn exploded everywhere as he happily tunneled through it like a little green feathered submarine.
Peanut carefully inspected the hot dog roller.
"For quality control," she insisted.
She sampled exactly one.
Then another.
Then "just one more to be absolutely certain."
The Quackers somehow discovered an unattended box of popcorn and immediately declared themselves "Official Taste Testers."
Soon they were tossing popcorn into the air and catching it in perfect synchronization.
Gracie politely enjoyed a hot dog with mustard.
She even remembered to use a napkin.
Then there was Maybelline.
Being a ghost, she couldn't actually eat anything.
Instead, she floated beside us smiling while enjoying the wonderful smells.
"It's almost as good as tasting it," she said.
So we all shared stories while she enjoyed the company.
As the sun began to set behind the stadium, we sat together high in the stands looking out over the field.
It was peaceful.
The breeze gently rustled the blue and gold flags.
Kiwi quietly said,
"You know...today wasn't really about winning."
Peanut nodded.
"It was about spending time together."
The Quackers agreed.
"Quack."
"Double quack."
Maybelline smiled softly.
"The best memories are the ones you make with friends."
Even Kiwi didn't have a smart remark.
For almost five whole seconds.
Then he stood up.
"NEXT WEEK...WE COMPETE TO SEE WHO CAN THROW THE BEST SPIRAL!"
We all laughed so hard that echoes bounced through the empty stadium.
Some adventures are about trophies.
Others are about popcorn.
Today was definitely about both.
Until next week, dear Journal.
With wagging tails, happy feathers, full bellies, and one very content ghost,
Lucy 🐾
