Meeting Friends in Memphis

In town to throw out the first pitch for the Memphis Redbirds that night and sign books at Autozone Park, I stopped by Davis-Kidd Booksellers to sign some of their Samurai Shortstop stock. I was also able to say hello to some friends from the SCBWI Midsouth group. Genetta, Haley, Isabel and Melissa all came out (thanks, guys!), and we got a chance to chat for a while and admire the very large sign the Memphis Davis-Kidd made to announce my signing that night at the ball park:

Later than afternoon, we took Jo to see the famous ducks at the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis.

These ducks are mobbed like rock stars!

I just barely got a picture of them getting onto the elevator to go up to their rooftop penthouse. The ducks come down at eleven every morning, spend the day swimming in the hotel fountain, and then line up at five o'clock in the afternoon, walk down a red carpet to their elevator, and return to their "Duck Palace," as Jo points out below:

It's a sweet life. I didn't check to see if they serve duck ala orange in the hotel restaurant, though. From the roof, we could also see that evening's destination: Autozone Park, home of the Memphis Redbirds.

See that little red table in the back corner of the plaza, under that hat-shaped awning? That's where I was before and after the game. What a cool downtown ballpark!