By DIANNE REBER HART / Sonoma Valley Correspondent

There are no picture postcards declaring “Wish You Were Here” from the majestic mountaintop where a pair of friends from Sonoma capped off an unforgettable trip to the wilderness of Alaska.

Ryan Daffurn and Jacob Lange raise the flag of Sonoma atop Mt. McKinley.

Ryan Daffurn, 30, and Jacob Lange, 31, climbed Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America. They reached summit on June 7, exactly 100 years after the first successful ascent of the mountain, also known as Denali, native for “The High One.”

It took the men 13 days to reach summit – including three days grounded in their tent during a severe storm – two days to descend, 48 total miles and climbing up through more than 18,000 vertical feet of elevation through crisp but thin air over ice, rock and snow.

“It’s the purest of places on Earth,” says Lange. “It’s the unchartered avenues of the world.”

The pair made the journey without a field guide, instead relying on their mountaineering background, a year of planning and extensive physical training for the trek that only about half the climbers complete.

“To go unguided was a big decision for us and a good one,” says Daffurn, a professional photographer who chronicled the journey through snowfall, fog, whiteouts and clear, blue skies that provided expansive views of the 6-million acre Denali National Park and Preserve below them.

“It allowed us more freedom. We’re a very fit pair,” he says.

Jacob Lange stands with outstretched arms on a bluff at 17,200 feet.

Their only assistance was from an Alaskan company that packed their food supply, enough for a 25-day trip providing from 3,000 to 5,000 calories daily for each climber, with plenty of Snickers candy bars for energy surges.

Beyond that, the pair relied on radio-transmitted evening weather reports from park rangers and their own instincts for climbing the 20,320-foot mountain, known for its technical challenges and brutally cold and extreme weather conditions year-round.

“You have a greater sense of value when you do things on your own,” says Lange, a building contractor who put his professional skills to test when the pair built an igloo as a kitchen to store their food supplies during an especially stormy part of the trek.

“It’s just a few chunks of ice you put together,” he understates. “Our first experience in cutting ice happened to be that day.”

Building the igloo was just a small challenge along the way. The climbers were constantly faced with difficulties, from altitude adjustment to the weight of packs and sleds loaded among them with 306 pounds of food, water and gear.

Sunset from Basin Camp at 14,000 feet features Mt. Hunter in the distance. Camp tents are shown in the snow in the foreground.

“We knew going into this we’d be out of our comfort zone,” Daffurn says.

While the climb is physically demanding, Daffurn said the mental aspects are “not to be underestimated.”

Only seasoned mountaineers even attempt to tackle Mt. McKinley. According to the National Park Service, just 52 percent of the climbers ever reach summit. And since that first ascent in 1913, there have been 120 fatalities on the mountain.

Daffurn has been climbing for about a dozen years, with Mt. Shasta, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Whitney among his achievements. Lange is equally accomplished in his seven years of climbing, with Mt. Elbrus in Russia and Aconcagua in South America among his treks.

Mt. McKinley is the third most prominent peak in the world, after Mount Everest in Asia and Aconcagua.

For the pair, who met as kids at Altimira Middle School, “Denali was just the next step for us,” Daffurn says.

While swimming, hiking with 100-pound packs and running uphill pulling weighted tires behind them helped prepare them physically, the mental preparation was moment by moment. Their respect for one another and Mother Nature eased their nerves during their greatest difficulties, when a misstep could be deadly.

The climbers built an igloo to shelter their food from the harsh elements of a storm.

Facing Mt. McKinley “was an exhausting workout every day. You don’t get to shower. It’s gross,” says Daffurn. “There’s so many things that can go wrong.”

The admitted “skeptic” of the two, Daffurn says Lange’s “gung-ho” personality was a perfect balance. They hit a moment of temporary defeat when weather conditions were changing dramatically at a treacherous part of their trek. Exhausted, they carefully assessed their options and agreed to set up camp on the exposed ridge.

With temperatures at minus-15 degrees Fahrenheit, their tent was covered in ice by morning.

“It was like the interior of an ice box,” Lange recalls.

For the adventurers, it was just a part of the journey, which Lange compares to life itself.

“I say climbing mountains is a microcosm of life. You have doubts and fears and mid-course corrections,” he says.

Reaching summit and standing high atop the roof of North America was nothing short of euphoric, the friends say.

The night before their ascent to the top they met some climbers who commented on the centennial anniversary of the first successful expedition, something Daffurn and Lange weren’t aware of when they planned their Alaskan adventure.

Jacob Lange and Ryan Daffurn were flown by a small plane to start their mountain adventure, then lucky enough to have ideal weather conditions to fly out of Denali after their trek.

Being there on the historic anniversary only added to the experience.

The men shed tears of joy on the summit and paid tribute to their hometown, their families and friends. They raised a flag of Sonoma and linked their ice axes as they paid respects to two loved ones who passed away before the men began their adventure: Lange’s aunt, Diane Hammond, and Daffurn’s close family friend, Gail Johnson.

The men say the experience is the memory of a lifeline: unsurpassed vistas, brilliant skies at sunrise and sunset, the broad grins they recall flashing as they snow-shoed over a glacier throughout the first night of their journey with the Alaskan sky providing enough light to lead the way.

Back at the base camp waiting for the plane ride out of the Denali wilderness, the accomplishment set in.

“The safest moment and the proudest moment was when we walked into base camp,” Daffurn says. “That’s when we finished and everything fell into place.

“We executed it,” he says. “We made it.”

Docents at Jack London State Historic Park offer a themed tour, “The Life and Times of Charmian Kittredge London” from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday (June 20) and July 11 and 18, Aug. 1 and 15, Sept. 5 and 19 and Oct. 3 and 17 at the park, 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen. Tour includes various buildings, historical detail, wine and food. Admission: $50, including parking. Reservations: jacklondonpark.com, 938-5216.

Race fans can check out the No. 11 FedEx show car from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday (June 20) during “Catch It if You Can” at The Olive Press and Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, 24724 Arnold Drive. Meet racing experts and sample complimentary wine and olive oil. Discounts offered on purchases. Info: 931-7500.

Join the Sonoma Blanket Brigade to create no-sew cut-and-tie blankets for those in need. Crafters meet from 1-4 p.m. Friday (June 21) in Stone Hall at Vintage House, 264 First St. E., to complete projects. Participants should bring scissors and two two-yard pieces of fleece to make a large blanket. Additional meeting dates on July 12 and Aug. 9. Info or reservations: Margaret at 933-1693,  emptybell@comcast.net.

Buy some popcorn and sit back for “Monsters University,” the newest release from Sonoma Valley resident John Lasseter and the animators at Disney-Pixar. The historic Sebastiani Theatre on the Sonoma Plaza, 476 First St. E., presents the local film debut on Friday (June 21). Admission and show times: sebastianitheatre.com, 996-2020. Film info: monstersuniversity.com.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series celebrates its 25^th consecutive year at Sonoma Raceway with action from Friday-Sunday (June 21-23) at the raceway, 29355 Arnold Drive. NASCAR driver Jeff Burton hosts a benefit one-mile walk and breakfast fundraiser for the American Heart Association from 8:30-10 a.m. Friday (June 21) at the raceway. The $25 package includes a reserved-seat ticket. Various race packages available throughout the weekend, kids 12 and under admitted free on Friday (June 21). Tickets and info: racesonoma.com, (800) 870-7223.

Volunteers are needed for Construction Work Day at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park to help with painting, maintenance and construction at the Visitor’s Center. Participants should bring gloves, water and a hat and meet at 9:30 a.m. Saturday (June 22) at the White Barn at the park, 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood. Work continues until 1:30 p.m. Info, reservations: Park Manager John Roney at 833-5712.

Share your Sonoma Valley events at sonomatowns@gmail.com. The deadline is two weeks before publication.

A rainbow flag flies over Sonoma City Hall in celebration of Gay Pride Month and Gay Wine Weekend in Sonoma Valley.

The events are presented by Out in the Vineyard, an experiential Wine Country event and travel company promoting positive LGBT lifestyles and offering exclusive, luxury itineraries and events.

Hosts for the weekend are Gary Saperstein and Mark Vogler.

The three-day festivities kicked off yesterday, with events continuing throughout Saturday and Sunday (June 15 and 16) throughout the valley.

The signature Twilight T-Dance is from 7 to 10:30 p.m. today (Saturday), with a disc jockey spinning dance tunes at a private location in the vineyards.

The event includes a Gourmet Food Truck Up where party-goers can purchase a variety of meals.

Tickets are $80.

An “Apres-T” After Party continues at 11 p.m. at the El Dorado Hotel, the host hotel for the weekend.

On Sunday the offerings include a Gay Wine Auction and Recovery Brunch at 11 a.m.

Tickets are $50 for the buffet brunch, with the wine auction following.

The final event of the weekend is the Bud Light Sunday Pool Soiree from 2:30 to 6 p.m. at the El Dorado Hotel.

Admission is $20.

For tickets, event details or a list of weekend tours and events, visit gaywineweekend.com.

Crowds packed Sonoma Plaza for a special Hula Mai program at the Grinstead Amphitheater, where dancers and musicians shared the aloha spirit on Friday.

1. Bring quarters for the petting zoo vending machines that dispense feed for the animals.

2. The park does not allow outside food or beverages. Plan to visit the concession stand for a hotdog or snack or pack a picnic for the Sonoma Plaza. Or, Pizzeria Capri is right next door to TrainTown.

3. Summertime weather can be hot and sunny in Sonoma. Bring a hat or sunscreen for the open-air train ride.

4. Be on the lookout for statuary placed along the train route. Bonus points for spotting the deer and fawn, squirrel, raccoon, turtle, rabbits and owl.

5. Allow plenty of time. The train ride is 20 minutes long but there are six amusement rides, a few coin-operated kiddie rides, air hockey, cabooses to climb and a new gift shop/museum to visit.

6. Don’t miss the Ferris wheel offering sky-high views of Sonoma.

7. The train passes through a few darkened tunnels. Let your youngest riders know what to expect.

8. Everyone requires a coupon on amusement rides, including babies and parents accompanying their children. Train tickets needed for everyone 1 and older.

9. Tickets are non-refundable and lost tickets won’t be replaced.

10. Bring your camera to capture the fun for years to come.

A quarter-scale train pulls into the Old West town of Lakeview, where a petting zoo and diminutive buildings await visitors. (BETH SCHLANKER/The Press Democrat)

By DIANNE REBER HART / Sonoma Valley Correspondent

Visitors to the tiny village of Lakeview arrive not by foot nor bike nor automobile. There’s only one way into this Old West town and one way out.

If your guess is “horseback,” try away. Even cowboys need a special train ticket to reach the old-time livery, saloon and mercantile at Lakeview, where the only residents have four legs and eagerly await the arrival of passengers aboard the quarter-scale Sonoma TrainTown Railroad.

Lakeview is the creation of TrainTown founder Stanley Frank, a model train enthusiast from Oakland who turned his passion into a tourist destination.

Lee “Rooster” Phillips, 3, climbs off the train during a visit to the miniature town of Lakeview. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)

The short stop at Lakeview is just one of the highlights of the 20-minute miniature train ride that takes visitors over lakes and bridges, through tunnels and past waterfalls and streams. The landscape was carefully planned by Frank, who transformed a level 10-acre cow pasture into a replica of a late 1800s Sierra foothills town.

The only residents of Lakeview are the petting zoo animals – alpaca, sheep and goats among them – who are only too happy to eat the oats offered by outstretched hands of visitors young and old.

A skilled modeler, Frank began working on his project in 1958 with the dream of one day opening a train-themed amusement park. When he wasn’t running his printing business, he was pursuing his hobby.

After an extensive search of possible Bay Area locations, Frank chose the quiet town of Sonoma, seeing tourism potential in the growing wine industry. TrainTown opened in September of 1968 during the annual Vintage Festival weekend celebration of the local wine harvest.

Tourists and townspeople stopped by the new attraction and have been coming steadily ever since.

“It’s like a tabletop railroad except it’s outdoors and rideable,” says Frank’s son, Robert Frank, who helped his father place 13,500 railroad ties and hammer more than 54,000 spikes to complete the  track.

Stanley Frank died in 1977 at age 62, leaving the operation for his wife, daughter and son to run. Today Robert Frank and his wife Barbara run TrainTown with help from their three 20-something daughters Veronica, Monica and Lonica and a staff of 22 full- and part-time employees.

Stanley Frank “left behind some very beautiful cornerstones that we’ve been beautifying ever since,” says Robert Frank.

He and his family have expanded TrainTown to include six amusement rides, each with train-related themes. The first addition, the Iron Horse Carousel with 36 horses and two chariots, was added to a corner of the property in 1995 but moved to a more visible central spot a few years ago to showcase its beauty.

Asher Williams, 8, left, and his brother Jeremy wait to depart from Lakeview, the lone stop aboard the Sonoma TrainTown Railroad. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)

Like the High Iron Ferris Wheel, the carousel can now be seen by passersby on Broadway, where the park is located just a mile south of the Sonoma Plaza.

“We’re bigger than the town square up there,” Frank says of the historic eight-acre plaza.

TrainTown features six locomotives – four steam trains and two diesels – plus 21 railcars. Line them up and imagine the length of Candlestick Park.

“It’s one of the few miniature trains on the entire planet longer than a football field,” Frank says.

He and his family have painstakingly built upon his father’s dream for a train-themed amusement park. With each addition and improvement, it’s been in tribute to both his late parents and their founding principles.

The family-friendly park has grown from a dusty loading depot with seedling trees to a lush site with an expansive loading platform, a clock tower and a concession stand that was trucked from Maryland in 1995 and lifted into place by crane.

Cranes also had a part in delivering three standard-sized cabooses to TrainTown, where visitors can peek around and imagine life when rail lines transported passengers to destinations throughout Sonoma Valley.

Today TrainTown is home to nearly 2,000 mature trees including coast redwoods, Monterey pines, Arizona cypress and Deodar cedar. During annual Audubon Society bird counts, 38 species of birds have been identified in the park.

There also are resident geese and ducks, with a mother and her newborn ducklings spotted on a recent morning ride.

Once passengers hear the call of “All aboard!” and tickets are punched by the engineer in authentic uniform, the locomotive pulls away for a one-mile ride – four miles on scale – over seven bridges and through four tunnels.

Only the most observant riders know whether they’ve passed over the same bridge twice. Stanley Frank studied Japanese landscaping to optimize the experience for train passengers.

For many riders, simply being aboard the train is excitement enough.

“Our founder used to say it was the over-sophisticated and the under-sophisticated who enjoyed TrainTown the most,” Frank says.

Those with an appreciation for construction shouldn’t overlook the intricate roundhouse with its miniature bricks and 1,700 individual panes of hand-glazed glass. The adjacent turntable spins at 360 degrees.

TrainTown promotes both features as the most elaborate “on the planet.”

Standing near the roundhouse as a towering water fountain splashes nearby, Frank acknowledges that his father would be pleased as TrainTown nears its 45^th anniversary.

“This would have exceeded his ambitions,” he says. “Basically he just wanted to break even.”

Sonoma TrainTown Railroad, 20264 Broadway, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Labor Day, with weekend hours after the summer season ends.

The train ride is $5.75 per person, with access for limited-mobility guests and those in wheelchairs. Amusement ride tickets are $2.75 each or $12 for a family pack of six tickets. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit traintown.com, call 938-3912 or check out Sonoma TrainTown Railroad on Facebook.

Asher Williams, 8, can’t resist reaching up to the roof while going through a tunnel at TrainTown. (BETH SCHLANKER/The Press Democrat)

Author Marcy Smothers will discuss her cookbook/guidebook during an appearance at Readers’ Books.

Kenwood resident Marcy Smothers shares cooking tips and tricks from her new book, “SNACKS: Adventures in Food, Aisle by Aisle,” during an appearance at 2 p.m. Saturday (June 15) at Readers’ Books, 130 E. Napa St.

Smothers will discuss her cookbook/food guide, which is arranged into “aisles” like those found in the supermarket. It features 50 recipes — Monkey-Face Macaroons and Mouse Cake among them — and dozens of tricks and tips, snack-sized factoids and trivia.

Readers discover the answers to such culinary questions as the difference between jam and jelly and the meaning of plastic tabs on loaves of bread.

The self-described “home cook” and co-host of the long-running radio program “Food Guy and Marcy Show,” leaves readers with a better understanding of grocery shopping, cooking and entertaining.

Food Network star Guy Fieri of Santa Rosa wrote the book’s foreword, heaping praise on his former colleague. Fieri first appeared as a guest on “The Marcy Smothers Show” on KSRO in Santa Rosa back when he was a contestant on “The Next Food Network Star.”

The book retails for $19.99.

For more information, call Readers’ Books at 939-1779.

The event is from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday (June 15) at the Sonoma Moose Lodge, 20580 Broadway.

Soloists will take flight at the Sonoma Moose Lodge on Saturday night.

The singers will be accompanied by the Davedjohn Quartet and the piano stylings of Cliff Zyskowski. The program also includes V.I.M.H. (Voices In My Head), a men’s chorus with Mark Dennis, debuting their first set.

A few surprise appearances also are planned. Dancing is encouraged.

Tickets are $15 at the door or $12 in advance from Tiddle E Winks, 115 E. Napa St. (939-6933); Nails By Elaina, 566 First St. W. (996-6717); or by calling Ed Dufault at 322-5273.

Hula Mai Dancers at last year’s performance in the Sonoma Plaza. (Photos courtesy of Hula Mai)

Local dancers and an award-winning musician are among the performers at the fourth annual Hula Mai Day event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday (June 14) in the Grinstead Amphitheater in the Sonoma Plaza.

Sonoma Valley resident and Hula Mai founder Betty Ann Bruno brings the “aloha spirit” to the plaza with the Hula Mai band, two dozen dancers and guest artist Patrick Landeza, winner of the acclaimed Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award bestowed by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, an award much like a Grammy.

Award-winning Hawaiian musician Patrick Landeza is the guest artist at Hula Mai Day.

Landeza will perform the Hawaiian slack key guitar as dancers share both modern (‘Auana) and traditional (Kahiko) forms of the hula during the free event.

The authentic Hawaiian show highlights the art of storytelling through dance. Hula numbers will include dancing to Hawaiian favorites “My Yellow Ginger Lei,” “Pua Mana,” and “Song of Old Hawaii.”

Several ancient Kahiko hulas will be accompanied by chanting to the beat of the ipu-heke gourd drum.

Bruno says dancers will offer new twists on some of the ancient hulas.

“We are all so thrilled to be performing this year on Hula Mai Day. There are many reasons why our dancers and band members volunteer their time to perform for the community, but the one thing we all share is a love of spreading the aloha spirit,” Bruno said.

She defines the uniquely Hawaiian spirit as “giving without any anticipation or expectation of getting anything in return,” something that sets the Hawaiian culture apart.

Hula Mai Dancers (clockwise from left) Linda Green, Carolyn Pendry, Nellie Woodard and Lois Tselentis.

“It’s so very special to us,” she said.

Several Plaza merchants are offering Hawaiian-theme specialties in celebration of Hula Mai Day:

The Swiss Hotel: Hawaiian barbecued pork sandwich, pineapple Hawaiian Mai-tais

Mary’s Pizza Shack: Regular or spicy luau pizza, “Hula Mai”-tais

Murphy’s Irish Pub: Kalua-style pig, spring rolls, shiitake mushrooms, grilled pineapple, Ponzu dipping sauce

Town Square: Maui Zowie Jell-o Shots

Sonoma Cheese Factory: Hawaiian burgers

Della Santina’s: Hawaiian wine coolers, penne pasta with fresh vegetables and tomatoes

The Chocolate Cow: Authentic Hawaiian shaved ice

Plaza Bistro: Hawaiian Mai-tais

Bruno will offer hula workshops through Vintage House in the fall. For more information, visit hulamai.org.

Bill Mori, 85, has been collecting duck decoys for 45 years. He has more than 500 hand-crafted decoys, each made for duck hunting. (CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / The Press Democrat)

By DIANNE REBER HART / Sonoma Valley Correspondent

Joyce Mori was just a newlywed in 1970 when she knew her marriage was for the birds – duck decoys, specifically.

Bill Mori took his bride on a memorable honeymoon across the Pacific Northwest and down to Colorado not in search of romantic hideaways but on the lookout for handcrafted wooden ducks once used by hunters to lure waterfowl within shooting range.

“We were stopping at every junk shop there was,” recalls Bill Mori, 85. “We were just learning.”

His collection now features 500 of the best duck decoys ever made. A retired Realtor and broker, Mori says the collection is worth every dollar he’s invested — and then some.

A decoy swan carved by Hector Whittington in the 1950s. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

“I went crazy on these things,” he says. “I’d just as soon have decoys as a few extra dollars.”

Joyce Mori has long supported her husband’s passion, even dedicating display space in their living room for about 50 prized waterfowl.

At one point, the couple had 1,000 decoys in their home. By the time Bill Mori narrowed his collection to “quality, not quantity,” he’d become a go-to man for other collectors seeking information about carvers, styles and values.

In addition to his decoys, Mori has amassed about 400 books on the subject and has become something of an expert on duck decoys, widely valued as American folk art.

“I don’t want to sound like a braggart,” he says, “but I do know a lot about them.”

Born in the valley’s rural Vineburg region, Mori was just a teen when he and his older brother Carlos trekked to a “shack” near Skaggs Island where an old-timer carved decoys for duck hunters who frequented the nearby sloughs.

Mori remembers that the gravel-voiced man, Dick Janson, told the pair he’d carve the decoys if they provided the wood. The brothers returned with 25 old redwood railroad ties, which Janson crafted into a few dozen decoys.

At the time, Janson “was considered the greatest carver in California,” Mori says.

A Canada goose carved by Ben Schmidt in the 1940s, at left, and a Pacific brant carved by Paul Kenney in the 1930s. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)

Janson charged the going rate back in 1944: $3 each or $36 for a dozen. Today collectible decoys go for a minimum of about $50 each – some topping a record $1 million for a lone bird.

Mori still has six of those Janson originals, which are among his favorites. He values the craftsmanship as well as the memory of an era long gone in Sonoma Valley.

Mori’s interest in collecting came at the urging of a few friends who were decoy collectors. The men shared resources and assisted one another, with a friendly competition keeping things lively.

“It was fun. It really was fun,” Mori says of his decades of collecting.

Today the duck hunter and decoy collector has one of the most impressive collections around, reportedly “the biggest collection west of the Mississippi,” Mori says.

Duck decoys date to the late 1800s, with early styles carved by hand to painstaking detail. Mori says the tradition began on the East Coast before moving west across the country.  Many antique decoys contain shot holes or grazes, which don’t necessarily lessen their value.

“All of them were made for hunting,” Mori says. “You don’t want a duck decoy that looks like it was just made.”

Although individual craftsmen continue the tradition today, there was a time when the demand for decoys opened the doors to factory productions. Artisans were employed to carve and paint the decoys for such factories as Mason’s Decoy Factory in Detroit, the most famous of the era in the late 1890s.

Mori knows all about the various grades of decoys by assessing the carving, painting variations (oil-based paints on the oldest decoys), even the kinds of eyes placed into the ducks, from tacks to realistic glass beads. The workmanship is part of the value and, as with most collections, the rarer the item, the greater its worth.

“It’s the reputation of the carver. His name gets around,” Mori says. “They were artists. It’s just like if you were buying art.”

Hand-carved decoys from the Mason Decoy Factory produced between 1900-1925. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

The range of decoys is vast. There are puddle ducks and diving ducks, geese and swans. Some are hollow, others solid, some weighted, some not. While most collectible decoys are handcrafted of redwood, cedar, rosewood, balsawood and other timbers, some were made of canvas or cork, the contemporary ones even of plastic.

From pintails to mallards, hens and drakes, singles or in pairs, what does Mori notice first?

“I start with the good-looking ones, the old ones,” he says.

Each of his decoys is lifelike, almost all of them crafted to exact scale.

“They’re all life-size. Some were made oversize on purpose so the bird could see them from a distance,” he says. “If I put these out on the water I’d think they were real.”

Mori spent the past 45 years amassing his collection by attending decoy shows, rifling through thrift stores, junk shops and dusty old barns, reading want ads, making connections with fellow collectors, and finally, with the advent of the Internet, visiting online shops and auctions.

He once scored a handsome mallard drake in flight while checking his real estate listings in a Marin newspaper. He noticed an ad for a duck boat “and other things” under the miscellaneous offerings.

A phone call later, Mori was headed to Mill Valley to swap the requested $5 for the unwanted carving hanging in a little boy’s bedroom.

“I saw that thing and I couldn’t believe it. That was the best find I ever made,” Mori recalls.

Mori has received calls from museums, collectors and investors alike but has no interest in parting with any of his beloved birds. His decoy collection represents something more than money.

“We just love them. Joyce loves them, too,” he says. “I enjoy looking at the darn things. Even if they weren’t mine, they’re beautiful.”

Starting as souvenirs from a long-ago honeymoon, the ducks have steadily grown with the couple’s marriage.

(See more photos of Mori’s collection and other unusual Sonoma County collections)