"I lived with them in my studio in New York. And of course if I were doing that book today or even ten years, fifteen years later, I would have gone to where the wild ducks were and where I could study them - I would have gone to the country somewhere"

This quote by Robert McCloskey is a reflection on his experience writing the book Make Way for Ducklings. He mentions that when he composed the book, he resided in a studio in New York and was not able to observe the wild ducks he was blogging about. He implies that if he were to compose the book today, he would have gone to the country to observe the ducks in their natural environment. This suggests that he values the significance of firsthand experience and observation when it pertains to writing. He thinks that being in the presence of the ducks would have permitted him to get a much better understanding of their behavior and attributes, which would have made his composing more precise and authentic. This quote likewise speaks with the value of remaining in nature and the value of direct experience.