Zucchini Problems? Maybe Not: Small Soft Yellow Fruits and Not So Powdery Mildew

I had no problems at all last year with zucchini, until the end of the summer that is. But even then, I was harvesting large zucchinis.

This year, it appears I will have some good zucchinis with my one plant (vs. my 3 last year), but I'm also seeing some soft, yellow fruits that aren't quite developing. See below:

Small soft yellow fruits on zucchini plants.

This might only indicate that pollination isn't happening on these particular fruits. I've taken to just cutting those fruits off, and monitoring the rest of the plant, which is actually producing some healthy looking zucchini plants.

And what I thought was powdery mildew has made an early appearance this year. Or is that what it really was?
I did some research (which is what I do these days, a lot) and found that it's quite possible this is NOT powdery mildew. The color of the spots on my zucchini leaves is silver, and according to many gardeners sharing their wisdom online, it's natural mottling. So I am going to stop spraying my zucchini with neem oil and see what happens!

Last year I really did have powdery mildew - it looked more like, well, white powder on the leaves. I was struggling with why this felt so different, and I'm hoping what I found is actually the case - that I have a healthy plant! That would be a relief.

Am I wrong? Let me know what your experience has been!