Just this evening my eldest daughter and I decided to head out for a short walk in the half hour before dusk. We figured there would be fewer humans about since the sun was going down so out we went for some respite from the house.
The air was crisp and the moon, nearly full, was high in the east. We felt almost giddy to be outside planning our route to maximize our wildlife sightings and minimize human contacts. Although this might sound strange to most, this is our usual game plan for life, so this walk under Covid-19 restrictions didn't feel so very different.
We walked to nearby Moore's Pond and saw two stately geese swimming there but it was otherwise very quiet so we decided to head back past the storm water retention pond on the old Smallwood property. It was there we nearly fell down laughing at the sight of a handful of black ducks scooting about with several running too fast to call it waddling.
In gratitude for the goodness even our short walk provided us with and in honour of the manner in which Kenneth Grahame, beloved author of The Wind in the Willows, felt saved by nature when all else good in his early life failed him I offer you this children's poem of his called Ducks' Ditty.
Ducks' Ditty
All along the backwater,
Through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling,
Up tails all!
Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,
Yellow feet a-quiver,
Yellow bills out of sight
Busy in the river!
Slushy green undergrowth
Where the roach swim--
Here we keep our larder,
Cool and full and dim,
Every one for what he likes!
We like to be
Heads down, tails up,
Dabbling free!
High in the blue above
Swifts whirl and call--
We are down a-dabbling
Up tails all!
Kenneth Grahame 1859-1932
Best wishes!
Jill
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