Duck Day

Yesterday was sort of a duck day.

Every time we thought the sun was out to stay - the clouds would come and threaten.

Hence we were cooped - especially when both girls have annoying coughs and the rain from the day before meant a very wet yard.

That didn't hinder all activity, however.

I pat myself on the back for ticking one large box of complete rearrangement of the spare room so I can contemplate my sewing piles and access the machine.

V employed a hammer very effectively, and we now have rope under the house AND 'Salina has 3 things hanging ON her walls rather than propped.

Not only is the floor now devoid of those 3 things, but 'Salina even got her room into that mythical space of "being proud of it" for a few minutes in a row!

And Paris? Well, she loved the freedom of finding the spare room's true space and it is rumoured that she is scoping it for her bedroom sometime in Spring.

But what about the ducks?

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Well, we love the ducks here, as they are easy to recognize (important with a toddler), easy to imitate (see earlier note) and don't mind a bit of grazing in the parkland near to our house and viewable from our windows.

Yesterday there were many ducks. This story would no doubt have been more accessible with a photo or two, but I hand it to you, dear readers, that your minds are able to click a few images as I regale.

Two doors down from us is a crossroads with a little bridge. Across from us is park. Yesterday there were many ducks, so many that there was a large mob on the flat farther along the road, a middling mob across the flood drain and a small mob across the road near the crossroads.

"Look" I shouted out to my family (because although the distances within the house are small, the walls are ingeneously placed so the only method of communication between rooms - other than the logical walking three steps to a doorway - is to yell. Well, that is my story).

"Look," I shouted. "Look at all the ducks".

Unfortunately when I went out to the balcony, I noticed another natural development that was not so cute. Two 12 year old boys (and I know they were around 12, as at least 1 of them is in 'Salina's year at school) had delayed their scooting on our side of the little bridge and were THROWING ROCKS at the ducks.

"Oi" I yelled (even louder than the internal shout). "That's not very smart."

They did hear me - one paused, the other seemed to think that being dumb was reason enough to continue with his stupidity.

V came out to the balcony and, with full boom, emitted "BOOOOOOOO. BOOOOOOOOO."

Magically, the boys dropped rocks, grabbed vehicles and scooted the heck out of dodge.

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Epilogue One
Late in the afternoon, it was noticed the same two boys slowly dawdling along the road. Funnily enough, they hopped on their scooters and were rather quick in passing our house. I don't particularly mind being "the crazy folk", especially in the eyes of adolescent boys - we shall continue use the power for good.

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Epilogue Two
While flicking around during an ad break last night, we caught some of a Gorilla documentary.

In hushed tones, we were advised that one particular gorilla was "an adolescent now, and probably looking for trouble".

We laughed at the parallels with great apes and rock-throwing boys.

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What are your tips (apart from terrorising fowl foul youths) to get through those not quite rainy/not quite hale days?