If you're a fuzzy wittle mallard duckling, the first thing you learn to do is mind your momma. Whatever momma says do, you and your not-long-from-the-egg siblings, do immediately—no sass, no backtalk. And when momma says "follow me," being one of her seven extremely cute and mostly obedient youngsters, you form a line and paddle for all you're worth as you carry out her marching, er, swimming orders…even if that means following her up a fast and rock-strewn riffle that seems like a full-blown whitewater rapids—at least to a wittle fuzzy duckling.
After all, what momma says, goes. Right?
('Course, being the last ducking in line, you say a quick wittle prayer nobody ahead quacks up!)
______
6 comments:
What a beautiful parade of life you are treated to every day! All you have to do is wait and be patient, camera ever at the ready, then share it with followers. Thanks!
That scene , along with the ducky talk, is terrific...
But I wonder...were you always that obedient? Lol!
Moonmuser…
I live in a good spot, yes…but not the only good spot. Fact is, I've never lived anywhere that life didn't present its daily passing parade. The secret is to pay attention and become attuned to the natural world round-about. Most folks—and I'm not trying to be holier-then-thou, merely stating a fact—are all but oblivious to the rhythms of life surrounding them. Yet nature/life is there, always, filling its niche, even in the middle of the largest cities. Not the same as here, certainly…but probably in far greater variety, and being much busier, than you'd ever imagine.
Because I've done it all my life, learned how to look and listen and watch. I pay attention to nature's goings on constantly. This long ago became a subconscious awareness—a background-running program, if you will—so I'm always listening, watching, checking, no matter what I'm doing or where I'm at—even while asleep. Unusual sounds wake me up in the middle of the night. This behavior is as much "me" as breathing.
I'm not a great naturalist; neither do I see and hear everything that goes on. But I observe and think and learn. And the more I learn, the less I know, because the world—just that little tiny speck of a hundred-yard circle from where I now sit—is an incredibly amazing and diverse and busy busy busy place, and you couldn't learn it all if you had ten lifetimes or a hundred. But I'm doing the best I can because I don't want to waste my trip.
I've always been alert to wildlife even here in the city....a squirrel buddy when I first moved in, a standoff from about four feet away with a chipmonk ,,,the elusive white rabbit I saw at night and no one believed me!...two baby skunks playing in the snow at 3 a.m., leaping and rolling, my. Resident raccoon taking the lid off the trash can at Niigata... Many interesting birds, including a hawk gnawing on another bird ...didn't know I had. Seen that much right here. I guess savong
Moonmuser…
Yes, your little suburban village—being mostly yards, many with old, large trees, miles of rural farmland two minutes in any direction, and a river close by—has plenty of resident and passing wildlife to observe.
Scribe,
As soon as I read the title, I suspected a duck post. Or goose. Anyway, not disappointed at all. Love to see these sweet little creatures. And to watch Momma give the orders! GET IN LINE. What every momma (and poppa) says.
KGMom…
Ducklings (and goslings) are just flat cool! Amusing, entertaining, happy little fluffballs bobbing like corks, under the tutelage and ever-watchful eye of Mom.
They delight me no end.
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