Monday, March 03, 2008

bananas and ducks

This morning I managed to get up, dressed and out of the house before I had time to think myself out of my plan to start swimming again.

Before I'd reached the end of the road the effort was justified by the discovery of this delightful local artefact:



Its one way to communicate, I suppose.

I was in the pool by 8.30, did more lengths than I'd told myself would justify the effort, and felt great. I always know that I'll find it energising and relaxing - so why do I put it off for so long?

I did then have to walk through town and shop with the haggard-googley goggle eyes. Which is the greater vanity: being too aware of the goggle eye effect, or not being able to bring myself to wear sunglasses to hide it, despite the bright sunshine, because its only just March for goodness sake?


And its exceedingly chilly, despite the sunshine. The ducks are all keeping their beaks well tucked in.





At least, I assume they do this for warmth?
Either that, or its some form of duck yoga.

Unless they too, of course, are trying to hide googley goggle eyes.

30 comments:

lowenkopf said...

Keep those artifacts coming.

Lynne said...

Do ducks wear googles while googling?
;)

R.L. Bourges said...

oh sweet. all of it.

Anonymous said...

Love the duck photos.

Reya Mellicker said...

Duck yoga? Now that's a thought! Wow.

Love the banana note pad. My mother used to write notes to us on the shells of hardboiled eggs that she tucked into our lunch bags. She also liked to draw portraits on the paper bags she used to pack our lunches into. Usually she drew horses. She was a character. Thanks for inadvertently helping me remember this odd little fact about my long gone mother. May she rest in peace.

mouse (aka kimy) said...

much better than a palm pilot!! love the ducks!

there is a wee item awaiting you at the mouse! xx

Shammickite said...

Communication from the banana belt, I think.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful ducks. Breathing out warmed air like that must be like having your own onboard duvet.

tut-tut said...

My mother also wrote notes on HB eggs, because I hated going to school so intensely; it was a motivator: "You've reached lunchtime; only a few more hours to go!"

That inscribed banana, though, surely points you in the right direction . . .

Trac said...

Oh well done! - I needed cheering up today. I love the thought of ducks hiding their eyes because of goggle eyes.

I wonder in which month ducks start wearing sunglasses?

It must be soon as I saw a duck in Charlton buying some the other day.

Shopkeeper: "Will you be paying cash for those?"
Duck: "Nah... just stick them on my bill!"
:O)
x

p.s. Cool fruit communication!

Lynne said...

What I meant to type was:
Do ducks wear GOGGLES while GOOGLING?
sheesh, when will I learn to type?

Akelamalu said...

Well done on getting back into the swimming. I'm 'trying' to get back into pilates and you've spurred me on! Love the duck photos.

Steve Reed said...

Commmunication by banana. How strange.

Anonymous said...

Loved the banana. Never thought of writing on food but I may just try it.

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

A little goggle-eyes is surely better than the painful, bloodshot effect from not wearing any. Have you tried the small, speedo racing goggles? The effect is less noticeable.

la bellina mammina said...

Great pics of the docs - and the banana.... too funny!

Squirrel said...

what does the banana say?


oddly enough, lettuce...I have asked this question before!

hope to see you in NYC btw

Dumdad said...

Great photos. And that includes the ones in the previous post as well. I love those old family pix.

lettuce said...

right-o shelly. :o)

lynne, i read it as goggles while googling. And yes, i think they do.

thanks lee and lusks. i love the ducks.

isn't it, Reya? the more i think about it the more i like the idea. there SHOULD be duck yoga. great memories of your mum.

yes Kimy. Both edible and recyclable.

or the fruity fringe, ex-shammie?

indeed sally - they may look cold but thats probably what they are thinking about us.

thats great Tut-Tut. I will bear in mind your memories, and Reya's, when I pack LG's lunch tomorrow...

haha sivle. d'you think ducks in charlton are cool enough to wear shades? or too cool to?

go for it 'lama. It feels so good - when you stop!

strange indeed Steve. Thats sarf east london for you.

deb maybe we should have a blogswarm of food-writing stories?

malc yes it is way better. I do have speedo goggles but maybe not racing ones - i will investigate, thanks. Either that or just stop being so vain.

hi bella ducky.

squirrel thanks for asking, i'd been thinking my picture could be clearer - i've resized and sharpened it. Its "Say 'hi' to Ryan" (i think). I hope so too, btw! a blogswarm in manhattan maybe?

thanks DD, me too. I have so many - and so many unidentified distant relatives in them, i wish i knew them all and their stories.

Gary said...

Bananas and ducks! For some reason both of these always make me laugh...or at least smile and here they are in the same post!

I am also laughing at Squirrel's comment. FYI Squirrel it says 'Say hi to Dylam!'

Bravo to you on the exercise - google eyes and all.

Gledwood said...

poor little swines! they look freezing!!

lettuce said...

doh. yes, thats dylan not ryan.
(tho hi to ryan too i spose)

glad to make you laugh gary.

don't they, gled? tho, as sally pointed out, they're the ones with the duvets.

Anonymous said...

WoW......some very beautifully captured shots...nice work!

Shammickite said...

We used to write words like "apple" or "orange" on bananas, just to be confusing.
My email is allennef@yahoo.ca if you could share the pattern, please! It looks like quite a challenge, I'm not sure that my knitting skills are up to it but I'll gladly have a go!

Unknown said...

Oh I do like the idea of duck yoga - or perhaps what they're doing, and this is probably it - is a duck meditation.

Glenna said...

It's a bananagram!

Pod said...

hello duckie
i managed an early morn run yesterday and felt great for it all day. i just wish i was more of a morning person, not a grumpy old git before noon. ah well. pod must try harder
i think they tuck their beaks because if they didn't, when they fell asleep their necks would flop forward and they'd stop breathing and faint. they used to do this when i was a podlet. i'd see fainting ducks everywhere, but they seem to have learnt their lesson....

Anonymous said...

say hi 2 dylan & zee dux.

Vintage to Victorian said...

It WAS my intention to get up and go straight out for a good walk this morning (I'd have got dressed first though!), but for some reason that didn't quite happen. You've spurred me on and tomorrow I shall try harder!

"Hi Dylan" - hope he's reading your blog!

Love the ducks!

lettuce said...

thanks starry one, and hello.

i've just emailed it to you, ex-shammie.

hmmm, d'you think so vanilla? *meditates*

lol glenna, and hello

hello grumpy old git. your explanation is undoubtedly the funniest. But you know, thats just a local phenomenon cos the land is so flat up there - make the ducks dizzy. Ducks in london have much better lung capacity.

hi anon.

V2V theres just that window of possibility, isn't there, if one gets going before one catches oneself.....and then its too late.