Revenge of the Duck

DS13 and I went to Holcomb Gardens today, and walked along the canal. It's become our spring routine to do this on Monday afternoons. He plays in a drumming group that meets nearby, so we go a little early and take a walk, looking for turtles.

We went two weeks ago, and it was fun looking to see just how many little turtles will fit on one small log. We saw as many as eight of those little buggers, laying in the sun, tanning their shells. DS, being a boy, had to toss rocks in their general direction, which of course caused them to bail off into the water and disappear. I'll bet we saw thirty turtles, from tiny to pretty good sized.

Hubby took ds last week, and they tried to see them again. They didn't see one single turtle. The day was gray, so I guess they were hiding.

Today, we went and saw the high ropes course along the canal -- crazy stuff, those high ropes courses, and there's no way on God's green earth that I would EVER try it. It wasn't open anyway, so we checked it out, then went on our turtle excursion. We were walking along, when what do we see but five turtles on a log.

With a duck.

Yep, there was a mallard perched up on that log with them, in the exact same position as the others, lined up like he had a shell. But he was a duck. His compadre was swimming nearby, giving him the duck eye, so as to say "dude, you are a BIRD. Get off the log before someone sees you." Which, of course, he was happy to do, when ds launched a rock in that general direction.

It's kind of like blowing out birthday candles -- he throws a rock, then watches to see how many bail out. In this case, the duck and four turtles bailed, leaving one old turtle looking at us like "you are idiots. Go away. I'm working on my tan, and I'm not getting up." I had to laugh at the duck, because it reminded me of the time when ds was younger, when we went to the cemetery to feed the ducks (yeah, we hang out with the dead), and ds came up to me wailing "that duck bit my butt!" He was offended, even though there was no possible way that he could've felt the wrath of the duck through his diaper. So maybe that rock toss today was his revenge on the duck population.

Good times, these are. Simple times with the boy, just enjoying the outside, and one of his favorite things. Next week, he wants to take an old bowling ball, because the road down to the canal is curvy, and has a drainage trough running beside it. He wants to launch the bowling ball down the hill and watch it roll into the pond at the bottom. This is the stuff that boys are made of.

And so, in honor of Speedy the turtle, ds's favorite stuffed buddy from his younger years, here's a cute turtle print vintage dress, from Retrochic Vintage, on the bay. Cute model, too. Just please don't throw anything at her.