“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,

places to play in and pray in where nature may   

heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul"

                                                                                     

                                    John Muir

I have combined the photos from two trips to

a duck pond in the park. The ducks are quite tame

a lot of people seem to be feeding them. Even

thought it is not really a good idea to get them so

accustomed to people you can get close enough

to really see the beautiful patterns of the feathers.

The raccoons here are also quite tame one year

on a quiet evening Helen and I sat on a bench

we saw one then another until a small group of

raccoons sat in a semi circle in front of the bench

like family dogs. This raccoon came down because

a young man was feeding the ducks once the raccoon

finished some bread the fellow produced an egg from

his pocket, from the egg shells scattered around it

seems they are old friends.

Mallard

 

I had never appreciated the lovely colours and

beautiful feather patterns of the Coot until now.

Lesser Scaup, male and female

Common Merganser

American Wigeon

" Hold your hands out over the earth

as over a flame "

        from  The Outermost House

Henry Beston