In flight entertainment
Mallards incoming
This was almost going to be a photo-free day—sigh—what with a deadline project that needed to be finished, but in late afternoon, as I was en route to a meeting, I noticed a small flock of Mallards circling a frozen pond. Along the edge was a very peeved barnyard goose who was following every move the ducks made. The goose was honking loudly, as if to say, "You stupid birds, go somewhere else." The mallards, however, circled lower and lower and soon came in for a rag-tag landing: a respectful distance away from the Gray Guardian. The curmudgeon, still honking but clearly not being paid attention to, stomped off to the center of the pond. The ducks, perhaps two dozen strong, staked a claim to the pond's edge formerly occupied by the peeved protector.