This week's critters

 Sometimes the critters just seem to pop up everywhere.

A sweet Snauzadoodle (I think) was a little bit hyper, though she had calming treats to eat, at the Center for the Arts show last week.

Pippen came to visit at the Tailgate market again last Saturday, with her mom!

And Maddie lives with my favorite hair artist, Joe. She comes to work with him sometimes too.

I had barely stepped out of my car at the parking lot of Lake Tomahawk, when I was greeted by these white ducks.  Since the pool is now open, there aren't as many parking places near the Senior Center, so I have to park at the tennis court lot...and walk a ways to get to lunch. But hey, I need the exercise!

I don't know if these tin critters count, just standing by the bookstore in Little Switzerland NC where we visited last Wed. I'll finish the second blog of all those photos soon!

Sharing with Eileen's Saturday's Critters!

Today's quote: 

 Being aware of the connection between all things can help you in terms of the broader effect you may be creating.

A short walk

 The warm weather beckons me outside. I love feeling the land beneath my feet, rather than concrete or asphalt, even rather than my own floors inside.

The pavillion has lights hung. Now I just need to come by some evening to see them,

This would be a great photo for reflections, or Fences make good Neighbors. I wonder if those memes still happen somewhere.

Then there's this welcoming bench...

If you wish to wade, or fly to sit upon it!

Just another place to acknowledge that nature, in the form of wet mud and waddling feet of ducks and geese, will make their ways where no person might tread.

Today's Quote:

We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind, and tide. ..David Abram, Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology.

More on ducks and geese

 As I mentioned yesterday, the geese and ducks were away from the banks of Lake Tomahawk, which is how they stay safe from dogs (and children.)

 In the sluice which drains the lake into the Swannanoa River, I saw a few Mallard ducks, and a couple of ducklings!

 The mom is on the left, but the tiny little guy on the right is working against the current.

 Really there are 2 ducklings, one right behind mom, and the other in those shadows.

Finally a shot that makes each duckling visible!

Looking back across the dam, other ducks and geese can be spotted.

Ducks Napping and Nielsen

 A few weeks ago I  answered some questions on the phone about my newspaper and radio preferences, by Nielsen.  Then they sent me a survey of my TV watching.  It's a little booklet, not very difficult except for us channel surfers who watch about 3 different shows at the same time.  I mostly behaved and only watched 2 at a time. I needed something to do while the commercials were on.  Of course Nielsen prefered their customers to buy their products, but they are out of luck with me.  And I did this the week of the first 20 Democratic candidates having their shams called debates.  I could only watch 30 minutes of each night.

Anyway, I did ship off the completed form, and decided it's not really worth me paying for the TV part of my cable...I'm happy enough with just the internet.  So I'll be spending that money elsewhere soon.

 I parked next to this big white vehicle, only to see some mallards napping in front of it.

They stirred a bit, then settled back down with a wary eye on me and my phone camera.

Today's quote:

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

Monday critter report

 Maybe a Common Gallinule or maybe a Coot, and a Canada Goose....

 A walk around the lake at about 3 o'clock on Saturday.  Lots of hungry geese are out.

 This one took off just as I got near...flying after another one that's barely visible center of the photo.

 The wild white ducks.  Some are breeding with the Mallards, so probably are not geese.

I saw 3 mallards swimming around in the middle of the lake. They all dived and disappeared for the count of 15 seconds, and when they returned to the surface one male was trying to mount another.  I've never seen anything like it. Couldn't tell for sure that the one practically underwater was female...but hey, they're ducks!

 My sad little lone goose on the dam was not alone today.  There's another pair that aren't exactly "with him."

 There really are 2 geese in this shot...but you may have to use your imagination so you don't think it's a 2 headed goose.

Lonely dam goose still shows something amiss with his wing feathers.

The geese and ducks

At noon, very few geese are around...and this poor guy seemed to have an injured wing...at least one feather was sticking out a bit to the wrong direction.

And then dog-walkers came by, and the goose just waddled down the grass of the dam, not getting in the water, not flying.

Some mallards playing in the shallow waters.

Along with white geese (ducks?) and a few mallards, this little black coot? wanted to join the group.

The goose whisperer

 I stopped when some ducks appeared eager to leave the lake and walk across my path.  Wildlife gets right-of-way in my mind.

 They were scurrying while waddling...rather funny sight!

 There holding a wild goose, and occasionally whistling, sat the goose whistler.  He also does feed them, which obviously catches their attention.  I've asked him what he feeds them in the past, because we've had to post signs (Black Mountain I mean) saying not to feed ducks because bread (which most people use) causes disease.  But he feeds them cracked corn...he said.

 I see you seeing me.

 The males are still pretty competitive!

These white geese/large ducks were most mean to each other.  Maybe they needed to have a time out.