Make Way for Ducklings!

[elleng]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/04/26/GA2010042603800.html?hpid=artslot

[Judi Lynn]

1. Thank you, elleng. Beautiful.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[barbtries]

2. that was too cute

there's a pond near my work where ducks sometimes bring their young. a few years ago a woman working on the 3rd floor had a baby duckling actually make it inside and up the elevator to her floor!

[BlueIris]

3. Niiiiice. nt

[elocs]

4. I had the same thing happen near my house.

I live a block from a river and a block in the opposite direction is a busy 4-lane street. I had just crossed that street to go for a walk when I notice a couple of guys walking where I ordinarily don't see anyone. Then I figured out what they were doing when I saw them walking behind a momma duck walking her babies toward the river, but also toward the busy street.

Without a word to either of them I walked on the opposite side of the street and when we reached the highway I stopped the cars coming from the south and they stopped the traffic coming from the north. All of the traffic did stop as the ducks made their way across.

I didn't know the other guys who helped and I don't know if they knew each other, but we all then went on our way after spontaneously cooperating in doing a good deed. It was nice.

[tavalon]

5. Thank you!

Did you know that seeing such images can actually boost your immune system, as can watching funny videos or reading funny or inspiring things?

[elleng]

6. Wondered why I was feeling so good, tav!

:hi:

Emotions surely do make a difference.

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Way-Ducklings-Picture-Puffins/dp/0140564349

[tavalon]

7. As a complete aside,

only on DU do people shorten my username to tav or Tav and I love it. I'm tempted to drop the other 4 letters and just go with Tav!

[unhappycamper]

8. Oh, I thought you meant:

[proudohioan]

26. That's what I thought of, too!

I LOVED that book as a kid!

[malaise]

9. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Too sweet.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

10. Thanks for posting that. It brought a nice morning boost of positive energy.

I always dread this time of year when the local duck families start taking to the roads.

Too many people won't take a few seconds of their precious lives to allow safe passage for the little critters.

[elleng]

18. Thought it would, Al_X; almost just said 'Good Morning,'

but thought it deserved better.

Swans in pond down the street from me.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

29. That's one of the things that I miss about living in Connecticut.

There were swans everywhere. I don't know why, but we hardly ever see any around here. The ones that we do see are just passing through.

I guess that they don't like Central PA anymore than I do.

Well, at least we have lots and lots of Turkey Vultures. You know that you're struggling on the bike when three of them glide in and land on a fence a few feet away from me as I struggle up a hill. That made me pick up my pace a little bit.

All in all, I'd say that the ducks and swans are much more pleasant to look at.

[Berry Cool]

11. Adorable--thanks for the link.

Sometimes, when the rest of the world feels like it's full of crap, it's nice to be reminded that the delights of nature are still with us. These people did a great deed making sure this mom and her babies had safe travels.

[YOY]

12. Two days later the ducklings exited the Metro at Galleryplace Chinatown and dissapeared...

I joke! I joke!

[Stuart G]

13. Thanks for posting this. K and R.

[Hubert Flottz]

14. K&R

I have a couple of female mallards with their young here in the river behind my house. Very pretty and fun to watch them grow up.

[CTyankee]

15. What a find, Ellen! That final photo of the mama duck and her ducklings

in the pond, seen through the rushes, is just incredibly beautiful! The "look" on mama duck's "face" (sort of, "okay, this is cool").

Brava, Ellen!

[elleng]

17. Isn't that mama+ in the rushes great!!!

So glad you saw it, yank!

[CTyankee]

21. I'm so glad you posted it, Ellen!

I got a great sense of the goodness of people with even the smallest and most vulnerable creatures. That has to be the feel good story of the day, if not the month and year! We are so bombarded with the nastiest stuff every day. This just gives us hope...

[KittyWampus]

25. around here we have to stop traffic to cross turtles.

:)

[elleng]

28. Long Island TURTLES????

:hi:

[KharmaTrain]

16. I Have A Couple Outside My Window...

A beautiful green headed male along with his girlfriend...the second year I've noticed them. They lay all day on the grass at the edge of my driveway...paying no mind to any of us. Around noon time they waddle over to a nearby pond for lunch then back to their little "love nest" later in the day. I'm on a cul-de-sac and all of us watch out for them...they've become neighborhood celebrities. We keep hoping we'll find little duckies waddling with them in the next couple weeks.

[elleng]

19. Delightful to have such neighborhood celebrities!

[raccoon]

20. Isn't that sweet? nt

[HopeHoops]

22. I did that for a pair of geese and their goslings in Reston, VA - MAN are there some ASSHOLES there!

At least a dozen cars zipped out around to get by, most honking, and two of them almost took out the last gosling - along with my foot. What impatient fucking assholes.

[lonestarnot]

23. Cute!

[KittyWampus]

24. GAH!

[proudohioan]

27. AWWWWWWW! Thanks for that one; I needed it! nt