A duck and a swim

Our neighbors are odd. They have their own farm in their front garden. They also seclude themselves away from society by having a very tall hedge encircling their property. They never prune it. It's over eight feet tall in places and it's a constant source of frustration for me that we're forever having to trim it.
Anyway, my normally mundane morning ablutions were interrupted by our neighbor shouting for her duck. This went on for a few minutes and then I heard her say 'there you are'. This was then followed by wailing. Between the cries I heard 'oh my poor duck' and 'that was my favorite'. At first I actually thought she had found her husband dead in the border. You see, the hedge between our respective properties is thick but voices are clearly audible - as is the constant barking of her dogs, but I digress... This woman was upset, really upset. The crying continued for a long time. I couldn't see anything but I had formed a mental image of her cradling her favorite duck, tears running down her face. It was a very sad thing to witness. She seemed to blame a cat for killing it though I couldn't work out whether it was her own. Given the number of ducks and assorted wildfowl she keeps, I can only imagine a cat would be the worst thing to have around the place.
What really got me was the affection this woman had for her duck. I know they are a reclusive couple and have communicated very little since they moved in about two years ago. Thinking about it, the chap who had the place before them was weird - he never communicated either. We do seem to attract people here who don't fit in anywhere else. People seem to cocoon themselves away up here - some on their own and others with wild animals to keep them comfortable.

This afternoon, the three of us went swimming at our local pool in Spalding. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. I've always likened it to having a bath with a load of strangers, not that having a bath with friends would be any better... It wasn't busy - just a handful of people really. We spent most of the time in the kiddies pool. My son cannot swim yet and lacks confidence. The pool was about 0.8 meters deep and comfortably warm. I hadn't swam for a long time but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could actually float. I'd always had my doubts given my considerable bulk and with a little more confidence I managed to both float and propel myself across the pool a few times. Wow, I was pretty proud of myself! My son soon gained more confidence and also managed to float a little with the aid of armbands. My wife showed off her swimming skills by diving under and pretending to be a shark. My son loved it, shrieking with excitement as her dark mass got nearer and nearer until she finally surfaced with a big splash. Oh what fun...
So despite my misgivings, I actually confess to having enjoyed myself. It looks like we'll be making a habit of it...

Tomorrow, my son experiences his new school for the first time. He's only there from 1.30 to 3.30 but I do find myself worrying whether or not he'll take to it. He does seem quite excited about it though so I don't think he's worrying nearly as much as me. I'm sure he'll be fine...