The chill of the last couple days gave way to a beautiful late Upper Hudson morning!
I got up a little early and, as I passed the French Doors to the back yard, I saw a duck. All by itself. Slowly walking in the grass. I had a camera out from the other night and grabbed it. The dogs were going a little crazy, whimpering and moaning to get out and investigate.
I felt a bit like the father in the poem "The Night Before Christmas," watching Saint Nick and chuckling in spite of myself. Well the duck continued its solitary walk and, by the time the dogs and I got to the front door, it was nowhere to be seen. So I walked to the river's edge and got the paper from the mailbox.
Beth was waiting for me on the porch with coffee. The dogs were seated in front of her, wrestling and playing with dog toys. That isn't unusual. What is unusual is that the duck was lying in the grass about 20 feet away from them and they weren't bothering it!
At first I thought it was a piece of tree bark. I went and 1) got my glasses (yes, it was the duck) and 2) a camera (I could not believe it). I walked over. The duck blinked. So it wasn't dead but, what, was it sick? It didn't move and the dogs didn't bother it. A first!
Beth interested but nonplussed. She said "huh, well it must be sick and the dogs can tell it." I guess so but... So we finished our porch routine and, before I cleared the tray to the kitchen I looked around the porch and the duck was gone.
The dogs had never acknowledged its presence and we didn't hear it fly away. Poof!
I've seen sick birds near the river, and I have seen odd activity by "wild things" that would make me wonder if they are well.
I am not a "PCB nerd" but I am aware that the entire river ecosystem is upset by the abundance of toxins that remain.
When I think of all the effort that went into the cleanup to date only to see it be suspended far short of macro satisfactory completion it is upsetting and frustrating.
We can do it, we must do it, sooner is better.
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