Monday, April 24, 2006

Ducks, Geese & Frisbees

Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful. We headed out on another YRE that starts at a store in a new shopping area. The walk took us through a variety of milieus--the first being a park with a duck pond which we visit fairly often. With the bright spring weather, the park was filled with families picnicking and playing. We stopped a several times to let children pet Casey. He is such a fluffy dog that children and parents watch him as he promenades by like a king on parade. He occasionally pauses to offer his attentions to his admirers, but usually he shows disdain as he sniffs the air (and the grass and the posts and the…).

As we crossed the bridge over the pond, several families were feeding the ducks and geese or taking photographs. One duck was different than any I have seen there before. It was black with green iridescent green feathers on his head and neck. The geese were all the ordinary white variety. All however, were enjoying the feast presented to them.

From there we headed through a business park and on to a frisbee golf course. It is a really nice park with paved pathways meandering around a creek and through wetlands. Again the beautiful day brought the families out to play. Some children were searching the best way to get their disc into the holes while others were rolling down the slopes in the fresh green grass. It brought to mind the first time I played frisbee golf when I was about 7 or 8. It was at a church picnic in Iowa. I got my disc in the whole, when my sister, Janelle, looked at me and said, “You got a hole-in-one!” She then proceeded to brag about it to everyone else. That evening in church I was given an award for my hole-in-one—a stuffed Snoopy dog. I was a bit embarrassed over the fuss people were making, yet I felt very special that they though it was good enough for an award.

After leaving the golf course, the walk continued down a greenway with a wide path. We passed a few joggers, walkers and cyclists. All were friendly as Oregonians tend to be when the sun shines. We saw nearly as many garter snakes as people along this stretch. One snake was nearly two feet in length as it slithered across the pathway. At one point we saw a blue heron at the edge of a pond. At the end of the greenway, the walk headed toward another business park and back toward the starting point.

8 comments:

Joubert said...

I'd never even heard of frisbee golf but it sounds like fun. That duck might be a black West Indies duck whose feathers shine green in the sun.

Gayle said...

I've never heard of frisbee golf either. That black duck is indeed beautiful! :)

Sounds like you had a wonderful day in spite of the snake! We have a lot of snakes here. We have to be on the alert for rattlesnakes, and we never walk through tall grass at this time of year without wearing heavy boots.
Many of the snakes are harmless though, even though some of them are three and four feet long. They eat bugs, so we just pick them up out of the dog run and throw them over the fence when we see them so that the dogs don't kill them.

Rebekah said...

Sounds like you had fun! I've never heard of frisbee golf, either, but it sounds cool. :)

ABFreedom said...

Great images .... "One duck was different" ... I see these a lot up here, every pond seems to have a few in it. Don't know what they are though.

Never heard of frisbie golf either ... sounds like it would be easier to find the ball .....er ... frisbie rather then the ball.

Mark said...

I am undergoing some personal problems right now, in case you didn’t already know. So I have had little time to visit blogs. I barely have time to post on my own. I just want you to know I still read your blogposts if not everyday, at least every other day. Bear with me while I deal with my problems. I will soon be back blogging with passion as I have in the past.

If you visit some of the blogs I also visit, you will see this same comment.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pictures and interesting account of your Walk. I Love to here about your goings and comings!!! DAD

clew said...

Hello dear blog buddy! I know I've been scarce lately so I just wanted to pop in and say hi.

Also to let you know I swiped your eagle cam link and posted it on my blog. I gave you credit though ;)

Hope you are well! Cute duckies!

Karen Schmautz said...

I have heard of Frisbee golf...in fact, there are Frisbee golf courses around California. I've never played it because I am very bad at Frisbee and golf. I have better ways of making a fool of myself.

No Bigfoot sightings? Heh!