It’s been several years since we fed the ducks. It’s back to a time before our world changed. A family of 3. Every Sunday we would go to the lake armed with food left overs from the week. Often our son would be surrounded by hundreds of ducks and swans. He would carefully try to ensure all those impatiently waiting received a share of the food parcel. Then we would go to the local cafe for a freshly baked cheese scone. So many great moments sadly stopped one August three years ago.

Maybe this weekend will be a good time to rectify our absence. It wasn’t the birds fault that the bad stuff happened. Maybe we can rekindle some of those feelings. Maybe we will create new feelings. We won’t know until we try. I suspect the ducks won’t mind us trying.

So I’ve started filling a large bucket with out of date oats, some cheap tinned sweet corn, seed and of course a little bit of bread. Even ducks need a balanced diet.

While trying to find the old duck feed bucket I came across a couple of old concert T-shirt’s and ticket stubs. Days of hair, tight trousers and Thunderbird Cider. Looking at the names on the shirts it was very sobering. Many of those I went to see are sadly not with us anymore. So while I worked this afternoon I listened to a music from these fallen heroes. I tried to recall seeing that person on stage – in their prime. How they should be remembered. The roll call included

Cozy Powell

Richard Wright

Lemmy

Rory Gallagher

Ronnie James Dio

John Lord

Gary Moore

Lou Reed

Kirsty MacColl

David Bowie

The more I think about it the more heroes I can add to the list. That’s really sobering. As you get older more and more of your heroes depart. But they have left so many lasting memories for us to enjoy. They left a positive mark on this world. That’s a life well lived. I will leave the last words to Lemmy.

“Death is an inevitability, isn’t it? You become more aware of that when you get to my age. I don’t worry about it. I’m ready for it. When I go, I want to go doing what I do best. If I died tomorrow, I couldn’t complain. It’s been good“

84 thoughts on “Ducks”

  6. Using old memories to create new memories sounds like an awesome way to honor the old memories and keep them alive and fresh in your mind.

    Good memories remind of life well lived.

    Besides, feeding ducks is fun. It’s the geese you gotta watch out for. Those suckers are mean!
    💌

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  8. Feeding the ducks … what a perfect thing to do! For me … anything done in nature, communing with critters or trees, even rocks … is cathartic. The ducks will appreciate it too! Pictures … we will expect to see pictures of the duckies on Monday! Have fun … relax … let nature bring some peace to your heart.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. The ducks sound like a very positive idea to me, and there is no reason she cannot be there with you in spirit, even though the two of you would prefer the other way. You can make more good memories that will last for you both to add to the good ones you already have.

    Lemme got it right, there’s no avoiding death, we gotta expect it’s going to show up all over the place, all the time and yet none of us are ever ready for it and all that follows. 😦

    There should be a better system for dealing with it by now, wouldn’t you think??

    RIP to our Heroes.

    May they live longer in our hearts than they did in this life.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

      3. Yeah in our time. Once played piano with Ricky Ross, front man of Deacon Blue before he was ever that. We were friends with him and his first wife way back. And I have Elton John’s autograph from way back too. Nowadays we like smaller live music events. Dundee does a very good Blues Festival and there’s a good live music scene. Where we live which is in Broughty Ferry it’s not so good for live stuff but they do do small music festivals in the summer.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. I’m happy to hear you are resurrecting the fun things the 3 of you did. I didn’t have anyone to do that with. But I still do the fun things ……. just alone. Make the most of it. Kids grow up so darn fast.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  15. The photos are gorgeous! I’m glad you’re returning to the past to knit a future. It’s not always the easiest thing, especially when grief is involved, but Nature heals and so we must avail ourselves of it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. In my latest yesterday, I wrote about hope in the midst of hopelessness. When I’ve completed a post, I always pray to find the right photo – to complete the message. Sometimes, the photo that comes makes sense, sometimes, it doesn’t. Yesterday was a case in point for ‘doesn’t’. I just couldn’t see how the pic that tugged at me was related in a deeper way to what I had written.
        And then I saw the ducks in the water.
        And it made sense.
        Serenity. Hope.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. One of my hero’s, Nick Cave, wrote this on grief when asked about how he coped with the death of his son. I thought you might appreciate it.

    “This is a very beautiful question and I am grateful that you have asked it. It seems to me, that if we love, we grieve. That’s the deal. That’s the pact. Grief and love are forever intertwined. Grief is the terrible reminder of the depths of our love and, like love, grief is non-negotiable. There is a vastness to grief that overwhelms our minuscule selves. We are tiny, trembling clusters of atoms subsumed within grief’s awesome presence. It occupies the core of our being and extends through our fingers to the limits of the universe. Within that whirling gyre all manner of madnesses exist; ghosts and spirits and dream visitations, and everything else that we, in our anguish, will into existence. These are precious gifts that are as valid and as real as we need them to be. They are the spirit guides that lead us out of the darkness.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. One’s never to old to feed ducks! I have many happy memories of going with my grandfather to feed the ducks. I still think of him when I take my own kiddos to feed the ducks. I do hope you get to the ducks–it can be a quiet, kind place. xxxxxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. Now that’s something to look forward to. Had to laugh I think it was this week son said to me ‘I know someone in America whose dad does great Turkey meals you’ve got three weeks to improve’….I think he only knows one person from America. xxxxx

        Liked by 1 person

      7. You can never go wrong with pizza! Another Christmas tradition by us is the Christmas Eve chili–that started with my mom’s side. Christmas Eve was always THE CRAZIEST day of the year, what with three church services and family visits and such, so very often supper wasn’t had until after nine at night. Mom would get a chili going on the that afternoon and then just let it simmer while we were at church all evening. I like keeping that tradition going, albeit with a slow cooker so as not to burn the house down. (not that the kids eat the chili, but whatever–it’s winter, and it’s warm!)

        Liked by 1 person

      8. I like that sound of that. Now in the post that conversation world I let him stay up late on Christmas Eve. He has his movies to get through. Home Alone, Scrooged and finishing off with Groundhog Day. Chilli with that sounds great. Even I can do a chilli. xx

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment