La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
ON OUR WAY BACK FROM San Geraldo’s birthday lunch, we passed the guitar pool where I had spotted the duck the other day (click here). Only when I pointed out that the duck was still there, San Geraldo said, “That’s a goose.”* So the saying, “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck,” is only true if one knows the difference between a duck and goose.
Isabel was here to clean today, which is always a pleasure. SG and I went for coffee at Mesón Salvador, after which he had his haircut and I malingered a while longer. I had a rough day with feelings of panic for no apparent reason. Other than the US senate hearings, Coronavirus, Brexit, and the state of the world in general, I don’t know what could be bothering me. The panic has been coming and going all day. I’m doing a bit better at the moment and looking forward to a quiet evening at home, and exercise and a good walk in the sunshine tomorrow.
Plants are budding and blooming all around us, so I’m collecting images to share of the apartment. Today, I hope you’ll enjoy photos of Wednesday’s sunset; the cats giving me, as Bob of I Should Be Laughing calls it, their imitation of the dead twin sisters in The Shining; and some views of the terrace — front and side. I’ve got clean-up and organizing to do at the back end of the terrace, which will give me the opportunity to shift some plants around, too. Those kinds of tasks are very satisfying and therapeutic. What works for you — other than drugs?
* It turns out it was a duck after all. Specifically a domestic Muscovy duck.
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DE REGRESO DEL ALMUERZO DE cumpleaños de San Geraldo, pasamos por la piscina de guitarras donde había visto al pato el otro día (haz clic aquí). Solo cuando señalé que el pato seguía ahí, dijo San Geraldo: “Eso es un ganso”*. Así que la frase, “Si parece un pato, nada como un pato y grazna como un pato, entonces probablemente sea un pato,” sólo es cierto si uno conoce la diferencia entre un pato y un ganso.
Isabel estuvo aquí hoy para limpiar, lo cual siempre es un placer. SG y yo fuimos a tomar un café al Mesón Salvador, después de lo cual él se cortó el pelo y yo fingí un poco más. Tuve un día difícil con sentimientos de pánico sin razón aparente. Aparte de las audiencias del Senado de EE. UU., Coronavirus, Brexit y el estado del mundo en general, no sé qué podría estar carcomiéndome. El pánico ha estado yendo y viniendo todo el día. Estoy un poco mejor en este momento y espero pasar una tarde tranquila en casa, hacer ejercicio y dar un buen paseo mañana bajo el sol.
Las plantas están brotando y floreciendo a nuestro alrededor, así que estoy recopilando imágenes para compartir del apartamento. Hoy, espero que disfruten de las fotos del atardecer del miércoles; los gatos que me dan, como Bob de I Should Be Laughing lo llama, su imitación de las hermanas gemelas muertas en la pelicula El Resplandor; y algunas vistas a la terraza — frontal y lateral. Tengo que limpiar y organizarme en la parte de atrás de la terraza, lo que me dará la oportunidad de cambiar algunas plantas también. Ese tipo de tareas son muy satisfactorias y terapéuticas. ¿Qué funciona para ti — además de las drogas?
* Resulta que, después de todo, era un pato. Específicamente un pato criollo.
Moose y Dudo.
Las gemelas Grady de El Resplendor.
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Pido disculpas porque la canción está solo en yídish e inglés, y no en español. Es una historia sobre un ganso doméstico en una carnicería que quiere ir a donde va el ganso salvaje. “Déjame volar, déjame volar, déjame volar”. Termina con una maldición yiddish sobre el carnicero de que debería apestar en la cabeza.
The song ends with a Yiddish curse on the butcher that he should stink from his head.
I’m looking at the shape of the head and that bill, and I think it’s in the duck species myself. I loved seeing Moose in the kitty tower! Did you make San Geraldo an appointment for scrotox? Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
Mistress Maddie:
You’re absolutely right. Turns out it’s a domestic Muscovy Duck. If it looks like a duck… That’s Dudo in the kitty tower. SG is the last person who would ever take a needle to his nuts!
Bob is right – they do look like the twins! Love the gorgeous sunset and those UFO clouds in the next shot. Hope your panic subsides. What a horrible feeling to have hovering over you. I worked hard this morning in the garden burying a soaker hose in the raised bed (after running and walking the dogs for an hour). Don’t think I could have done it if it had been at ground level. The physical exercise helps me keep keeping on . . . .
Wilma:
My terrace project will be lots of work and, as you said, will help keep me going. Just finished breakfast and will head out shortly for a walk on the beach. Yesterday wasn’t all bad but those panic attacks sucked.
I’m a little scared looking at their photo because they seem to be saying, “Really, Bob? Do we scare you?”
Bob:
Ever since you pointed out the resemblance, I can’t unsee it.
plants blooming would be a lovely thing to see. I have 25″ of frozen dirty snow on the ground. and I ALWAYS like seeing pix of the boys!
I knit and listen to classical music and ignore the shit outside my 4 walls. I can’t control it, so why stress about it.
anne marie:
The snow is so beautiful until it gets dirty… AND you have to drive or walk in it. I wish I had a switch that enabled me to simply turn things off for a while. So far, today is fine.
The sunset photo is BEAUTIFUL……so crisp!
Happy you have things to do…..helps occupy your time.
We use CBD oil to keep things calmer and for sleep too. It works for us. Exercise is good too as you know.
Jim:
Sunset photos were taken with my iPhone. Exercise is the best; and although I CAN exercise, the sciatica limits what I can do and that frustrates me. It’s always somethin’!
Don’t tell SG, but it still looks like a duck to me.
Love,
Janie
Janie:
Well, you’re absolutely right and not the only one to point it out. I’ve added a note to the post. A domestic Moscavy duck (see Mary’s comment).
Sorry SG. Not a goose. It would appear to be a Black and White Musk duck. https://depositphotos.com/240510598/stock-photo-big-nice-beautiful-fattened-black.html Evidently a domesticated Muscovy Duck. (Now you know what I do with my spare time…look up red-beaked ducks).
Those Shining twins…yowza. Now I know why I don’t watch scary movies. Dudo and Moose need new role models.
Mary:
I’m so glad you did. I added a note to the post. I should have looked it up myself! The Shining was an extremely creepy film (and book) and those twins were a highlight.
It’s alright SG, I bet it’s really a South Dakota goose.
Susan:
Turns out it’s a domestic Muscovy Duck!!!
That second sunset photo looks beautiful and foreboding all at once!
Debra:
Doesn’t it? Those clouds were fascinating.
Those are some nifty cloud formations!
Walt the Fourth:
Again, I suspect black and white would really show them off. I’ll have to give it a try.
We had Muscovy ducks in Florida, they may be a warm climate species. A friend of my grandmother had one as a pet, in her front garden. My grandmother thought it looked awfully greasy, could understand why anyone would keep one.
David:
As you can probably imagine, we didn’t know anyone with pet ducks in Brooklyn.
stinko
Blogger ate my comment again
I left word pato was one of the first words I learned – not to be confused with puta.
Urspo:
How strange. I remember the comment (without the reference to “puta”) and I remember replying to it. But I can’t find it! Anyway: pato/puta, pollo/polla, conejos/cojones… It can be very entertaining.