It's a Duck's Life

I am at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando attending a conference. It is a lovely accommodation. Its cache is the famous Peabody ducks. The duck logo can be found everywhere including on the toilet paper. There is duck shaped soap and duck shaped butter. And, there are real ducks that reside here. It goes back to a tradition at the first hotel in Memphis. Anyway, there are 6 mallard ducks that spend the day in a marble fountain in one of the marble lobbies and then spend the night in their "duck castle" (a big cage) located on one of the hotel's verandas. They live a very safe and pampered life. No stress, no troubles but they never get to fly. All they do is waddle from the fountain in the morning and then back to the castle in the evening where food awaits. They never fly, they never migrate, they never live fully as ducks.

So the question becomes for each of us - do we waddle in safety or do we fly in freedom?

Pirate Robie

Yesterday, my daughter Lisa decided to get a Halloween costume for her cat, Robie. Hence, Pirate Robie. We had a bet that she couldn't get the hat on the cat.  I lost the bet, but got some amusing photos. Oh, the joy of win-win situations!

Clouds in Paradise

Admittedly, it was not the best weather this past weekend at Glen Lake in northern Michigan, but the fresh air, blustery wind and spectacular beauty always brings joy to my heart. Here are a few shots of clouds looming over the lake.