Becoming a duck (not Duck) fan

I don’t mind rain, but sunshine is still more uplifting.  That golden glare just has that up and soar elements while the clear spaghetti can make you feel rust and rut sometimes.  But I am grateful that I am a Northwest resident where abundant water has created miles and miles of green acres all year round.

Thought it was supposed to be a Mostly Sunny day with early morning fog.  I jumped off the bed early and started to get my morning routine going. After breakfast was made, smoothie and my husband’s lunch box were prepared; I was ready to hop in the car with my camera the moment when he left for work. I am always late. I thought if I was out early enough, I wouldn’t miss it this time. My planned shot was visualized with morning sun. It was still foggy, but I expect the fog to vanish in an hour or so. 

Pre-occupied with a sunny day thought, I put on lightweight jacket and go without checking the temperature. Fog was still too thick; I could not shot what I pre-visualized along the highway with farmhouses and sheep in background.  Instead, I drove to go to a fishing pond in the vicinity.  I caught an osprey once with fish in his mouth, but I did not have the right lens with me and the image was not clear. I came back dreaming for second chance.

 

The moment I parked my car, a large bird was flapping its wing in the sky, Instinctively I thought, what luck, another osprey?  Nop, just a cormorant and it was out of my sight when I had my camera ready.  Ok. How about capturing the fish is freshly caught and the fisherman is wheeling in his fishing line?  Neither, it was too early and most of them just cast their initial lines.  It was deadly cold and some of them even went back to the car to warm up.

So cold and I did not have anything except a stocking cap what I left in my glove box. I put on the raincoat that I usually have it in my truck, not much help. Go home to get some warm clothes, no, I would miss the sunrise. Photographers need to suffer for their passion and goal? I am afraid so. I hang on and continued to look for my subjects. No sun, no leaping fish, just a few fishermen and women, and some ducks.

Speaking of ducks, I am mostly ducked-out living in Eugene. There are quite a few Duck Shops, duck fans, ducks in the pond and tramping in the park. My husband worships Oregon Ducks and he likes roasted duck. There are duck-inflicted traffic jams blocking the streets in game days…  When I go to Eugene Delta Pond, I look for egret or herons, not ducks or geese.

I was freezing and fog was still in, no sigh of sun two hours after I left my house. When will our weather forecast be accurate? Our guys even made it to Mars, but no new technology to give us valid weather report? I don’t believe it.  I was freezing, almost calling quit, but my spirit said No.

  

Shoot a few red-wing black birds, not interesting, they are everywhere. Shoot fog scenes? Barely anything can be seen in this heavy fog. I saw many black spots on water in distance. I know they are ducks, so what? more ducks than I can handle.

Suddenly my eyes were lit, I saw the ducks were assembled by a leader (I am guessing) and they were lined up heading to right side of the pond.  I could barely see them, but the action certainly caught my attention. In another minute or two, the ducks were heading to the left. Right and left. Left and right. I have never seen something like this. Are they having their morning water aerobics class, you think? I zoomed my lens all the way out.

With their heads facing the same direction, the silhouette looks so cute that I could not resist shooting repeatedly.  I should have used my tripod, but they were moving around and tripod became a hindrance. The images are not clear because of fog, pre-dawn darkness and distance, but I got enough fun. I swear, this is the first time I feel that I like them.

From this point onward, I was looking for more ducks. They were far away and they were tiny in the big picture, but they looked appealing to me. The three companies have been there and still there. I have to guess that they are a family. They seemed to embrace one another and hold on to each other in spite of the surroundings.

What kind of ducks, what color and did I aim at their eyes? These questions were all no longer in my thought , I just simply enjoyed their existence.

Still no sign of sun. I finally looked at my smartphone, the temperature said 33. I was freezing though I had not given up chasing these ducks. I found this large family or friends hidden in the bushes. It looked like they were having a high level conversation discussing how dumb I was, suffering from chill just for a few pictures of them. 

If I really suffered because of them, I am gaining something back. I added tropical sunshine to freezing water. In the end of my small adventure, I got to enjoy ducks bathing in tropical sun. I am entertained. I hope you are, too.

Dramatic sunshine has just shot through my window, I have to leave my chair and turn off my computer now.