UGLY DUCKLING STORY REVEALED

Some of you know I live in a condo very near the Columbia River. My view off my deck is the river and the lights of the Portland Vancouver International Airport. However, it is the view out my kitchen and dining room window that brings me the most joy.

Pictured on the right is a view of the pond that is ever changing out my window. Spring in the Northwest is truly a delight in every way. The plants and trees you see here change with the season.

The center picture is one of the Blue Heron that has taken up residence here. This is a picture of one of his favorite fishing spots. He sits and sits and sits. One day as I was watching, he did get his prey…too big for him to eat all at once so he carried it off. Not sure where he actually spends his evenings, but all I know he brings a smile to my face each time I see him.

The third picture on the right is the real “Ugly Duckling”. We have four resident black swans. They are not very friendly creatures, so watching them from afar has become a wonderful treat. Each spring there is at least two babies born, as was the case this spring. However, all of sudden there was only one.

Living here helped me understand the true story of the “Ugly Duckling”. Each spring there are many baby ducks – sometimes as many as ten of them to a family. Before I know it, they have feathers and disappear somewhere.

The picture I have here is the “ugly duckling” (a baby swan, of course) It is now at least six weeks old. His body keeps growing as you can see by the size of him next to his mother. Yet, he is still entirely covered with down. Thus, the as the story goes…..I’m sure he’s wondering when he is going to be all grown up. It took me 50 years before I truly understood the story of the “Ugly Duckling” and all I had to do was look out my window.

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