Today I saw a duck. Having walked though a Winter Wonderland of Christmas markets in Hamburg and its non teetotally appealing mulled drinks, it was the simplest thing. They were bobbing up and down and doing what I was taught at school as surface diving.
With a kick they would almost clear the water then, beak first, straight down they plunged, grabbing something that passed for food from the bottom. It was very entertaining. Moreso because it reminded me of my favourite joke at school: What has a duck got in common with the gas company? They can both stick their bills up their... well, you get the idea.
The ducks would always scout around for where they were heading first and then they would always shake their hair dry afterwards. The wintry chill seemed to lift.
I called the manoeuvre the Look-And-Duck. I suppose that is why they were called ducks in the first place. Was I the only person who missed that memo ?
Then I saw another sign that all was well in the world. A poster for Freiheit’s new album. Yes, German pop music funsters Freiheit. It seems like the game will never be over for the Eighties one hit wonders. They are still Keeping the Dream Alive. Perhaps a Christmas number one beckons. If the album does not turn out to be a Christmas number two.
And the poster next to them was for singing pensioner Roger Whitaker’s latest tour. (What happened to the days when fame was for only 15 minutes?) Roger Whitaker! And his white beard!
One more scrap for today – an aphorism new to me. If you run into difficulty with someone, prescribe kindness – if it doesn’t work, double the dose. A suitable Christmassy message for a suitably Christmassy day.
Apart from the ducks.
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