On Water, Land and Air

I just witnessed a large flock of ducks flying over the woods in the valley from the lake. They don't look quite adept in flight. When compared to the graceful soaring of the eagle or the easy circular gliding of the buzzard, the ducks constant flapping of their wings lets the observer know that flying through thin air is not the best element for them.

But I remember a scuba diving trip I made once during which there were many ducks floating effortlessly on the surface. Suddenly, with seemingly little effort on their part they were diving almost straight downward head first. What enviable diving skills! I imagine they were thinking to themselves while passing me in all my diving gear floundering about, "look at the clumsiness of that creature over there. I can tell from her awkwardness that the water is not her natural element!"

Just imagine having the natural ability to locomote (I know, Microsoft Spell and Grammar check, that this is not a word; but it should be if one can have locomotion, one should be able to locomote...and besides I like the sound of the word.) on land, water and through the air without the aid of artificial devices and machines. So upon reflection, I would say that the duck is quite an enviable creature who has the ability to navigate his/her way about in all three settings to observe this beautiful and magical Mother Earth from so many perspectives.

I have watched them leave their favorite feeding area on the lake, take flight, encircle the small lake (actually more of a small pond it would be called in other parts of the country, but in Texas we have the mentality for hyperbole just because the boundaries defining our state are far apart) only to come to rest where they began. I wonder is this flight an opportunity to exercise, or perhaps to reassure themselves that they have indeed selected the best feeding spot, or for some other purpose?

I suppose I like to think that one of them says something like, "Hey gang, anyone up for a flight roundabout?" just for the fun of it with absolutely no purpose for this activity whatsoever; except maybe to give the scientists something to ponder over. No, I really prefer to think it is just for the sheer fun of it with absolutely no purpose at all. They can and so they do. After all, that is what we human beings need is more fun and less activity for a purpose. Carpe diem!