“Just me, the ducks and the swan. That’s my world at 07:30 two or three times a week. I greet them cordially with a cheerful good morning, after all I’m on their turf (can water be classed as “turf”?) and don’t want to upset them. Sometimes they answer, not the Swan though, she is not on speaking terms just yet, but the ducks gabble and quack and paddle towards me in a frenzied gaggle (or Flock to be more precise), then rush away as though they had just remembered they’d left the oven on. Conversations are short, one sided but oh so satisfying. Just writing this I find myself relaxing and smiling.

Yes, it is cold and yes it can be a tad uncomfortable for a couple of minutes. But, when the body has accepted where it is and relaxed, then the mind has nothing to do except follow suit. I no longer swim lengths, I dawdle and chat and dawdle, hoping, just hoping that one day that swan will wish me a good morning as it majestically “swans” past in the morning sunlight.”

~Russ