Self-Assured Beauty

Phil and I had a photo-seeking stroll at Lake Padden this morning, pleasantly interrupted several times by coming across friends at several points on the trail, and stopping to have a chat.

Blipfoto friends were also on my mind -- I thought of Freespiral, the queen of reflections in Ireland, when I noticed these sinuous reflections in several of my favorite colors, and Memories4Me in still-snowbound Maine (more snow fell last night!), when I saw these golden catkins glowing in the sunshine, and wished that I could magically transport her here.

The simple perfection of this beautiful Mallard female reminded me of some lines from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass:

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd;
I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition;
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;
Not one is dissatisfied---not one is demented with the mania of owning things;
Not one kneels to another...