Pond life

I didn't have anything in the diary at all today - I should have had a booked phone call in as it turns out but I coped with that when it happened.
After a slow morning I took a pair of curtains, and a dress to the alterations lady I met a few weeks ago. Both should be ready this week. I've survived with too long curtains for far too long. I'm excited to have them made the correct length at last
My dress is one which I bought which was described as Calf length - All I can say is some calves must have very long legs!
It has a beautiful full circular skirt, about 4 metres around at hem height! I just couldn't face taking it up by hand and the tension on my sewing machine has been knocked right off by someone I lent it too. I need to have a session with the instruction manual to try to get it right again. It's not something I normally adjust.
Katy phoned while I was out and we arranged to meet up in Stockbridge for lunch, Colin joined us too. I parked in East Fettes Avenue and walked by the pond on my way in. The blip is from there.
Google tells me the strange duck is an Indian running duck, does anyone know if that is correct? They certainly do have ducks of that shape in India, you see hundreds of them being herded along the road, a very funny sight. They're not that colour though the ones I know are more of a dark brown.
The ducklings were tiny they looked like they were on their first day out, no sign of mum or dad! Mum and baby swan were enjoying the duck weed and ignoring the coot, while dad swan sat on the other side of the pond enjoying the sunshine. The two tufted ducks were looking busy in the main pond.
After I got home I decided to get stuck into removing some of the couch grass in the garden. I do like to see an area I've worked on with a hand fork, it looks so fresh and finished. The couch grass is vicious, I think it must have come in with some birds.
There continue to be masses of lady birds in three stages of development (the fourth stage - eggs - are not visible) all over the garden - wonderful, the number of greenfly are much reduced thank goodness. It's been a lovely warm day.
What a devastating crash in India and so sad to watch it all unfold in the online reports. Hopefully there wasn't enough time for the people onboard to realise what was happening. There seems, not surprisingly, such an air of confusion and loss .