The Queen of the Castle

I hate to admit it...but, I have quite a large area on my back now...that I can't reach if I have an itch. I had to resort to a back-scratcher from Dollar Tree that is always too rough, or have my wife scratch it for me. Whenever someone else scratches your back for you...it always feels good...but, it is really hard to get just the right "spot", or to apply the right pressure. You watch...now she won't do it for me. She'll say, "Get out your cheap back-scratcher...I hope it makes you bleed." (She would'nt really say that. She's much too nice.)

If I only had the neck of this lovely swan. I could "crank" that neck back there like one of those "machine-toy-cranes" that suck down your quarters. I could reach just about anywhere "back there."

After getting up early to set up chairs at my church...I stopped by the pond, and found this swan, and her mate. I was so enthralled with them, and they were such willing models...that I took 250 shots. Can you say..EXCESSIVE ?
I only stopped because my battery went low, and my spare was in the car.

I can't believe the size of her "feet." I don't like to highlight celebrities because I think our country has a problem with them...but...this would be like Lady Gaga (uggghhhh) having size 22 feet. Those "webbers" are huge.

The whole scene was not as idyllic as it looks. A mother duck came by with 4 ducklings. The mother and 3 babies got out of the water. The last one had trouble. This same swan...beautiful...graceful...stunning...got a look on her face...that was just "mean." Almost devilish. Two different times...the swan went after the baby duck. She did not succeed. I thought I was going to have to dive in. The duckling finally found a place to get out.

A pretty bird. Almost regal, and surely the "royalty" of the pond.