Round Robin: The New Adventures of Desperado Duck

This entry is in response to Vicky's Round Robin topic for this week: "Floating," and also a follow-up to an Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot of a few months ago. On that occasion, I introduced readers to Desperado Duck, a promotional rubber duck for an Arizona resort, who came to me years ago when I worked at Worldwide Travel. Desperado had quite an adventure on our last photo shoot together, escaping into open water and hiding in a litter-filled eddy as dusk turned to night. This weekend we return to Reid Park (yes, there again), where Desperado floats along under exciting but slightly more controlled conditions.

Desperado and Wrongway take a bubble bath in the kitchen sink.

From the Picasa album The New Adventures of Desperado Duck

Before heading out to the park, I let Desperado and his elderly friend, Wrongway, float in my leftover dish water. Wrongway is at least 30 years old, and may well be 40 or 50, being the exact same kind of rubber duck as the one I had as a child. My original was thrown into the top of a pine tree by a bully when I was about eight years old, and I never got it back.

Without the edge of the sink to brace against,
Wrongway demonstrates the reason for her name.

Wrongway was a squeaker at one time, but by the time I got her the base was sealed airtight. Thus, no squeaking. This may also explain why her balance is catastrophically off.

I did consider taking the dogs and the two ducks to a different park that has a lake, but decided it made more sense not to strike out in two different directions, or waste too much of the dogs' time on a park that didn't have the right facilities for them. Off we went to Barnum Hill in Reid Park, from which water flows downhill into the two "urban lakes," aka the duck ponds. Wrongway came along, but only as an observer.

For a few moments, Desperado floated peacefully along. But then he reached the first of the mini-waterfalls, after which he decided to emulate Wrongway and try a non-vertical approach.

At least he's not upside down!

Nice day for a float!

Geronimo!

At one point he was up to his neck in bubbles - but still floating.

Eventually he got stuck in a clump of algae. I helped him to a little lagoon, where he rested near the shore.

I think it was while I was freeing DD from the algae (using a discarded paper bag that was floating nearby) that Cayenne managed to pull away and run off, chasing ducks! She was having far too much fun to come when I called her, and I was too busy collecting DD and chasing after her (not to mention too distant) to get good photos of her antics. As I caught up with her she ignored my warning, plunged into the pond and tried to swim toward some live ducks! She knew immediately it was a tactical error, as she was bogged down in pond muck. She turned around and struggled back out, soaked and smelly. She is so going to get a bath today! In that pond, dogs don't float!

Now let's go see everyone else's floaters:


Linking List

Vicki
Maraca
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Ellipsis
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Karen - Posted!
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And of course, you're welcome to play along!

Karen