Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Spring Cleaning

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Spring Cleaning...






After the dust storm
a little spring cleaning
was required
both inside and outside
after which
I had a rest
on the outdoor sofa











Harold and Maude
thought it time
to do their own
spring cleaning












so after a little swim












and a drink











and a gargle











they set to work











they cleaned under
and over











between












and wait












what's that










time to get back in Maude













nibble at a few of those
tickling little mites














don't forget between the feathers
Harold













I'm watching












ah
almost done












now we can rest













just float a while
our hard work is done












Time to go now
Maude

Come along...






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44 comments:

  1. Delwyn, after your clean up from the dust storm inside and out, I hope you cleaned yourself every bit as good as Harold and Maude. Love their reflections in the water, very nice post.

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  2. Hi Delwyn

    The ducks are very well suited to their names. Whenever I see a duck now I shall think Harold and Maude.

    Lovely sequence of shots.

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  3. Hi Martin

    I have written about Harold and Maude a few times before - they are regular visitors here at my riverside home....

    If you would like to read more about them go to that little white box at the top left of my opening page and type

    Visitors

    or
    The Intruders

    or
    Duck Diaries

    and it will come up with these stories that will introduce you to Harold and Maude and tell you a little more of their antics...

    Happy days

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  4. Hi Ann

    woops...perhaps I had better get into that cold pool and give myself the once over like H&M...

    The reflections look like marble I thought...


    Happy days

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  5. I always enjoy reading about those duckie antics! How sweet. I love how much you enjoy the beauty you are surrounded with and how you celebrate it. I imagine that is exactly the kind of conversation Harold and Maud would be having too :)

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  6. hello delwyn - well this answers a question i left here a while back about how things were for the poor animals after the dusts storms!!! they just clean up and move on with their lives!! that one image does look like marble delwyn - very cool!!!!! have a peaceful evening by the river. steven

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  7. Good Day Delwyn...Were you as meticulous at cleaning as Harold and Maude? I was expecting the removal of a leaf or bug maybe...then the "they set to work" photo totally surprised me...and left me laughing! They and your captions were so funny.
    It must be very relaxing to watch Maude and Harold and their antics...especially their spring cleaning!

    Smiles always,
    Wanda

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  8. Wow, that sequence of shots is amazing Delwyn. They are beautiful with their feathers in place or askew. A couple of their cleaning contortions looked like yoga poses (on one leg).

    And the reflections in the water do look like marble.

    Your world is so full of nature's wonders you can just lay there and it comes to you!!

    Where those blue or purple feathers under the top layer?

    Were you able to get rid of all the dust? And did you give in and pull out the vacuum to do it?

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  9. Hi Vicky

    I like the new photo...

    H&M love the elite seclusion of the pool...while here two other ducks were floating below in the river about 20 m away and Harold went down and chased them off determined to keep the health retreat to himself and his lady...

    Happy days

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  10. So it's not just humans that breath a sigh of relief and feel good after a spring clean.

    Harold and Maude look very clean and you look relaxed with your feet up. I hope you had a nice cool drink in your hand too.

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  11. Hi Steven

    I wonder whether they were cleaning out dust from their feathers...they certainly were more vigorous in their ablutions than I have seen before...Or they could be getting rid of ticks or mites in the chlorinated water...
    which makes it nice for us to swim in...

    Happy days

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  12. Hello Wanda

    Fortunately the inside of the house was not too bad, the deck and verandahs were pretty dusty, I hosed down all the glass doors and what a mess I made of them...now its window cleaning time!

    I have a pair of turtle doves using the deck and eating the seeds I put out. They have always lived in the wattle tree at the deck's edge.
    And also I had a peewee yesterday...It was interesting to watch the pecking order around the seeds and water tray...ducks are at #1 followed by pee wee and turtle doves the most placid...

    Happy days

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  13. Hi Bonnie

    The feathers change from iridescent purple to green depending on the light...they are beautiful to watch and I also learned through watching all of this preening that ducks have a layer of white small feathers underneath their wings...

    Most of the interior of our house is timber so that is easy to clean....and I did seal it up well...outside was a different story...


    Happy days

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  14. The photo of their splayed feathers while preening is priceless! They didn't look too dusty, but I guess it helps if you live most of the time in the water! I've just looked back through your posts to see your views of the dust storm.

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  15. Hi Liss

    It was time for a rest with son #1's partner while the boys were at a local car show...After the 5am start for the farmers' market Sunday afternoons are usually slow...we are hoping to do more paddling but it has still been windy here...

    Happy days

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  16. Hi Violet

    how are you..

    So you can see that we are talking pretty dusty...but not nearly as bad as Brisbane or Sydney fortunately...

    what I loved was when Harold and Maude had finished preening they just sat on the water very still with legs dangling looking so relaxed...

    Happy days

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  17. That was cute...thanks for the chuckles this morning!

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  18. What great photos. I love seeing those ducks so close-up, hard at work preening their beautiful plumage. Thanks!

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  19. Harold and Maude have a residence nearby? What a sweet post!

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  20. Love your delightful ducky friends. They must be Virgo ducks, as well! :^)

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  21. Hi Delwyn! (I think my reply disappeared, so I repeat.) Harold and Maude are gorgeous! There seem to be turquoise and violet eggs tucked in there and coupled with the scalloped feathers and turquoise reflection in the water, we have an aria!

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  22. Lovely duck shots. Hope that's the end of the dust storms but we've got the dry season coming up.

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  23. Ah, I'm glad both house and ducks are clean now. Cute photos of Harold and Maude! I like the feet up on the deck raid, too. That looks like relaxation in action.

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  24. Ok. This goofy smile I have on my face is starting to hurt.

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  25. Delwyn, utterly fabulous photographs! Thank you so much.

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  26. Hi There Polly Pollinatrix

    we are amused easily...and that is good...

    Happy days

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  27. Hi Janie

    a good vantage point...Janie...

    Happy days

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  28. Hi Alaine

    As I wandered about this morning collecting laundry I wiped over some surfaces and still I am picking up red dust...
    We have only had one rain in the last 4 months, so we are hoping for rains to come soon...and that the dry is over here. We get a lot of tropical rain storms late in the year as it heats up..

    Happy days

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  29. Hi Margaret

    I think that purple and green feather colouring is one and the same...depending on the light...at first I thought the ducks were different but they both change colour at times...
    The reflections picked up that colouring and threw it onto the pebblecreting on the bottom of the pool...

    Happy days

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  30. Ho Willow

    yes clever girl... they have been attracted here - an affinity of sorts...

    Happy days

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  31. Hello Rosaria

    home is up a little creek across the river, retreats are here daily on my deck...

    Happy days

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  32. Hi KB

    you do get a new appreciation for the old pacific black duck when you see him close up in all his bejeweled finery...

    Happy days

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  33. Hi Betsy


    a ducky way to start the day...

    Happy days

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  34. Titus

    happy to see you today Titus...have a lovely day...

    Happy days

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  35. Harold and Maude. heehee, love it! They make a nice pair. It's good to see that not only your feathered friends, but the river (lake?) cleaned up nicely as well.

    Awesome whale photos below, too. I've been whale watching, but never as lucky as to see one breaching up close, let alone photograph one.

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  36. Delwyn, just heard about the earthquake near Samoa, and hope no damage has occured at your home.

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  37. Hi Jennifer...
    I have missed you...have you been busy...

    I had not heard...for some reason it wasn't mentioned on this morning's paper so I have just informed myself... It seems that the tsunami was responsible for loss of life...
    NZ is closer to Samoa than Au...and had tsunami warnings...

    thanks for your concern


    Happy days

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  38. Hello Bright Bella

    I live on a river running to he sea just a km away around the corner...
    We have had two layerings of dust...minor really other than nuisance value...


    I saw my own whales yesterday for the first time off the headland on my walk...but Pete's pics from the boat are splendid...

    Happy days

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  39. Oh this post brought smiles! What great shots you got of Harold & Maude doing their spring cleaning!

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  40. A true master piece of a post, Delwyn!
    I love the whole aesthetic and heart of your blog.
    the Boss!
    Aloha, Friend

    Comfort Spiral

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  41. Delwyn, I love your cleaning style, feet up, looking at the lake....LOL

    Great pictures! You must have a telephoto lens! That was fun and you have made me smile :D

    Thanks for bringing sunshine to my day!

    Big Hug <3

    ***Now get back to work! LOL

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  42. Hi Alicia

    I had fun whilst they had good clean fun...

    Happy days

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  43. Hi Cloudia

    you are sweet - thank you...

    Perhaps I should have said thank you
    duckie ... which is a very english sort of term of endearment...

    Happy days

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  44. Hi Chiccy

    I hate to disillusion you but this is the after shot... I did some more washing windows and floors today and cannot believe the red grit I found... Yuck...
    I bought a new Canon compact camera but with a great 20x zoom...its the perfect camera for someone that doesn't want to fiddle with lenses (me)

    Thanks for the cheery visit..

    Happy days

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