Getting our ducks in a row

Shortly before 7 this morning, as I was on my way to work, cattitude and I took a few minutes to herd ducks.

I'd gotten out a little earlier than usual, so there was time to walk in the park, instead of straight to the train. We went over to see if the goslings were on the lawn by the Columbia boathouse, but were distracted en route.

There was a female duck on the waist-high wall between the path and the bit of sloping greenery next to the river there. That's not a usual place for ducks, and after a moment Cattitude figured it out: her seven ducklings were on the path, and she was trying to convince them to come up and join her.

They were trying, but new-hatched ducklings can't jump, or climb, that high, nor can they fly yet. We slowly and carefully walked along, so that Mama and the babies (and the drake who flew up to join her after a couple of minutes) would walk away from the road, and toward a footbridge where the wall ends and is replaced by a fence that a duckling can easily fit under.

It took a few minutes, and some cheerful conversation with neighbors (one of whom asked if the ducklings were ours), but they got to the bridge. The adults flew down to the water, and quacked (which I think is "follow me!" in duck). It took a moment, but one duckling after another jumped off, and there they all were, duck, drake, and seven ducklings, paddling happily on an inlet off the Hudson River.

Getting our ducks in a row

Shortly before 7 this morning, as I was on my way to work, cattitude and I took a few minutes to herd ducks.

I'd gotten out a little earlier than usual, so there was time to walk in the park, instead of straight to the train. We went over to see if the goslings were on the lawn by the Columbia boathouse, but were distracted en route.

There was a female duck on the waist-high wall between the path and the bit of sloping greenery next to the river there. That's not a usual place for ducks, and after a moment Cattitude figured it out: her seven ducklings were on the path, and she was trying to convince them to come up and join her.

They were trying, but new-hatched ducklings can't jump, or climb, that high, nor can they fly yet. We slowly and carefully walked along, so that Mama and the babies (and the drake who flew up to join her after a couple of minutes) would walk away from the road, and toward a footbridge where the wall ends and is replaced by a fence that a duckling can easily fit under.

It took a few minutes, and some cheerful conversation with neighbors (one of whom asked if the ducklings were ours), but they got to the bridge. The adults flew down to the water, and quacked (which I think is "follow me!" in duck). It took a moment, but one duckling after another jumped off, and there they all were, duck, drake, and seven ducklings, paddling happily on an inlet off the Hudson River.

Good bones

Some days, there are free bagels or salads in the office dining room. Today, there were free bone density screenings.

It was a fairly simple procedure: a form with a handful of questions (including age, sex, whether you're taking three specific medications, whether you eat a lot of dairy, whether you regularly do aerobic exercise, and whether you have blue eyes*), and then an X-ray of your middle finger. The person doing the tests asked me for "the hand you don't use", which I translated as "your non-dominant hand", because of course I use both.

I have healthy bones: well above average, in fact. I commented that this was probably because I lift weights, and the screener said that was likely. (I was half-expecting to be advised to start taking more calcium, at least.) Afterwards, I realized: I lift weights, I walk a lot, and I'm fat**. Of course I have good bone density.

*I hadn't known this, but apparently blue eyes are a known risk factor for osteoporosis.
**The form didn't mention this, but lifelong thinness is also a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Good bones

Some days, there are free bagels or salads in the office dining room. Today, there were free bone density screenings.

It was a fairly simple procedure: a form with a handful of questions (including age, sex, whether you're taking three specific medications, whether you eat a lot of dairy, whether you regularly do aerobic exercise, and whether you have blue eyes*), and then an X-ray of your middle finger. The person doing the tests asked me for "the hand you don't use", which I translated as "your non-dominant hand", because of course I use both.

I have healthy bones: well above average, in fact. I commented that this was probably because I lift weights, and the screener said that was likely. (I was half-expecting to be advised to start taking more calcium, at least.) Afterwards, I realized: I lift weights, I walk a lot, and I'm fat**. Of course I have good bone density.

*I hadn't known this, but apparently blue eyes are a known risk factor for osteoporosis.
**The form didn't mention this, but lifelong thinness is also a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Birthday

Happy belated birthday, lisajulie!

(I posted birthday wishes late yesterday, but accidentally posted to a random community you're not in instead of to my own journal.)

Birthday

Happy belated birthday, lisajulie!

(I posted birthday wishes late yesterday, but accidentally posted to a random community you're not in instead of to my own journal.)