Feeding the Ducks

Sometimes when we have nothing better to do and just feel like stretching our legs, we go out and take a walk. Some of Durham's many attractions are the various hiking trails that provide us variety in scenery and keeps us from getting bored. Sometimes we just walk around our neighborhood but sometimes when the mood strikes us, we go to the Duke Gardens which is just a couple of miles from our house. We started going to this garden when the children were smaller because it is pretty secure, away from busy streets, and we can let them run loose. They can run ahead of us, climb trees, find hideouts, all within our sight with no worries of them getting too far ahead or lost. Many a times we've brought a picnic blanket and just lolled around on the lawns or napped under trees.

One of the girls' favorite activity during these walks is to feed the ducks. The girls never fail to clean out the kitchen of stale bread for the ducks before we leave the house. I remember one snowy day a couple of years ago when we had been housebound without power for a few days due to an ice storm. We were all suffering cabin fever and needed to get out for some air. At the first opportunity to get out of the house, this garden is where they wanted to head to, to check on the ducks. We trekked through icy trails and broken tree limbs to this pond just so they can feed their ducks. You see, they don't worry about the ducks too much when the weather is nice as they practically get overfed from all the other children bringing them bread crumbs. It's when the weather gets cold and uncertain that the girls want to make sure they have enough to eat.

Click here to see more photos of our walk through the garden.