The Mallards

Have you ever looked out your kitchen window to see a couple of ducks asses sticking up from the gross and grimy winter water that sits atop the pool cover?  I have, several times.  And it never fails to make me laugh.  In fact, I don't tell Danny right away because I want to enjoy the sight of The Mallards, (Greg and Lana) lollygagging about the pool before he runs out the deck door yelling
"Hey you ducks, get out of my god damn pool!"  It is best when he comes from his office with a stomp and a pout before he rushes out to the deck.
Every year it is the same, a nice duck couple flies over and sees the undisturbed water.  I am sure they give each other a look and think "why not!"  There may be dog(s) in the yard, but they are far from the yard, protected by height and fence.  I am sure that the ducks can spend quite a bit of the day bobbing about the icky water before someone spots them and shoos them away.  I know for a fact that if it is Ashlyn or I that spot them, we aren't as quick to shoo them, mainly because we think ducks are funny.
A few days ago, there were two geese walking across the street.  Luckily, they flew over the wall and not over the house because as much as I enjoy The Mallards, Greg and Lana, the idea of a couple of Canadian Geese stopping buy for a swim doesn't seem as funny.
Granted, having ducks swimming in the top water also means that they are pooping in the top water and when it is time to drain the cover and remove it, all that poop has to be cleaned up.  I am happy to say that I missed out on that fun chore this year.  But Ashlyn informed me that it was the most disgusting clean up she has ever done.   
Ashlyn thinks we ought to get a couple of peacocks.  And I think she is spot on with this idea.  It seems very natural to me to have a bird sitting atop the fence yelling "help, help, help".  Or maybe one strutting about the deck, fanning out his feathers.  I can easily see Jacob trying to sneak up on the peacock only to get a face full of feathers. 
So until we can convince Danny the peacocks make perfect sense in our yard, I will have to settle for The Mallards.  I will quietly laugh at their feathery butts sticking up from the mucky water as I look out my kitchen window.  But next year, I will move a little quicker to get them out of the pool because next year, Danny is not going to simply shoo them out, he plans to take them out.   Greg and Lana, you have been warned.