Before I start, I should point out that we are still in the month of March. MARCH. The sun is high in the cloudless sky. Nicci and I decided to go and sit by the pool that is part of the housing complex we are temporarily lodged in. Yes, we have a pool! Sun protection lotion was very much in order as we sat back on the sunchairs and had a crack at Crossword #10 in the book given us for Christmas by Granny Johns. We realised that this is probably the first time we've ever sat by a pool in the sunshine, reading/snoozing on an ordinary weekend. Nice.

And as we lay there, soaking up the rays, in they came. Two mallards: one male, one female. The arrived in formation and landed gracefully in the pool. What fun, we thought. They swam around for a bit, clearly enjoying the feel of the cool water beneath their wings. They edged closer to each other. And then their heads started bobbing. First his, then hers, then his again, then hers. Quicker and quicker their heads were bobbing at each other, as if in some ritual dance. And that was indeed what it was - a mating dance. It was over in a flash. While it was a privilege to witness nature first hand, we were rather put off the idea of swimming.