Cheryl

I walked along further and ran into the duck lady again. She was checking on the new duck. It was black and white with a gnarled red face. It had been dropped off at some distance from here. She said she was so glad that it had swam all the way over here. I said I checked on it the other day and talked to it. It was used to people certainly, and would nibble my finger. I thought it might be weak. They can have a rough time to begin out here. Hasn't found any friends yet, but a lot of Canadian Geese were camped out closed by.

He looks stronger today. She said she wanted to feed her something. She was calling it a she. "They don't know how to survive out here. They just huddle and look scared. I was thinking maybe I should feed her", she said. "But I wish I knew what? Maybe some kind of seed". She thought she could go to a pet store and find something for ducks. "Well they might have chicken feed", I suggested. "I don't know what they would eat on the farm". She said she grew up on a farm. Her father fed the chickens oats. Well I said maybe get some oats. They don't like you feeding the ducks. Think it is welfare. But these guys need some help starting out. After awhile she will figure it out. She will get some friends. It was a gorgeous black and white Moscovy Duck.

Luis is going to Europe. Won't be long - I won't see him anymore. So today he wants back-packing information. He is going to North Face today. He wants to buy a tent, sleeping bag and a backpack. "Should I buy the big backpack?" "You have had all this time to ask me and right now you want to know". We were heading for the back of the grocery store. He was pushing a vegetable cart. I go - "I got what sixty seconds here, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven. You don't want a seven pound backpack. That's starting with seven pounds right there. My backpack frame, belts, straps, pack, I built myself with handles so that with arms straight, just curl your fingers and it lifts all the weight off, weighs one and a quarter pound. You want light, if you want to backpack someday. Don't want to have to buy it twice; - two pounds each, if they make it and if you can find it, pack, sleeping bag and tent. I talked weight and temperature and price. You have my web site address. Look it up on there, and he went into the back. Him and a buddy are going to Europe for as long as the money lasts. I suggested renting a car, camping and cooking their own breakfasts and dinners. He seems a bit of a procrastinator.

Had to buy my lottery ticket today. Buy twenty dollars at a time for two plays a week of the super-lotto. But wouldn't you know I did it wrong. I pressed a wrong number. Had always been using the same number. The psychology here is you always have to play the same number because as soon as you do not it will hit. Knew a guy when I was in the army in Greece who sold lottery tickets on the Athens streets. He was a former New York City restaurant owner claiming to have owned two or three. Sold his restaurants and retired in Greece. Said he gave all his money away to his poor relations and was now reduced to selling lottery tickets. In Athens at the time, the tickets were sold by individuals on the streets. Gave poor people some work. He had a little dog which he pinned lottery tickets to its fur so that it looked like Christmas tree decoration. Said it sold tickets. His only hope in life was to win the lottery, so he bought one ticket everyday if he could afford it. Last I heard of him he was in the hospital so don't know what happened to him.

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