Go on, shoot your ducks for us
IT could be thought foolish to ask for photos on another subject already, given I still have more than 100 of your best autumn shots tucked away. But how’s this for an idea?
A colleague came to me last week and said: ‘‘You know how it’s duckshooting season soon?’’
‘‘Yes,’’ I said, even though it hadn’t actually got within 100 miles of crossing my mind.
‘‘How about you ask readers to send in their photos of ducks?’’ she said.
‘‘What? Dead ones?’’ I exclaimed, all shocked and horrified.
‘‘Don’t be silly,’’ she said caringly, as she pulled out a chair for me to sit on and poured me a brandy from the WWT cocktail cabinet. ‘‘The ones you have on your wall.’’
Well, if that isn’t a great idea, I don’t know what is.
Of course, it’s Hilda Ogden’s flying ducks on her ‘‘muriel’’ inside No 13 Coronation Street that are probably the world’s most famous. Remember how the middle one could never quite manage to stay up?
Interestingly, I read that those three plaster ducks actually began life on the wall of Hilda’s neighbour, Elsie Tanner. And that at one stage they were selling for hundreds of pounds — if you could even find any — in antique shops.
So, there’s your next challenge. Show us your ducks. Your plaster ducks. Subtle threat — if I don’t get any duck photos, I’ll torture you with more autumn leaves next week.
Footnote — May may be time to take potshots at ducks, but I always remember it for when those delicious mandarins arrive in the shops. M for mallard, M for mandarin, M for New Zealand Music Month and M for May. Marvellous!
Autumn colours
OK, I am now officially drowning in leaves and other autumnal delights. I must have had more than 200 photographs sent in over the past few days.
Thank you so much for all your amazing images. But I just wanted to let you know this rather exciting episode in the life of What’s With That is almost over. We’ve now decided that today is the last day for entries. So, no more! Please, no more!!
Prizes have been confirmed. The winner will receive an A2sized landscape or portrait canvas of their winning photo, while for the four runnersup there will be A4 prints of their images.
Barnes dance
Peter and Lynne Hill, of Mosgiel, disagree with Dave, of St Clair, who wants to cut the amount of time pedestrians have to cross on the Barnes Dances in central Dunedin.
The Hills say those whose walking speed is impaired by injury or age need all the time currently allowed, about 20 seconds, to cross the main roads.