Hot Pink Baby Pools - Not Just For Babies. Or Girls.

You know those standard issue baby pools you see at the baby store, right?

Well, the kids and I were driving down the interstate today on our way to go to a local park (and, of course, Sonic).  On the side of the interstate, I noticed one of those prison buses.  The ones where the prisoners pick up trash and what not on the side of the road.  The all male group was walking down the side of the interstate with the bus following behind them.  I see something hot pink intermingled with all of the orange get-up they had on.  As I drove closer, I realized that one of the prison mates had a HOT PINK baby pool tethered to him. And he was dragging it behind him.  Kind of like a mule. But not. Since he is a human and all!

And in the pool?  The tire debris they were picking up.

This wasn't just some pool they found somewhere.  No, this appeared to be a brand-spanking-new pool. Almost like one of the guards bought it for that very reason. For kicks and grins and what not.  I do hope it was just another thing that they found on the road and not an extra measure of punishment given to them. Regardless, it was an interesting site to behold.

Kinda like this, but SO much brighter!

Source

Let's move onto less humiliating, more normal things. Shall we?

Once we were at our local park (Sonic in hand), we started out by feeding the ducks.  This park in particular is one of my more favorites.  

It is a full package for mom and child(ren).  It has ample trails for mom to walk easily with a stroller, it has ducks, it has a playground and it has areas for kids to run around.  Also, a bathroom.  Always a plus. 

As the kids and I were approaching the ducks, we hear a bunch of excited high school girls coming our way.  They stopped short of where we were and started practicing their cheers in the middle of one of the trail paths (?!??!).  

Anyways, like I was mentioning, this is one of my more preferred parks.  The one downfall to it is that there is a lovely waterfall feature that runs into the pond where kids are often feeding the ducks.  There is no fence or barrier preventing your child from falling into the scum pond. Or slipping down the waterfall.  So, as we were approaching the water feature, I notice a lone (ugly) duck nearby behind a fence.  Perfect, I thought!  No pesky canadian geese around, no close water to fall into, and a fence.

The lone ugly duck.

  

Within 4.23 seconds, there were 40+ ducks there. (Yes, I counted.  It was a pretty intense amount of ducks.)

I know that there is a super secret, super quiet signal that alerts the ducks to a possibly feeding frenzy.  I have yet to decipher what that signal is, especially since we were not at the standard water feature feeding place.  

But, the speed at which they showed up?!  REMARKABLE.

Award winning, really.

He was so excited by the insane amount of ducks!

The ugly duck fought the others for the choice food.

Things the ducks consumed today?  Besides the standard issue bread, there were cheerios scooped up from the floorboard on the side of the car where they boy sits and likes to toss cheerios like confetti, an uneaten peanut butter sandwich, some dried up cheese as well as veggie eggrolls leftover from my intense eggroll craving period that occurred during my last pregnancy.

Little girl happy that she has been promoted to
sitting in stroller without being snapped in the carseat. 

Getting prepared for our walk, post ducks.  The cup of Sonic ice water
did the trick in enticing the boy back into the stroller.  He covets the Sonic
cup.  I have no idea where he gets that from.

We had a nice little walk and finished it out with the cheerleaders continuing in their cheers (in the middle of a path! for over an hour! seriously!), a mom pushing a baby in a stroller with a pool floaty (there is no pool! just the duck scum pond!), and a gentleman carrying 2 golf clubs on his walk (there is no putting green! is it for defense?  or for attacking?).

Anyways, it was a fun morning for me and the kids.  I do love just hanging out with them and taking care of them.  They are such a treat.  And I love seeing the joy on their faces when they are having a good time or are learning something new.

Happy Wednesday, my friends.