It is still unseasonably cold, with temperatures running about ten degrees Celsius lower than the norms for this time of year. It may be April, but it doesn’t feel like Winter has quite decided to relax its grip upon us.

But there are signs of hope. The creek in front of my house, which is normally iced over for only a week or so in the middle of January, has finally begun to thaw. That means the ducks have returned.

The water must be freezing, but the ducks seem happy enough. Maybe I can learn something from their attitude. They aren’t complaining about the cold weather that is now passing (I hope); they are just grateful for what they have.