When I was a college student in the 1970’s a cheap sparkling wine known as “Cold Duck” was really popular (along with Zapple, Annie Greensprings, and Boone’s Farm). Do they still produce those wines?
The title of this posting, however, refers to a bird that I observed on the ice this past weekend, not to a retro beverage.
I was struck by the contrast between the vivid colors of the male mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and the drab gray and white of the frozen pond. The duck seemed to be getting into a yoga-like pose, with one foot flat on the ice and the pointed toe of the other foot providing additional stability. Wait a minute, do ducks have toes?
I also couldn’t help but notice that ducks look a lot more graceful when swimming or flying—walking looks like it would be awkward for a duck. I suspect that no composer will every produce a ballet entitled “Duck Pond,” which would scarcely provide any competition for “Swan Lake.”
In the first few days of February, our temperatures have soared over the freezing mark, but there has been little melting on the surface of the pond and I did not detect any quacks in the ice.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Its way colder up here and the ducks stick around, it amazes me. Great shot and I wish you had not reminded me of that rotgut 🙂
You quack me up, Michael Q. Powell!
Hah, great photo, bad pun. 😉
The beautiful colours on that duck must have left quite an impression to inspire this post.
Inspiration comes in many ways. Words can sometimes trigger memories and weird associations (not to mention bad puns).
I so understand.
OMG ! I so remember Cold duck. And it was really awful. What ever were we thinking? I’m learning how fantastic ice is as a light reflector. Wonderful capture.
Thanks. I think that only folks of a certain generation remember cold duck. It was part of a generational experience.
My high school years were in a suburb of Detroit (shudder), and the equivalent there was Thunderbird (double shudder). I guess it all came down to what you could afford to fill the bill.
But quacks on the ice for sure! ~SueBee
Even I remember Boons farm and MD 20/20 from high school..;-)
Mad Dog 20/20 was foul stuff, but also a big hit in this area. Apple flavored wine just seemed wrong in a lot of ways in those days. We wanted the grape.
I don’t think ducks walk very well. I watched a female mallard trying to stand on a big rock one day and she seemed to be having trouble just standing still. Actually, she looked like she was drunk.
I remember Baby Duck, but I’ve never had Cold Duck….
I can’t believe how tolerant these birds are to the cold…their feathers must be warmer than we imagine. Away with the fur coats, and on with the feathers for me??? Maybe…not…lol.
I’ve got a coat with lots of feathers (goose down) and it’s real warm. Still, I don’t see how birds manage in the cold weather.
Beautiful shot. Mallards are so pretty. We sometimes don’t notice them because they are so common around here. Watch out for those quacks.
[…] a post with a photo of a Mallard standing on one foot on a patch of ice, which he entitled “Cold Duck,” and I’m happy to provide a friendly nod to Mike for his idea, which I’m taking the liberty […]
Going cold turkey;;;I love it, Gary. I haven’t yet seen a wild turkey yet (though I have tried a shot of it during my younger days).