fishies (and lame ducks)

I spent the day in meetings in a hot room in St John's, and when I eventually emerged found that I hadn't taken a camera with me (comes of leaving at an unnaturally early hour to take a car to be serviced, first).   But I did have my iPhone...so it was back to playing around with its talents at the fishpond in front of the main building.   It's lucky for the inhabitants of this pond that Santa Fe is short on herons.   It's also short on ducks - I've just watched the hypnotizing ramble that is Sarah Palin's resignation speech as Governor of Alaska (wasn't she elected to do her civic duty for another year and a half? - or is something Nasty about to emerge from the woodshed, and is she jumping before she's pushed?)  and was struck by the  brainless serendipity of the background to this address.   She may not want to be a Lame Duck - but isn't it offering a hostage to fortune to stand with a lake behind one, on which many mallards are to be seen happily paddling around?