Duke and Daphne the Dating Ducks

It's Spring!!
The trees are full of blossoms, the flowerbeds are overflowing with tulips and daffodils, and all of the couples are out walking hand in hand. It reminds me of that scene from Bambi when all the animals start getting "Twiterpated."

I celebrated the coming of spring this year by going to the Holi Festival of Colors. At this Hindu festival, hundreds of people all come together to throw bright colored chalk in the air as well as on each other. The explosion of the colors is really exciting, but the high concentration of chalk during the toss is hard on the lungs. By the end, you are covered in color and in desperate need of a shower (or four). This year, for some reason, my hair actually stayed a lovely shade of green for days...but the celebration of Spring was worth it.

I love Spring. I love seeing the flowers and even the couples popping up all over campus. My favorite couple by far is Duke and Daphne. Duke and Daphne are two mallard ducks who like to leave their duck pond every once and a while to experience campus life.(Yes, I named them) There are lots of ducks at the pond on the southern edge of campus, but Duke and Daphne seem to be the only ones brave enough to adventure off to the human world of BYU. I like to imagine that Duke is taking Daphne on little dates away from the pond. Duke is quite the Romantic duck!

I've seen them in various places on campus: Cuddling in the grass outside the music building,  going for a bite to eat in a mud puddle by the library, strolling (waddling) midst the high concentration of students on the side walks, and flying over the BYU bookstore. Honestly, the first time I met Duke and Daphne - I almost stepped on them because I was not expecting a duck in the middle of my walk to class. They don't seem to mind, or notice, the thousands of students walking around them...maybe they are too much in love...or maybe they are just silly ducks. Either way, seeing them always makes me smile. I think we shall be good friends.