Two older people, out walking our ducks? Friday afternoon?

We were taking them to the local tattoo parlour.

On the way, we picked up Sabina, with a cake box.

It was, after all, my birthday.

Nine ducklings with their mum and drake.

My, they were beautiful.

They appeared, truly out of nowhere, in our courtyard.

Nine tiny, just hatched, ducklings. Inner city ducks?

We've never seen ducks in nearby Princes Square.

Even so, they would need to have waddled across two sets of traffic lights from St John's church to the synagogue.

Mmm...kosha ducks?

According to GrowandBehold Kosher Foods "the fact that our ducks are raised on pasture, without hormones or antibiotics, means you're getting a product that is not only delicious, but healthy and sustainable as well."

I digress.

As those prone to taking too long to tell a story say "long story short'': On my birthday we discovered a duck and drake in our courtyard. We corralled them down St John Street, and picked up some helpers along the way. Before we got to St John Craft Beer, they turned into the doorway of Takumi Tattoo. Our local tattoo artist - Beau Maslen welcomed the ducks and kept them safe at his front reception desk. A young woman duck whisperer contacted Animal Rescue and within 10 minutes Olivia arrived.

A while later, Olivia sent me a short video of the travel-weary ducks. They were last seen near a pond in Blackstone Heights.

It was only a week later that it occurred to us they may have been pet ducks.

Oh dear. Did you lose some ducks?

WTduck?

Speaking of ducks ... how confidence-instilling are Australia's politicians?

I did, however, love the moment last week when Tasmanian Premier (Ironbark) Gutwein basically told the nation that he didn't give a "rat's'' about what other states thought was the correct pathway out of COVID restrictions.

Ironbark was the name given to our wartime Prime Minister Ben Chifley, a NSW, Labor, anti-conscriptionist.

"If an idea is worth fighting for, no matter the penalty, fight for the right and truth and justice will prevail''.

Imagine any of today's federal leaders stringing those words together?

Instead we are led by cliches - ScoMo-isms or Alban-(un)easy speak.

Sadly, neither rocks my boat. Did someone mention the (invisible) Greens?

Where are the great speech writers with their comfort and inspiration? If ever there was a time for a great speech, it is these weeks before Australia moves from mostly COVID-denial to "who let the ducks out?''

Dear reader what would you do if you were "in charge''?

Have you been vaccinated? Yes.

Are you scared of what's next? Yes.

Would you rather our politicians stopped the no-brainer, petty, point scoring?

The good news, for those who observe such things, is that a Federal Election is due before May 21.

And, as any politician will tell you - their single most important duty is to get re-elected.

"From day one in Canberra'' one told me.

The other good news is that the current government will not want to be found 'quacking' and based on a COVID re-election agenda, we can expect competence and compassion in equal measures.

What? Tell me I'm dreaming?

Have you smelled the sweetness of spring?

The first whiff came last Sunday.

The whiff of promise, barbecues and garden dreaming.

I think spring is my very favourite season here in Tasmania.

The blossom that ends winter, the winds and rains that follow and clear the slate and the sound of turtle doves in the CBD.

With all that's going on, life is still sweet.