It is a warm winter morning. That might sound paradoxical, but to the ducks resting on the frozen lake, the morning sun is quite calming and rejuvenating. Sitting by the lake, empty of worldly concern, the sun warms the body, a whisper of spring. Where the ducks rest peacefully, a small area of the lake is also unfrozen. Some of the ducks walk carefully around the edges, planting each step with hesitation, watching the rippling water with such curiosity, before they gently settle in the water, swimming ever slowly, wetting their feathers and beaks.