The duck – her name is William – should be safely ensconced on the shores of Loch Fyne by now. I’ll let you know when there is any news.

I was much alarmed when I looked up from my computer 25 hours ago and saw the man walking across Drummond Place with a duck in his hands. I had expected her to be confined in some way. My first thought was that she could wander about the kitchen (which would of course have involved mess to clean up) and would eventually settle down. But the man said no, she wouldn’t.

I didn’t even think of the bath. But we have carpet in there, and the mess would have been rather serious if she had fluttered out of the bathtub.

Mercifully, one of the few aspects of life in which we are strong is empty cardboard boxes. I produced a pair, with slots in the sides presumably for hand-holds. William settled down nicely in one of them, with the other on top. When Alexander got here and lifted the top box, she immediately sprang out in great agitation.

He has a duck house, with a small fenced yard in front, in which ducks are confined for the night. Under protest. His plan was to put William there, where she could see her new friends wandering about the garden and splashing in their pond, and they could see her, but they couldn’t get at each other. Just in case. Then they would all be together for the night.

She is specifically the duck belonging to Alexander and Ketki’s younger son Thomas. She is named for William Wallace. Thomas is having a patriotic phase.

I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I have heard from Lizzie that she has been to her first football game. “All the Americans with homes near the stadium open their houses to everyone-there were lots of barbecues and beer drinking! I think I offended lots of Americans by telling them I preferred rugby to American football!”

Rugby is the better game all right, but the atmosphere of an American college football game is not to be equalled anywhere on earth, and it sounds as if Lizzie has experienced it. She doesn’t mention who won – that’s a good sign.

Go, Kansas!

And, oh yes! Knitting.

I’ve reached the neckline decreases on the BSJ. The Schoolhouse leaflet shows me how to fold it. Here we are:

I’ll try to do better on colour next time. You get the idea.