To a more favorable topic...
The ponds along the golf course where I walk in McKinney were full of ducks today, including one of my favorites, the Ring-necked Duck. The males were in great plumage and I was even able to see the brown ring around the neck on a couple of them, although you can not see it in the picture of the male below. There were about 25-30 of the Ring-necks.

Male and the browner female shown below, photos by my friend Greg Lavaty.

I spent a lot of time as a kid and in college living at a large lake in Washington state. You can't help but learn a lot of the ducks and other water birds. These are great shots! I have water birds in the creek behind my house but sneaking up to take a look is almost impossible.