Photo: Ducklings leading their mother

Usually baby ducks follow their mother, however these seemed to be

quite confident to make their own path, with their mother following, close behind. They must be teenagers.

These ducks are in one of he lakes in Chaparral Park, which is part of the Indian Bend Wash green belt that runs through Scottsdale. It about a mile from our house, and just one block from my mother's house. She can walk her dog each day in the park past a series of lakes. There is also a dog park area, although she does not take her dog there because there are too many other dogs. And, yes, she always picks up after her dog.

We have photos of the stark landscape of the Atacama Desert of northern Chile this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.