Weird sighting on the way to the doctor

On the way to the doctor's office, I pass by a public high school that has several buildings and 2 playground areas.

One of the playground areas has a tennis court, and today I watched a boys' gym class practicing their serves.

The other one is a mishmash. That's the only word for it. In the middle is what looks like an organized, tended-to garden. Perhaps a science class has planted vegetables or something. On one side though is a sad-looking . . . thing . . . with what used to be bright blue paint . . . I think it used to be part of an obstacle course or something. On the other side of the garden is a man-made little pond, also painted bright blue, with dirty rainwater in it, and old barrels and pieces of canvas sort of lying around. Except for the garden, it all looks sad. Every time I pass by, I have an urge to call the city and personally volunteer to fix up that place. Except, for all I know, there's some method to the madness. Perhaps the pond and the blue thing have a purpose, or did and could again. Who knows?

Anyhow, today I'm walking by the school on the way to the doctor, and who should be sitting on one of the half-buried pieces of canvas but two swans? Yep, swans. One huge white one and another huge grey-and-white one. They were just sitting there, preening themselves. They must have felt pretty dirty and itchy, because they spent at least 10 full minutes twisting their heads this way and that, reaching places one should never touch with one's mouth, while I stared at them agape. Did you know that swans can touch their own necks with their mouths? Those birds can practically tie their necks into a knot. Other than looking like they felt itchy, they sure were pretty. And fluffy.

What were swans doing in a half-abandoned high school lot in December? Do they typically fly this way before the winter gets too cold? If so, where did they come from, and where are they going, and why did only two of them stop, and why did they stop next to some blue dirty rainwater pond and a busy street? Did the school buy them for a project, or to serve for a meal? Are swans kosher? If so, why wasn't anyone watching the birds to make sure they don't fly away? Did they escape from the zoo? From a city park? Is Jerusalem full of city-dwelling swans and I just never noticed?

Dr. Claire, by the way, finally gave me a referral to a physical therapist. She also raved about my idea of buying a new mouse, one I can use with my left hand. I'm a freakin' genius. But I really, really wonder about those birds.