Schrodinger's Mermaid

You know those moments when you are wandering around a flower show, let's say for instance RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, and you are chatting with a friend and something catches your eye.  I saw a mermaid.
She is a bit old, a bit showing her age and has a bit of an odd pipe protruding from where a mermaid should not have a pipe, but I liked her.  I looked at her admiringly but walked on by.
Later on we were still wandering and still chatting.  We had eaten pie and so all was well with the world.  When I realised we were approaching mermaid territory I warned that I did really like her and I might just have to buy her.  We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves and as as we mused on the mermaid my friend* called her Schrodinger's mermaid.  I immediately started to consider how many mermaids could dance on the head of a pin (this is not Schrodinger, he had a cat**).  The answer, of course, depends on how big the pin is.  I also started to mentally hum Monty Python's Philosophers Song.  

Sadly a purchase was not made as there was no price on the little lady.  I have a golden rule that if there is no price on something then I cannot afford it, so I walked on by.
I leave you with Schrodinger and the thought of the mermaid being simultaneously alive and dead which is both funny and scarey in equal measure.......
.......(I really just want to say don't blink but that might be too predictable??)

*With grateful thanks to the delightful Tanya Batkin for coming up with the idea and allowing me to use it here.  We shall meet up and share pie again soon I hope.
**You can look up Schrodinger's cat here.