Monday Moment - Grateful for Natural Entertainment

In the last week, tens of thousands – maybe hundreds of thousands – of geese have made a stop on our fair city’s lake. I hadn’t seen the announcement that their national convention would be held here this year, but that’s what it seems like! And oddly, it doesn’t seem like the convention has been nearly so evident nor as much a topic of conversation as it has been this year.

I’ve been observing the goosish revels for about an hour and half this very evening, and waited purposely to write this week’s Moment until I returned from the party. And a party it was – although like any resort town, there was truly a bit more action over the weekend and goose crowds were down as of Monday.

We have some year-round geese – quite a population actually – so we’ve become accustomed to seeing their familiar vees overhead. But en route to the convention, it looks as if a giant pepper grinder has been at work in the sky. Flocks joined together from other flocks darken the sky with black specks that shift from long lines to a collection of rolling foothills and jagged peaks that reminded me of Chinese water colors.

Waves upon waves of rolling foothills and jagged peaks approach the lake as geese who have fed well on leftover kernels in our corn fields approach their night’s lodging. The closer they get to the lake, the less organized they appear – at least to my non-goose eye. Lines, foothills, peaks all dissolve into what appear to be family groups of three, six, ten who seem to be overtaken by gravity as they fall from the air – after they circle, check out the watery neighborhood, and finally select their preferred patch of water.

And although there has been considerable honking and barking while they were airborne, the conversation seems to begin in earnest as they land. Deafening conversation that sounds… well, like a gaggle of geese! An un-harmonic cacophony of sound on which I wish I could eavesdrop more intelligently.

What do you suppose they are saying to one another? “Have we met?” “Did you see what that vee-hog did to my perfect formation?” “That’s a nice looking young gander over there.” “Mo-om!” “Oh no, not that family again. I thought we lost them two lakes ago. The way they honked into the night, I thought I’d never get to sleep!” “This is a nice place, maybe we ought to just stay here a while.” Or from our year-round geese, “These out-of-towners are ruining our neighborhood!”
I don’t suppose that my imaginings even approach the target, but they certainly entertain me.

As has the entire migration mystery, the lines, foothills, and peaks, and the waves of black Canada Geese and white Snow Geese honking, barking, and chuckling to one another on our lovely lake. The challenge of finding words to describe what I have seen and heard. Indeed, I have been mightily entertained. And I am grateful.

May you have such a bountiful reason for gratitude in the coming week!

Sally