Last night I was driving over to my son’s new house to help
with painting…again. We are almost finished, but when you have a whole house
that needs several coats of paint it is almost like waiting for the season to
change. I am looking forward to the house being finished and this cold February
to be replaced by a cool march and an almost warm April.
The sun had just set in the west and there was a tangerine
colour in the western sky. An airplane was on final approach to YYC and it
sliced through the few wispy clouds that were glowing with the last rays of the
dying day. I noticed a flock of geese arrowing to the southwest, passing under
the airplane and those wispy clouds, it was a magical sight. Too bad I didn’t
have a camera with me or the inclination to get my phone out to take the
picture. I am kind of afraid of getting a distracted driving ticket and I don’t
think the cop would understand that I wasn’t making a phone call but attempting
to catch a magical moment.
I couldn’t help but wonder about those geese. We are at the
end of February and they have toughed winter out so far without heading south
so I doubt they were making a late start. Besides, I saw another flock heading
in the opposite direction a half hour earlier and wondered where they were
headed. I doubt that either flock will drop in to let me know where or what
they are up to. As I mentioned, it was dusk so they couldn’t have been heading
to any place that was a long way away. You would think that they would be
huddled beside some frozen pond fluffing their feathers and wondering if
tonight the coyotes would make them the entrée on tonight’s menu.
Personally, I don’t understand why so many geese are still
around Calgary and not cavorting
down in Florida or Georgia .
If they fly that far, why not go to Mexico ,
the WALL wouldn’t bother a goose at all. I can appreciate that geese can be
lazy just like humans can. I’d like to think that if I were homeless and
sheltering near a frozen pond and had large wings I would use those wings to make
my way to a warmer land. Hell, I doubt I would ever come back this way, why
waste the energy? There must be fields full of good food down south for geese.
Perhaps they have just forgotten that they are supposed to fly south or maybe
they somehow got on the goose no fly list and aren’t allowed over the border.
They are pretty to look at when they are flying overhead
honking while I am leaning on my snow shovel wondering just how long it will be
until spring. I guess I should be thankful that I have reason to look up into
the sky and that I have never been hit by a goose turd.
Interesting or not, no one seems to have the definitive
answer on whether geese can shit while flying. I have no desire to personally
find out the answer, but if anyone knows please let me know.
