Honked Off

After shipping off the last of my market boxes yesterday, I decided to head to a nearby lake to see if the Canadian geese were still resting there. Every year I say I'm going to drive by and see how close they'll let me get, and yesterday I finally did it. I'm sure I looked like a lunatic, traipsing through the snow with my camera, trying not to let me feet crunch loudly enough to startle them. There were footprints there, indicating that someone else had the same idea before me. How can one not want to take pictures of these beauties?

As quietly as I could, I crept toward the snowy crest that hid the geese from my line of sight...

Dang it! BUSTED!

 

Immediately this guy honked at a buddy of his. I took another step forward, and he honked a few more times. Again, I stepped closer, praying that the cavalry wouldn't suddenly appear to defend the lone guardian goose, sending me tripping backwards and shrieking all the way to the car. (After all, my coat is down-filled, and I think they can spot stuff like that.)

He continued to honk, but fortunately started heading in the other direction. Here he is, after joining up with a couple other guards who were apparently on a break...

 

They didn't like the looks of me very well, so they started honking too. Soon, they were joined by a chorus of honkers, all walking away from me as quickly as their webbed feet would allow...

 

(I wanted to start pleading with them like Kate Winslet in Titanic, when she was "screaming" in a parched, feeble voice at the rescue boats, "...Wait! Come back! Come baaack!")

There were literally hundreds of these geese on the hillside near the lake, but I couldn't get good photos bc most of them blended right into the background they were standing on - bare patches of brown grass. They actually looked more like rocks in the snow, the way they all huddled together.

I guess my presence proved to be too threatening to their peaceful afternoon, bc several of them took off in flight... I didn't mind though, bc it was positively beautiful!

 

They're just so breathtaking, in my opinion, and I never get tired of watching and listening to them. Every fall, I hear them pass over our house, and I run outside to watch them flying overhead, in their perfect V-formation, honking and honking and honking... they're so loud! And it's fascinating to me.

 

As they passed over the ducks resting on the frozen part of the lake, they must have been shouting out danger warnings to them too, bc suddenly the ducks all started aff-lacking in unison, and every last one of them scurried into the safety of the water.

 

AF-lack!

AF-lack!

AF-lack!

I hate those commercials.

Oh well... despite my failed attempt at being to Canadian geese what Jane Goodall was to chimpanzees, I still enjoyed my venture out that cold, blustery day. Actually, I think it was just yesterday.

And this guy probably deserves to be promoted.

 

At least I don't have to say "one of these days" any more when it comes to visiting the geese by the lake. :)

*************************************************************************************

Mike's dad would have been 69 today. Happy Birthday, Jimmy. We love and miss you.

 

Comments

[Siobhan]

Amazing pictures, Paulette! Just beautiful. Big hugs to all of you on your FIL's birthday. I know how bittersweet this day is for you.

[Dianne]

I love the pictures of the geese! That guy sticking his head over the snow...priceless!

[Margaret]

Great pictures of the geese! I always enjoy seeing them around us too. Don't enjoy the goose poop down at our lake though. lol! Hugs to you all today of all days.

[Anna]

Canada geese are considered pests around these parts. A group of them (subspecies?) have stopped migrating and they are "changing the eco-system" of our rivers and lakes. Did you notice how GIANT their poops are? Our geese are confrontational; I guess you're lucky your guy flew off.

[Peggy Lee]

Beautiful pictures Paulette! I can really see Mike in his Dad. May I ask, what took him at such a young age?

[sherry]

I love watching the geese as they fly and honk over our house each Fall and Spring. I can never get a good picture of them in flight though. You got great photos. We know a guy who got attacked by one of these beauties for getting too close. They are fierce fighters.

[Nancy]

I love watching geese fly especially in those V formations. Don't they make the most wonderful sound?

[Catherine]

We have a lot of geese in our neighborhood pond! I am actully glad that I live away from the pond as they do get very loud!! I do love to watch them though and we get to see the babies as we have some that stay all year.

[joann tx]

i love your geese pics! i usually hear them and then see them flying over head in their V formation here in houston!

wow! mike's dad was young! my sister is only a year younger than he would have been!!

[Breanna]

i "tweeted" back at your twitter post :) happy birthday grandpa, we love and miss you!!! great pics mom, even though you already showed them to me... i am amazed! my shallow depth of field pics aren't doing so great bc there is nothing to take pictures of!!! i have been taking ugly pics of ugly things in my ugly dorm. GRRR.

[Dianntha]

I love the geese pictures!!! Congrats to your dad!!
I posted a picture of your freebie from Christmas...all done and ready to be framed if you want to see it you can visit my blog. Dianntha

[Irene]

Fantastic pictures !

[Linda Huson]

We have several places around me where they actually have "geese crossing" signs. I kid you not. They cross over one place at the one mall to get to the lake. Every time I see the sign I smile. Every time I stop and then watch other cars stop, when a bunch (whatever they are called - a gaggle?) of geese are slowly strolling across the road...it delights me.

Linda in VA

[Valerie]

Beautiful photos of the geese and the ducks! I actually like the Aflac commercials! lol Hugs to you on this bittersweet day.

[Noelle]

Jimmy - Rest well in the hands of God. Thank you for your service to our Nation and our military families. Your actions made a difference for all of us.

[Cari]

Great Geese pics!! Love the winter wildlife. Thanks for sharing. And, hugs to you and your family on Jimmy's day....

[Patti Gagliardi]

Lovely photos! I do love Canadian Geese and remember how exciting it was to catch a glimpse as a child. But they have taken over our soccer fields and baseball fields in the past decade. And you have to tread gently at nesting time lest you be accousted.

Luckily the high school put in astro turf this year. The games were getting a little gross ~ that's not mud on their uniforms...

I rather think of your beautiful photos instead ;)

Blessings, Patti

[Robin]

Great pics, Paulette!! They are really pretty birds, aren't they? I guess it took this post and these pics to make me re-appreciate them... you see... they're pretty ubiquitous her in the DC area, and well... I used to go running along the Potomac River and they were EVERYWHERE... and if the path was wet (which it usually was), I would come home from my run with these fantastic and oh so attractive green stripes alll the way up the backs of my legs. Yeh, and the little blighters would just about try to bite my ridiculously expensive running shoes off if they happened to be standing in or along the sides of the path when I ran by... but... they are beautiful!

My thoughts and prayers are with you and Mike (and the rest of your family as well)!!

[Rachel]

At least your Canadian geese get to play in the snow. LOL We have a flock of geese that come down during the winter and stay around the city's park/pond. They are gorgeous birds ;)