GEESE
I Went home to Idaho and found the air crisp with autumn wind and the sun a little lower on the horizon. The Canadian geese in the field had begun their migratory run south and seemed to be content not to fly, but to sit all day long in Taylor's field behind my parents home. Their long necks and frequent honking made them like a lady's bridge club chatting merrily to each other while dining on their h'oderves. The grain must have still been plentiful in Taylor's field. As to the conversation of the geese, or honking, your guess is as good as mine
The delightful weather caused Dani, Syd and I to venture a walk down to the Snake River. We followed the drain-ditch that runs parallel to my parents house. As we were walking, Dani asked,
"I wonder if it would be faster if we just grabbed a boat and floated down the drain-ditch to the river?"
"I'm sure it would be," I countered, "but just don't let Grandma DeAnn know you are in the ditch or she will have a cow!!!"
Memories of floating the drain-ditch on a wooden pallet stuffed with styro-foam filled my mind. My brother, Chad, and I had had to lie to my mom to our whereabouts when this sort of journey occurred. Sometimes we said we were at a neighbors house of just going for a walk. In reality, we were like Huck Finn floating the drain ditch and fishing for anything we could get. Carp, or oily freshwater fish, remain the stinkiest fish that have ever met my nostrils. These were the most common dwellers of the ditch. Bass, and frogs were caught on occasion too. The carp were the most challenging to spear, however, and therefore the most prized, regardless of the stench! Once in awhile we would find lost treasure like an old rusted box or a trap that someone had thrown in the ditch. When this happened, Chad and I would always come up with a story to go a long with how the item came to be in the ditch."Maybe an old Daniel Boone trapper lost the trap" or an " escaped convict had a dinner of pork and beans and threw this can away!!"It was a sad day when dad discovered our secret boat beneath a pile of branches and dismantled it. This happened not long after Chad and his best friend, Jeff Reynolds, were playing with gun powder and hammers by the ditch and blew their eyelashes and eyebrows off! I can still hear the sirens of the ambulance now, when 911 was called for the miniature explosion they set off. Pallet, spears, gun powder and hammers were all confiscated at the insistence of mom. I think dad had known about our escapades for a few months, but had let us have our fun until the explosion.
I chuckled to myself at the thought of Chad without eyebrows , as our walk continued, and almost forgot to visit the rope swing that hung across the ditch until I heard Dani shout ahead.
"Oh, no,mom!" Dani said. "Petersen's must have taken down the rope swing! I was going to see if I could make it across this time!"Petersen's were my folks' neighbors on the other side of the ditch and had bore and raised 14 children. "I think you are right!"I lamented as I looked at the short piece of rope hanging from an upper branch of the gnarled tree."It's a darn shame too! I almost made it across last time!" For years, kids from near and far had frequented the tree and the swing ,enjoying the view over the ditch. It was the rare adventurer who could make it across, however, and I had heard that someone had broken some body part in recent years when they missed the other side of the ditch. This accident probably led to the cutting down of the swing.
At least the ladder to the tree was still accessible and a nice view of the geese and the fields was to be had from even the lower branches. At this angle, I could see that some of the geese were paired off busily grooming and preening each other.
I asked Sydney, "Did you know that those geese mate for life?"
Syd said, "No, I did not realize that! So they are kind of married , huh?"
"I guess so, " I laughed. "They are also very devoted to their young and even to sick birds! One time when I was at aunt Val's I tried to get close to a nest of canadian geese goslings, and the parents attacked me!"
"Oh, crap, " Syd said. "That was probably scary."
" Yep! I almost peed my pants!"
From the tree, I decided to call my brother's doctor. My raft buddy, my drain-ditch adventurer had been sick recently and had actually prompted my trip to Idaho a little sooner than I had planned. Walking by the ditch and then seeing the geese made me realize how much my brother meant to me and how much I would miss him if he were gone. The doctor got us right in that afternoon. It was so GREAT to see my brother was recovering and could be spearing carp in no time flat! Seeing his brown eyes sparkle and hearing his deep belly laugh assured me he truly was on the mend. What a relief!
After I returned to Vegas I found a Canadian Geese Poem and realized even more why these birds are on the top of the list of my avian friends favorites! They are ALL about family! I am grateful for the weekend in Idaho where these feathered creatures reminded me about what is really important. AND to my brother..(next spring let's make a NEW raft for all the little kiddies to play on!!!(We can sell the cow that mom has when she discovers it at market for a few MAGIC BEANS).
LESSONS FROM CANADIAN GEESE
BY MILTON OLSEN
As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
The delightful weather caused Dani, Syd and I to venture a walk down to the Snake River. We followed the drain-ditch that runs parallel to my parents house. As we were walking, Dani asked,
"I wonder if it would be faster if we just grabbed a boat and floated down the drain-ditch to the river?"
"I'm sure it would be," I countered, "but just don't let Grandma DeAnn know you are in the ditch or she will have a cow!!!"
Memories of floating the drain-ditch on a wooden pallet stuffed with styro-foam filled my mind. My brother, Chad, and I had had to lie to my mom to our whereabouts when this sort of journey occurred. Sometimes we said we were at a neighbors house of just going for a walk. In reality, we were like Huck Finn floating the drain ditch and fishing for anything we could get. Carp, or oily freshwater fish, remain the stinkiest fish that have ever met my nostrils. These were the most common dwellers of the ditch. Bass, and frogs were caught on occasion too. The carp were the most challenging to spear, however, and therefore the most prized, regardless of the stench! Once in awhile we would find lost treasure like an old rusted box or a trap that someone had thrown in the ditch. When this happened, Chad and I would always come up with a story to go a long with how the item came to be in the ditch."Maybe an old Daniel Boone trapper lost the trap" or an " escaped convict had a dinner of pork and beans and threw this can away!!"It was a sad day when dad discovered our secret boat beneath a pile of branches and dismantled it. This happened not long after Chad and his best friend, Jeff Reynolds, were playing with gun powder and hammers by the ditch and blew their eyelashes and eyebrows off! I can still hear the sirens of the ambulance now, when 911 was called for the miniature explosion they set off. Pallet, spears, gun powder and hammers were all confiscated at the insistence of mom. I think dad had known about our escapades for a few months, but had let us have our fun until the explosion.
I chuckled to myself at the thought of Chad without eyebrows , as our walk continued, and almost forgot to visit the rope swing that hung across the ditch until I heard Dani shout ahead.
"Oh, no,mom!" Dani said. "Petersen's must have taken down the rope swing! I was going to see if I could make it across this time!"Petersen's were my folks' neighbors on the other side of the ditch and had bore and raised 14 children. "I think you are right!"I lamented as I looked at the short piece of rope hanging from an upper branch of the gnarled tree."It's a darn shame too! I almost made it across last time!" For years, kids from near and far had frequented the tree and the swing ,enjoying the view over the ditch. It was the rare adventurer who could make it across, however, and I had heard that someone had broken some body part in recent years when they missed the other side of the ditch. This accident probably led to the cutting down of the swing.
At least the ladder to the tree was still accessible and a nice view of the geese and the fields was to be had from even the lower branches. At this angle, I could see that some of the geese were paired off busily grooming and preening each other.
I asked Sydney, "Did you know that those geese mate for life?"
Syd said, "No, I did not realize that! So they are kind of married , huh?"
"I guess so, " I laughed. "They are also very devoted to their young and even to sick birds! One time when I was at aunt Val's I tried to get close to a nest of canadian geese goslings, and the parents attacked me!"
"Oh, crap, " Syd said. "That was probably scary."
" Yep! I almost peed my pants!"
From the tree, I decided to call my brother's doctor. My raft buddy, my drain-ditch adventurer had been sick recently and had actually prompted my trip to Idaho a little sooner than I had planned. Walking by the ditch and then seeing the geese made me realize how much my brother meant to me and how much I would miss him if he were gone. The doctor got us right in that afternoon. It was so GREAT to see my brother was recovering and could be spearing carp in no time flat! Seeing his brown eyes sparkle and hearing his deep belly laugh assured me he truly was on the mend. What a relief!
After I returned to Vegas I found a Canadian Geese Poem and realized even more why these birds are on the top of the list of my avian friends favorites! They are ALL about family! I am grateful for the weekend in Idaho where these feathered creatures reminded me about what is really important. AND to my brother..(next spring let's make a NEW raft for all the little kiddies to play on!!!(We can sell the cow that mom has when she discovers it at market for a few MAGIC BEANS).
LESSONS FROM CANADIAN GEESE
BY MILTON OLSEN
As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
LESSON
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
FACT 2
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
LESSON
If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.
FACT 3
When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
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