Thursday 28 February 2019

Goose Turd

Image result for canada geese flying

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 entrĂ©e 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.