… was today’s greeting to the geese at Council Point Park. It was a good-looking morning after a beautiful pinkish-red sunrise and so I set out fairly early to the Park. It was quite nippy out and I am still walking in heavy sweats, a lightweight Winter coat and wool hat and gloves on this 5th day of May. Unbelievable! I poked through my own loaf of bread and donated two heels and four stale-looking slices “for the cause” and since that didn’t look like enough in case I met up with some hungry waterfowl, I took the half-full inside bag from a box of Cheerios along as well. As I walked the pathway at the Park I dispensed peanuts to my squirrel friends who came out of nooks, crannies and cubbyholes to greet me – at least I think they were greeting me and not hankering for some peanuts. Well, I hope that is the case anyway. As I rounded the curve in the path which takes me along the first bend of the Ecorse Creek, I heard incessant honking so I knew a flock of Canada geese were overhead. I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to try to capture a picture of some geese, either taking off or in mid-flight, since I dusted off my digital camera and starting toting it along with me on my walks this Spring. Turning my head upward, while shielding my eyes from the morning sun, I quickly scanned the sky for geese and saw none. Thinking the noise I heard was merely a figment of my imagination, I just walked on and then I realized the commotion was caused by a flock of geese in the creek. There was a least a half-dozen of them and they were squawking wildly at one another for no reason that I could determine. I watched for a while in fascination when a few minutes later, more geese landed right on the water from the sky. I saw a flurry of flapping wings, then a neat skid right onto the water’s surface and then some skimming along the top of the water with the head submerged. I’ve never seen a goose land on water before. It was graceful, not ungainly, for such large birds and the geese actually looked like airplanes landing on the water. They dipped their heads in and out of the water, bobbing for breakfast I suppose, and their necks and heads emerged, slick and glossy black from the Ecorse Creek.

I threw out some bread and that got their attention but my meager offerings were quickly gobbled up. I then reached into the plastic wrapperful of Cheerios and the rustling of the hard plastic bag stirred them and simultaneously they looked over at me. I pelted a few of those crunchy O-shaped rings into the water, but they were too lightweight, and when they landed, they all congealed into a pile and started floating like mini life preservers into a corner. One enterprising goose seized the opportunity to take all the Cheerios in one great goose gulp and they were gone – um, I think they’d taste better in milk, than in the dirty creek water, but I guess it was a treat. Meanwhile, I was hopeful of getting a good shot of all the take-offs and landings of the geese at this particular bend in the creek and since I had already dispensed all the tidbits on hand, I figured they’d hang around a little longer anticipating more handouts. The sun was just perfect for the shot. But, what did I see out of the corner of my eye, but several squirrels sniffing around and begging nearby? I hurriedly, and rather absently, fished into my pocket to grab a large handful of nuts, then tossed out at least 20 peanuts to pacify the squirrels and thus keep them occupied while I tried to get a shot of the comings and goings of the geese. But, the squirrels were not to be so easily appeased – instead, they sniffed at the peanuts, then being a trifle “piggy” in my opinion since fresh peanuts were strewn everywhere, they all surrounded me and crowded in even closer, one even resting a front paw on the toe tip of my walking shoes. I didn’t take a group shot of the squirrels, though I was sorely tempted, because the sun was out, and sometimes the sun’s rays glinting on the silver camera body, has scared them and they were just a smidge too close to me. While I enjoy interacting with the squirrels in the Park, I am still ever-mindful that they are wild animals, after all, and I don’t like them quite THAT CLOSE. I relinquished the balance of my peanuts, tossing them at a distance and they all scampered off to get some. Next, I turned my attention back to the task at hand and just as I turned around, I saw all the geese take flight at once. My camera, which had been at the ready for nearly 10 minutes as I patiently waited to get a shot to accompany this blog post, had been placed in my pocket so I could tend to the squirrels. The flock of geese were lifting off the water and headed for the skies and it was quite a sight. Well, I memorialized that picture in my mind’s eye anyway, and better luck to me next time. Pip, Pip, Cheerio and I’ll catch you on the fly.