It was picture-perfect and mid-way through the long holiday weekend when I set off to Council Point Park, treats in hand, camera in pocket and happy to be strolling on such a beautiful day. As I wended my way through the usual neighborhoods, I noted not too many folks were out and about on this sleepy Sunday morn. I guess they made their trek to the Great North as early as Friday to extend their holiday getaway. Once at the Park, the usual gang was there – humans that is, and many had been up and at it long before me and were already walking to their cars in the parking lot. But where were my furry friends who usually scamper over to greet me as I walk the perimeter path? The Ziploc bag of peanuts went untouched as nary a squirrel scurried over to see me today. I’ve about given up on the mallard ducks returning to “Duck Landing” … it has been way too long into the season now and they are still absent from their former gathering spot. I hope they were not all lost in the course of our brutal, bitter-cold Winter. This morning I got a real treat when I rounded the bend on the perimeter path and came upon Mama and Papa Canada Goose sunning themselves on the cement precipice while one offspring toddled around between them. I slid behind a large bush so that I could watch the trio and perhaps get a shot of the youngster, who has grown in leaps and bounds since I last saw the group of goslings on Mother’s Day weekend. Well, this gosling, once a cute and fuzzy chick, has lost his babyish features, and now the mottled gray and yellow downy feathers are sleeker. His plump physique now looks like a boat on sticks, because, as you see in the picture above, this youthful gosling has extraordinarily long legs … and he or she was quite shaky on them. After falling over a couple of times, Mama was mindful of just how close her youngster got to the edge of the cement landing which covers the storm drain. Finally, she had had enough of the shenanigans and got up and just walked alongside her baby. I snapped several pictures and they might have heard the camera noise because then Papa stood up, looked around and soon both adults surrounded their little one. I walked closer to the trio and from a short distance I tossed some crumbled-up bread which caused the gosling to spring free from his folks and he began to gobble it up eagerly. Then, the parents came over to have some bread, so I tossed another handful near them which was gratefully received and consumed quickly. Well, just as I was enjoying the idyllic family scene and interacting with my feathered friends, along comes TROUBLE which I’ll tell you about in today’s #2 post …