A Walk Through the Woods and Around the Lake

Sometimes we walk in the Audubon preserve in Norton, sometimes in Sharon, in days of yore in Natick. Today, with the weather in the 50's, we drove to Norton. Immediately greeted by some Canada geese. We strode along through the woods and the sun disappeared and a sharp wind with a memory of winter blew up. We saw some folks with a big assed telescope looking at some ducks across the ice. Mergansers, they said. One woman was a font of knowledge, about the turtles, the geese, the lone swan. One pair of swans will chase all the others away and become downright vicious if their territory is invaded. My mother always told me that swans grabbed children and pulled them into the water and drowned them. Needless to say, I've always been a bit leery of swans.

The naturalist explained that Canada Geese would not be such a problem is farmers hadn't captured some years and years ago, clipped their wings and used them as live decoys to lure other geese to lakes (as in roast goose for dinner). Now what I didn't know was that geese don't migrate naturally; they have to be "taught." So as time went on, more and more geese were born that didn't migrate. Now we are stuck with them. The woman said goose poop is harmless and one could even eat it without ill effects. She didn't and I sure as hell didn't, in fact I tried not to step in it.

We walked on, pussy footing thru an icy area and back around to where the geese were and one had to trod gingerly. Some of the geese had mates and other males were looking for mates, so there was some bad blood and hissing and jockeying for territory. We saw an interesting pair that were giving each other love pecks on the neck. I noticed the ones who flew in and landed on ice didn't even skid. They had the landing nailed.

We saw the first robin yesterday. I need to get out for a walk every day for my mental health. The chives are trying to come up again. Tomorrow will be warmer still. An early spring? One always hopes.