I went out to get the mail and say Hi to our rural delivery, was halfway back to the house when he began honking the car-horn and I reversed hastily. What, something more for me? Nope, well, yes, if you consider information as something for me. The very unwanted unwelcome information that almost all of the gaggle were wandering off toward the ranges via our road. Arrrggghhh. I went forth, goose stick in hand to corral them back, while wondering how on earth they’d managed that? The rural delivery pointed to the fence. ‘there’s a hole there.’ I couldn’t see one but as the gaggle, having received a clear impression from me that they should go home right now (!) dived through the hole, I identified it. Investigation showed that while the sheep had spent time recently eating down the lawn they’d improved that by pushing up a corner of the front fence so they could reach a particularly succulent patch of grass. That had left a good-sized gap under the fence corner which the gaggle had promptly found and utilized. They are now back on the lawn, the gap is blocked, and I’m hoping they don’t find another one soon. I have better things to do than chase geese up and down my road!
(And very annoyingly, the new gosling died. No idea why, just that it went missing and my house manager found it lying dead by its mum’s nest. Sigh. Does happen with baby things. I just wish it wouldn’t. However the older one is now almost adult-sized and prospering.)
Strayed – One Gaggle.
29 December 2013
I went out to get the mail and say Hi to our rural delivery, was halfway back to the house when he began honking the car-horn and I reversed hastily. What, something more for me? Nope, well, yes, if you consider information as something for me. The very unwanted unwelcome information that almost all of the gaggle were wandering off toward the ranges via our road. Arrrggghhh. I went forth, goose stick in hand to corral them back, while wondering how on earth they’d managed that? The rural delivery pointed to the fence. ‘there’s a hole there.’ I couldn’t see one but as the gaggle, having received a clear impression from me that they should go home right now (!) dived through the hole, I identified it. Investigation showed that while the sheep had spent time recently eating down the lawn they’d improved that by pushing up a corner of the front fence so they could reach a particularly succulent patch of grass. That had left a good-sized gap under the fence corner which the gaggle had promptly found and utilized. They are now back on the lawn, the gap is blocked, and I’m hoping they don’t find another one soon. I have better things to do than chase geese up and down my road!
(And very annoyingly, the new gosling died. No idea why, just that it went missing and my house manager found it lying dead by its mum’s nest. Sigh. Does happen with baby things. I just wish it wouldn’t. However the older one is now almost adult-sized and prospering.)