If I’d not noticed that before, I noticed it this week. One of the hens (Fawn Girl) is sitting on six eggs in the hay barn, all three girl geese are sitting (in three different places) on the front lawn – and the gander has gone completely crazy over his impending fatherhood… The raspberries have produced a million green shoots and leaves, and despite them having been pruned well back over winter, I’d say I could get a good crop in summer anyway. And the grass has caught up with all this and in the nearest paddock has rocketed up to ankle height in a week.
All of that (bar the gander) is excellent, I could use more hens, raspberries, and grass. What I could do without is a mad gander that currently chases my electric scooter all the way across the lawn any time I’m going to the shops, attacks the rural delivery mailcar any time it delivers hen food, and patrols the lawn like a crazed customs officer suspecting everyone of being a smuggler. Actually what Stroppy suspects is that they’re a kidnapper – after his wives, eggs, or – in due time and if the eggs hatch – his goslings. In quieter seasons friends have asked why I refer to the gaggle as ‘my watchgeese’? Right now Stroppy is demonstrating why – with all the enthusiasm of Homeland Security on the lookout for terrorists. And I wonder if they’d like a gander? That bird could make even terrorists think twice…
Spring has Sprung
1 October 2011
If I’d not noticed that before, I noticed it this week. One of the hens (Fawn Girl) is sitting on six eggs in the hay barn, all three girl geese are sitting (in three different places) on the front lawn – and the gander has gone completely crazy over his impending fatherhood… The raspberries have produced a million green shoots and leaves, and despite them having been pruned well back over winter, I’d say I could get a good crop in summer anyway. And the grass has caught up with all this and in the nearest paddock has rocketed up to ankle height in a week.
All of that (bar the gander) is excellent, I could use more hens, raspberries, and grass. What I could do without is a mad gander that currently chases my electric scooter all the way across the lawn any time I’m going to the shops, attacks the rural delivery mailcar any time it delivers hen food, and patrols the lawn like a crazed customs officer suspecting everyone of being a smuggler. Actually what Stroppy suspects is that they’re a kidnapper – after his wives, eggs, or – in due time and if the eggs hatch – his goslings. In quieter seasons friends have asked why I refer to the gaggle as ‘my watchgeese’? Right now Stroppy is demonstrating why – with all the enthusiasm of Homeland Security on the lookout for terrorists. And I wonder if they’d like a gander? That bird could make even terrorists think twice…