Scaredy-Geese

When I was very little, my parents managed movie theaters. At one point we lived in Tuscon, and there was a huge (to me) park with millions (or maybe just a flock) of geese.

Big, huge geese. With big huge bills. And teeth. I am sure they had teeth.

We would take bags of leftover movie popcorn and go to the park to feed the ducks and geese.

I have very few memories of those early years, but I clearly remember one particular day of goose-feeding.

I somehow dropped my bag of popcorn all over myself while feeding the geese. Geese aren't particularly friendly anyway, but they saw this as a cue to throw any semblance of manners to the wind and descend upon me in a ferocious manner. I don't remember anything else about that day. I only remember being covered in popcorn, with geese surrounding me and pecking me to what would surely be my death.

I didn't want to feed geese again for years. Ducks were always okay, but mean, loud, honking geese with a hankering for popcorn-flavored little girls held no appeal to me.

We have lots of geese around us now, but they generally prefer the neighbors' larger ponds. They tend to fly over the top of our house and honk rudely at me as they settle in the bigpond across the road. Today, though, a big gaggle of geese decided to cruise around our pond for a while. I slipped on my jacket and with my feet barely covered in walking shoes that are definately NOT water-resistant, I trudged across the 6 inches of snow covering our property to take their picture.

Just as I got nearly close enough to get a good shot or two, the whole flock decided they didn't like me and took off to another pond. They were askeered.

You're not so brave when I'm not covered in stale popcorn, are ya goosies?


The four ducks that were swimming with the scaredy-geese weren't bothered by me at all, though.

But then again, ducks have never tried to turn me into a mid-day snack.