during last year summer renovation the pond was drained and the ducks and geese had to forage for water. The ducks could drink the remaining fouled water but the geese could not.
we started bringing the daily water for the geese and did that every day twice a day for 5 weeks.
The geese came to the conclusion that we are the parks owners and when we come to walk surround us and we have to sit down and share our bread with them and listen to the group tell us what has been going on.
As we get ready to leave there are several that come by and get a hug from mrs. grantcart. There is one in particular that is very attached, but they all vie to get close and jump on our laps.
They are Fred and Ethel, Lucy and Desi (also known as big boy), then came Sony and Cher. Then came the very aggressive hegemonists The Gang of Four. Recently joined by the New Two some.
One day mrs. grantcart wasn't up yet and I was taking my early morning walk. Sonny and Cher nested over by the patio near the common area. They were never successful in raising their eggs but they were very determined never to move. (Now they have molded into a big group of 12). On that day the fire department came to set up picnic tables as part of a day long party to thank volunteers. They were in Sony and Cher's corner.
I went up to the fire chief and told him that I was retained as counsel by two that wanted to lodge a formal complaint on the days activities. He looked at me with a shocked expression and I asked him to meet my clients. I took him over to Sony and Cher who came up to my side and started their AWK AWK AWK. I then proceded to translate the AWKS to the now astonished fire chief who was joined by all of the other fireman laughing their heads off.
We were able to negotiate the movement of the most offending table and they agreed that they would keep their water dish fill through out the day and peace was restored in the park.
When we go to the park the geese see us and immediately fly to us. When the geese are fed and hugged then the ducks come. The most touching part of the ritual is that there is one duck who has a broken leg and he cannot compete in fighting for bread crumbs. He knows however that we always save one piece of bread just for him. So he will swim down to the other side of the pond edge and walk back toward us and stand on the other side of the fence where the other ducks cannot go and patiently wait for us to go over and throw him his bread crumbs in an area where no other duck can now go. It is unbelieveable how uplifting it is to conspire with that one duck to make sure he gets a few crumbs.
All of the geese and most of the ducks now eat crumbs from our hands and while we are sitting there they will come and give us a little nudge to remind us that their corner hasn't received it's share. God I love those geese and ducks, especially the one guy with the broken leg who fights every day.
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