Even a dirt road time doesn't pass you but. Sometimes it hits you full force. My oldest son Eli has put his name into the Bone Marrow Registry.He received a call that he might be a match to someone, so next week he goes for bloodwork. That is so amazing to think he might save a life because of the life we gave him. Karma.
Then there is the story of the goose. A Canadian goose. I don't know if it has a name like lefty or no wing or even just Bob. Seems this goose hatched out right up here at the beaver pond. For several years now some geese have come to raise a family in our neck of the woods. I mostly see them as they fly over our house to Mike's field. You can set your watch by them in the morning and afternoon. I love listening to the honking as they seem to be thinking of the possibilities of the day while flying to Mikes and then in the evening they seem to be talking about how the day went. And maybe they should do it again tomorrow.
Well it seems one goose was born with a bad wing. He can't fly. Neither I or the neighbors across from the pond noticed the goose till this past year. Also this past year the beavers built a new lodge which you can see from there house across the road and of course from the road. That is when they, Mary and Frank noticed this 'deformed' goose. He and some friends would climb onto the beaver house to sun or have a little afternoon nap. Having been around hunting season they thought it must have been shot. And they worried what end would come this goose. Frank sought help through various agencies and most just didn't want to help or were unable to help. Finally the constable from our town, a burly mass of a man who served in Vietnam and lost a few fingers fishing with dynamite came up with some other fella from agency to put the goose out of its misery. This was about the time the pond froze and they couldn't find feather or web track of said bird. Somehow it had disappeared.
That is because this goose has a winter home. No it can't fly and join the others of it species but it can still walk. And walk it does to Mike's house. Now this is the amazing part, this goose, a wild animal, allows Mike to pick it up and put in in the old rabbit barn. It is safe and warm. Has itself a nest and someone to feed it. So it lives there as if it belongs. When the water is finally flowing and his family has returned for another year he leaves his winter abode and goes back to the beaver pond. This is his second winter living on our dirt road. I don't know how long this will last, the meeting of domestic and wild but I think it is totally awesome. It explains that goose I saw on occasion strolling down the street.
It just proves that Mike's rough exterior hides a soft heart. The windburned skin, callused hands, sometime bad tempered, Mike. Next time we have an argument during a selectboard meeting I am going to think 'goose'. And maybe the smile I show Mike will confuse him. And maybe it will keep me from yelling back.
It's is odd the people that have lived on the same dirt road as us for so many years look like the neighbors we thought we had but they act entirely different. Nope, I think it takes time but this road changes you and time changes you. And I am glad to say at this point we are all getting better.
And when the pond thaws out and that goose returns I will be there with my camera recording on of natures everyday miracles.
No comments:
Post a Comment