Wild Geese…And us Humans…

Have you ever looked closely at a Wild Goose?  They are Huge!! And they are sooo beautiful!!  They’re grayish brown color, turning to dark brown, with black head and their long black necks, and the light colored breast; and they have an unusual ring around their neck that looks sort-of like a chin strap!

In a field, they don’t really like people getting too close, but seem fairly calm if you keep a good distance.  They have “watchers” or guards that keep an eye out, and if they see danger they signal, and off they all go!

Lots of times during the changing of the seasons you can see the large flocks of them flying in a V-Shape.  Even though they are usually really high in the sky, you can hear them happily honking away.  We watch for them in the fall going south, and then in the spring, coming back through.

There are several things about geese that are interesting.  They communicate with each other during flying, and they keep track of each other during their trip.  One thing that’s interesting is the way they fly in formation. 

The leaders at the front of the V are usually older, and they switch off with each other in that position so the leaders can rest.  The ones flying further back in the V can use pockets of air created from the wing movement of the geese in the front to help them fly easier.

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When we’re in the process of completing any project, we’ve probably experienced improvement when there are others involved in the process, and there is good communication between your group.  Good communication makes a difference, just like the geese communicating to keep the flock orderly and safe during their migration trip.

Another thing that makes a project easier for us is, like the wild Canadian geese, when we use a certain process.  When we do our work in an orderly or systematic way, it not only makes the work easier, it is usually more efficient, as with the geese.

These geese usually mate for life, which aligns with our goal as well.

Family groups of parents and the latest offspring usually stay together into the winter.  “Family” is important to them, seems like.  An example of a good priority for us.  The young goslings gather together as they grow older, with up to a hundred goslings gathering with only few adults in supervision. 

The geese molt each year, to replace damaged or lost feathers.  They typically lose all their flight feathers at once, and so are flightless while they grow their new flight feathers (takes about a month). 

The interesting thing about their molting is, the adults that don’t nest, and the adults whose nests have been destroyed or didn’t hatch are usually the first to molt. 

This made me wonder if maybe the stresses of not having a personal, comfortable nest or maybe  missing out on the enjoyment experience of a hatch, could possibly cause this early molting.

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However, one of the main things that I think of about the Canadian wild geese that we watch, high in the sky in their migration process, is on the other side of that story.

What happens when the geese, along their migration route, stop off at a comfortable place in between their summer home and their winter home, and decide not just to take a rest, but decide to STAY and make their home there.

Well, I can only surmise, but from what I see personally, we have what we call “local geese”.  We live in an area of farms (in Arkansas).  Most of the farms in our valley have cattle, and they have fields and ponds. 

These wild Canadian geese love it here!  There are a couple of the larger ponds where they spend most of their time but they visit all the ponds from farm to farm.  They’re around in our area just about any day you look.

We hear them fly over our house, honking happily almost every morning.

I’ve often wondered if they lose out by not following their customary migration.  They eat in the fields all around the ponds for most of the day before moving on to the next pond. 

When grass seed is planted, they get an extra bonus (that’s one time we’d rather they didn’t overstay their visit). 

So they don’t have to fly hundreds of miles to get fed and warm in the winter, or get cooler in the warmer months.  So since they are fed so easily, have water nearby anywhere in the area, and have places to nest, I wonder if they are “weaker” or less enthusiastic about their life than their migrating cousins.

I wonder since they are so well-taken-care-of, if they have become a little lazy?  Could they even make the trip now, if they had to?

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Sometimes we’re given plenty of hurdles to overcome in our lives.  Sometimes we think we have too many, or that life is too hard, or the hurdles are too high, or too rough.  Sometimes we may think we just can’t make it.

But…Can we?

Yes.  We Can.  I promise you, we can!

Some of these migrating geese fly thousands of miles to their destination.  They know the route.  But they don’t know what’s in store for them along the way.  They don’t know what storms, what damage, or changes have happened along their route. 

They have to adjust. 

They have to be resilient.

They have to look for resting places on their route.

They have to rest and refresh along the way.

They’re also responsible for their family, and for nurturing their babies, and protecting them (they are fiercely protective).

We need to do, and be, all these things, too:

We have to adjust in our lives.

We have to be resilient.

We have to look for resting places on their route.

We have to rest and refresh along the way.

We’re also responsible for our family, and for nurturing our babies—and their babies, and protecting them (we are pretty-much fiercely protective).

I’m thinking, I don’t really want a “cushy place” where everything is totally easy.  I truly want to live life.  Troubles and trials, unforeseen problems, dangers… This is Normal Life.  Obstacles to overcome.  Learning new Life Lessons.  Then helping others along the way.

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I love the geese visiting on our farm.  I love them being here all year long.  They’re beautiful to look at, and they just feel good being here.  And they seem very content and happy.

I’m sure they have to worry about predators, and other things, even here on the farms.  But I truly do wonder if they’re “soft”.  I don’t like life’s trials getting me off-track and sideways from my goals.  But I don’t think I’d really want a soft life either. 

And I believe we’re truly much better off when we just take life as it comes, and live it; going through the storms, and all the mishaps.  I want to live a strong life.  I’d rather not just live a mediocre and easy life.

When trials and troubles come along, let’s try to remember to appreciate the strain, ask for strength and for wisdom to learn from the experiences, and the ability to help others through their rough spots.

Thank you for reading my thoughts about wild geese, and about how much comfort is “good” in our lives.

If you are going through a rough spot, please reach out.  Let me know what help you need.

If you’ve been having really, really cold weather, I hope it’s now warmer where you are.  The sun is shining for a few days in Arkansas right now.

Have a wonderful week; if I can help you in any possible way, please talk to me.

Sharon