I LOVE A PARADE!

We've had geese on the pond ever since the ponds were put in by Fish & Wildlife as part of the Wildlife Refuge Program, funded by Ducks Unlimited. Normally geese pick out a site as first yearlings, defend it for a year, and then come back the next year to nest. The year we seem to have 2 pair, one on the north pond, one on the south. On May 20th, a pair seemed to be nesting on the dike between the ponds.
Then on May 23rd we spotted the first goslings....first in the water then on the dike.

Then today, June 3rd, what should appear but a full bore goose parade. Once the goslings are born, the adults lose their flight feathers and are earthbound. Guess like all parents they might sometimes like to get away, but nature won't allow it. Now the danger starts. Snapping turtles, fox and coyote, raccoons, hawks and eagles....all looking for these tasty morsels. We count every time we see them to see how they're doing.

Note how much these little beggars have grown just in a couple of weeks. Soon they'll start to molt into their juvenile plummage. The parents have to walk them everywhere. From the ponds to the main lake a thousand feet away. Those little feet get a lot of exercise.

APRIL FOOL!

I guess it happens 'most every year. The late spring snow storms...but this is our second 6 incher in a week. Above is the front walk about noon yesterday (Mar. 31). Only a couple of inches down.

And ever year the 2 geese who have owned our pond the last 4 or 5 years show up just in time to get dumped on. At least this year the pond was open water for their comfort.They were joined by a few ducks, too. This is one of the few pieces of open water around this year.

We seem to measure the seasons more by what's happening than by temperature out here. I suppose a philosopher would mumble something about the theater of seasons...I'll just mumble, thank you.
For the locals and Twin Cities readers, the Hutchinson Theatre Company is doing their production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" this weekend (April 3-4-5 and next, April 10-11-12. Tickets are available on-line now at http://www.hutchtheatre.org/.