geese tales

Today I went for a run around the lake and took a short break after the first lap to stretch. I tried to touch my toes, because I read somewhere that if you are really fit you should be able to touch your toes, but I couldn't. I actually don't remember ever being able to touch my toes without bending my knees. Anyway, as I came up from reaching down I looked over and saw two large white geese high-tailing it straight for me.

"Egad," I thought, "those geese are gonna get me."

So I took off running again.

***

Once when I was very young I was in Lubbock, Texas, visiting my grandparents. Grandma took my cousin Leslie and I to feed the ducks at a nearby lake. I don't remember how it all played out, because like I said, I was very young, but some geese came over and one bit Leslie on the finger and another one pecked me on the head. To fill in the rest of the story I'm going to imagine Grandma bravely shooing them away and swatting at them with the bag of bread crumbs.

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I believe it was the summer of '97 when my Aunt Judy took me to visit Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. While there we rented a canoe and paddled our way down a river and ended up at Lake Michigan. Somewhere along the way we floated in a wide calm section of the river, to rest out weary arms. We didn't rest too long though, because a whole line of geese started swimming straight for us. Only now that I think of it, those might have been swans.

***

One summer day I was in Albuquerque visiting friends from high school. Becca had just gotten a new puppy, so we went to a park to let him run around. Walking down the sidewalk at the edge of the park was a couple with a pet goose on a red leash. It was pretty awesome.