My Geese (Mr. Goose and Silly One)

A pair of domestic geese showed up one day and essentially never left. Because they don't fly (they'll flap their wings to aid in scurrying across the ground), it's a real mystery where they came from. They had to walk here from somewhere.

I'd never had geese before, hadn't even really been around them. I liked the novelty of adding geese to my menagerie.

The donkey mortally wounded the female. I found her injured, with the gander standing beside her mournfully crying. Without moving her any more than necessary, I tried pouring hydrogen peroxide in her wounds, then I wrapped her in a towel and took her to a nearby emergency vet clinic. But nothing could be done. It was too late, she was fatally injured. I cried profusely. Tears still well up thinking about her. I felt so guilty because I hadn't somehow prevented her demise. I could have intervened had I paid closer attention to what the donkey was doing. Now if the geese and the donkey are allowed out of their pens at the same time, I closely supervise them.

The gander was so lonely. He wandered around crying, crying late into the night. I ached. I was so sad.

Through a classified ad I located two goslings more-or-less the same breed as the gander. I drove over four hours and spent $12 to get a mate for Mr. Goose. He immediately assumed parenting responsibilities for Silly One and Silly Too. ("You're a silly one ... and you're silly too" = origin of their names. "Mr. Goose" reflects my feminist tendencies; instead of calling him Mr. Gander, I reversed the practice of married women being Mrs. Somebody Else.)

The goslings grew up. They were very happy. Then one day Silly Too was gone. There were no signs of murder, injury, or capture by predators. It was spring, and I think she went off to find a mate. I was so sad that she had disappeared, without a trace, without a word. But, I try, within limits, to let my animals find their own "homeostasis."

Silly One is a delight. She's very playful. She follows me, nips at loose clothing or shoestrings. She demands attention. She's quite vocal -- too noisy at times, squawking whenever people are present. She is gregarious and has a sense of humor. How do I know? Well, she will nip at my pant leg, and when I look at her she jumps back and laughs. I know that she nips at me to get a reaction. She'll continue to tease for just about as long as I'm willing to be her victim. I enjoy spending time with her, she always causes me to smile or laugh.

Mr. Goose is also very vocal but generally more cautious than Silly One. I can't really interact only with him, as he's always with Silly and she takes charge of all interactions with others!