I’m a softy.

I didn’t grow up on a farm raising my own animals, naming them only to kill them and eat them.

We have “lost” two geese in the past two weeks.

First was papa goose.

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During the flooding of the lower acreage the geese would swim all over the place. Remember the neighbor’s field of winter wheat?

After one of their adventures to who knows where, all the geese came back but papa goose. We waited and watched for days. Nothing. Michael did some research and we found out that geese mate for life and are very family focused. If threatened, a male goose will stay behind fighting the threat and giving the family a chance to escape.

We see coyotes in the lower acreage occasionally and although I think our town is too populated there are Mountain Lions not far from here. We have decided that a coyote probably got him.

Since papa’s absence the largest of the white geese has been seen fighting with the largest of the “babies”. Maybe that baby is a male. We have seen them fight multiple times.

New Year’s morning Michael noticed only six geese standing on our frozen pond.DSC_0526

Then he saw the seventh. Dead in the water.

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I don’t know what happened. Either he drowned on his own or the big white goose drowned him.

Nicholas and a friend broke through the ice and paddled the canoe out to retrieve his body for burial.

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I have a hard enough time when I see a dead animal on the side of the road. How much harder it is when I know the animal, I fed the animal, I enjoy watching the animal?

Also, our precious kitty that adopted us this summer has been gone for about a month now.

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Michael and Joshua think he found another home.

I guess I need to toughen up. I doubt I will though.

I just keep reminding my self that there will be no death in Heaven.

Hugs to each of you,

Karen