Ode to Gossie and Gertie
We took care of you since you were babies.
We loved your antics and your really huge webbed feet.
We will miss you on the farm.
We wouldn't have traded this experience for everything in the whole world.
Thank you for being our friends.
- Teresa and Ella Fuller, June 24, 2018
Today was the day! Gossie and Gertie needed to find a new home! We heard of a beautiful place from our friend Kelley from Howling Flats Farm, so we packaged them up (I dare you to try to put two almost full grown goslings in a box!) and drove them to their new home. With tears in our eyes, we managed to talk ourselves into the fact that this is the right thing to do for these two loves. We cared from them as best we could from when they were tiny goslings, snuggling them to keep them warm, feeding them the best green weeds everyday, taking them for walks and even having them over for a swim! We knew that it was time, especially since the larger one had started getting a nasty attitude with the chickens and with Jake. It was only a matter of time till he started goosing us!
Onward we drove, talking about how the goslings would grow up with new geese friends, learn to fly and to migrate, and eventually make it back to CT next spring to summer over in their new pond.
As we reached the site, our chatter shifted to what would become of the goslings. Would they be ok? Would they survive their first rain storm, their first snow? Would they make friends with the other geese at the pond?
As uncertain as ever, we met our friends, and proceeded to the pond.
The pond was beautiful! The spot, idyllic. There was no better place to release our gosling friends than this lovely spot. Ella looks on with saddness in her eyes, she was really not ready to let the gosling go and trying very hard not to cry.
Jason tossed the goslings in the water while no one was looking (hence no picutres!). Immediately, they were swimming around with what looked like smiles on their faces. Gosling butts were up as their heads peered down to see what was below them. Their rather huge webbed feet were gliding them effortlessly around the pond. Their flippers knew just what to do- tucking behind them to stay aerodynamic. Amazing!
The goslings swam out a bit- they could hear us from up above them- we were sitting on a rocky out ledge watching them. As they swam and honked, a wild goose came waddling down the embankment, jumped in the pond and swam directly over to them. They met, talked and seemed to like each other immediately. The larger goose then began honking for her family, and soon two goslings, only a little bit older than ours waddled down and swam over to meet Gossie and Gertie.
It began to sprinkle, then rain, as we watched the 5 of them get to know each other.
It was marvelous.
We left quietly so as not to disturb them. Ella cried as we walked to the car, wanting to visit them as soon as possible.
What a grand time we had caring for these two goslings!
Good bye for now our dear Gossie and Gertie.
