The Wild Geese

Every now and then, I feel a little sorry for myself that I rarely go to exotic places and see exotic flora and fauna. And then all it takes to snap me out of that mood is to take look around with fresh eyes.

There’s a good hundred or so Canadian geese hanging out at my office building. I can’t really say I strike fear into their hearts; when I walk around the building I can get within five feet or so of some of them before they seem to care.

Now Canadian geese are utterly common in Colorado. Still, last week I was taken aback by just how weird and amazing they really are. There’s the color pattern – striking, and pretty, in my opinion. Some weird features: webbed feet; one eye on each side of the head, and that strange, long, undulating neck. Not only that, but they can actually fly. When you think about it, that really is something unexpected and to be amazed at. If you lived in a land where all the birds were flightless and then one day saw a V-wing of geese land in front of you, it would blow your mind.