Make Room for the Wild Things
Raccoons, possums, and groundhogs hold sway over my husband’s and my back deck, especially during the winter. There are only six condos on the unnamed lake where we live, but access to water and cozy spaces underneath the decks are such seductive hiding spots for wild animals that some critters flourish in ways that are less than welcome (to say the least).
Canadian Geese also populate the lake—as do Great Blue Herons, the occasional Bald Eagle, and birds of all stripes (Swallows! Cardinals! Hummingbirds!). Still…Canadian Geese are the ones that annoy my husband. They are noisy. Their plentiful droppings are like little landmines on decks and walking paths. The population grows with no discernible end in site. BUT…
…every year, a pair of Canadian Geese nests in one of the planters on our next-door neighbor’s deck. She (our neighbor) has named them “Megan and Harry” (after the erstwhile UK royals), and we have all (even my husband) come to appreciate their love story.
Megan lays as many as 7 large, dirty-white-colored eggs in the nest, and then she and Harry tend those eggs with an admirable patience and a fiercely protective stance. Megan sits on the nest—turning the eggs and occasionally leaving for food—while Harry hovers and aggressively keeps other geese at bay. For 28 days we avoid our deck (so we don’t disturb the nesting mother), and then the goslings begin to hatch.
They look like green fuzzballs. Adorable! Over time, the green cast fades and they become little geese. As they grow, they crowd the nest until the only choice is to jump out—with proud Harry and Megan offering encouraging squawks. Immediately they take to the water, where the initial fear is snapping turtles who might (and often do) snatch their paddling feet to drag them underwater.
Then my husband and I return to our deck. We join our neighbor in celebrating those times when Megan and Harry bring their little ones “back home” for treats of cracked corn. We all keep an eye out for the little family…momma in front…babies trailing behind her…pappa bringing up the rear.
Since Canadian Geese mate for life, Megan and Harry will return to our neighbor’s deck this spring to lay their 2021 clutch of eggs. Before they arrive, we will “do something” about the raccoons (who love to eat goose eggs!). And although my husband takes a grouchy stance over Megan and Harry, he, too, has a soft spot for this beautiful, patient, persistent couple.
When I count my blessings, I include Megan, Harry, and our neighbor, who makes room for the wild things in our patch of ground on this Good Earth.
