Goslings on parade

Although Memorial Day is only the unofficial start of summer, the local goslings are the size of chickens already. One of the three local families was on parade yesterday afternoon, and I couldn’t resist snapping a shot of them. All told 27 geese and goslings spend most of their days on this little pond. The total breaks down to 6 parents, 2 “helpers” that are probably last year’s babies and 19 goslings.

This group are the biggest and are likely a week or so older than the other two groups, which appear to me to be identical in size. Even this group doesn’t have any feathers yet, though.
This holiday weekend here was a hot one, and I hope it doesn’t mean the rest of the summer will be as hot. Worse than the heat was the oppressive humidity. Sunday was the worst day for that. Monday was likely even a degree or so warmer than Sunday but felt better as the humidity was slightly lower. Today, severe storms are predicted to clear out this unseasonably warm weather and return the mountain to normal temperatures again. I’m ready for the normal temperatures, but I’m not a fan of severe weather in any form.

After living in the woods as long as I have, you might guess I’d be used to severe weather, but I’m not. Wind is my most common bane. Surrounded by trees as I am, wind is an almost ever-present danger that can wreak havoc in any season. Lightning ranks #2 on my list of scary weather. I’ve had some lightning strike so close to the cabin that the flash momentarily blinded me. And the strike was still a good 100 feet away. Secondarily, even not-terribly-close strikes knock out electricity and can cause other damage. My neighbor’s well pump was once knocked out by a nearby strike—though mine was fine that time around. So extreme weather of one kind or another is always a concern. I don’t let the threat or even the reality of bad weather keep me from living in the woods, but I’m always glad when it’s over, too.