the Way of the Turtle

GEESE, GEESE, AND MORE GEESE
1.4 Mile Walk at Ooms Conservation Area
Friday, November 4, 2011

I really didn't want to pass on spending a little time outdoors today, so I gave up any hope of picking up my race packet this evening (the store closed at 7 PM) and stopped at Ooms along the way for a short walk.

There were a few geese out on the pond when I first got there - it was also getting pretty chilly since it was close to sundown with very clear skies. As I walked along the pond I spotted a trio of small diving ducks - unfortunately it was too dark for me to see just what kind, but they were very quick to pop under the water. As I walked across the field and up the hill to the gazebo (getting my feet very wet and cold in the process - the trail was downright swampy) group after group of geese came in to land on the pond. It was windy, and the pond is down in something of a bowl between the hills, so it was interesting to watch them maneuvering in the air currents. By the time I reached the gazebo I'd guess the number of geese on the water had gone from a two dozen or so to several hundred.

I wish I could have gotten out earlier and spent more time walking... I might have kept on for a bit longer despite the chill in the air, but not only was it getting dark (well... as dark as it gets on a fairly clear night with a bright half moon) but I also have an early morning tomorrow to get to race HQ for Stone Cat by around 5:15 or so. So I bid the geese a fond farewell (not that I could see them by that point, but that many geese makes enough noise that it's pretty clear where they are) and got back on the road. Maybe it was just as well I didn't arrive too much earlier - the pond definitely got a lot livelier once all the geese started dropping in to spend the night.

JMH