Make Way for Goslings - Updated

I seem to be on a water fowl theme lately.  A bit.  Okay, just a tiny bit.  But still.

This morning, this cold, drizzly, Opening Day of Little League Baseball pictures/ceremony/first game morning, Alex and I went to the police station, which is where team pictures were being taken.

We parked in the farther away parking lot and hurried through the damp air, across the parking lot and the wet grass, to the station's main entrance.  Other little groups of parents and kids were arriving, too.  Kids with their brand new team hats, their matching jerseys and matching socks, and their winter coats or rain coats on over everything. 

It was cold.

 

As we got closer to the door, I noticed some orange traffic cones set up along part of the mulched garden that runs along one wall of the building, right where the doors are.  There were about four cones, and, with the help of some yellow "crime scene, do not cross" tape, they formed a makeshift fence.  And behind that fence, settled right in the mulch, was a Canada goose.  People walked past her - so close they could have leaned over and patted her on the head, not that she would have allowed such forward behavior - but she stayed put.  She looked enormous.  Round, like a manhole cover, but with little tufts of downy fringe all around her.  

And there was a sign near her, and a water bowl.  The sign said "Nesting.  Please do not disturb."

The police and fire stations are right near a pond, so I guess it's not entirely surprising that geese would build nests nearby.  But perhaps this goose family wanted to feel extra safe.  Who knows?

Alex and I gazed at her for a moment before going inside.  Alex thought it was so cool to see a goose on her nest, and I agreed with him. 

But I thought it was even more cool, and sweet, that members of our local police department had put up that little fence, and put out that bowl of water, and put up that sign. 

To serve and protect, indeed.

~~~

Updated - 4/18/2010 - I took one quick picture this morning from the parking lot:

Comments

[sheila]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

[GBc]

Beautiful. I hate myself for it but little tears actually formed in my eyes.

[tracey]

Oh, Jayne. What a great story, told so well.

[RoseAnn]

That's such a sweet story, although I think mama Goose may have been giving you the stink-eye for photographing her and her youngsters. LOL

[Apartmentkitchen.wordpress.com]

I can just imagine the officers out there putting up the fence. That is really sweet. :)