Duck.....Duck.....GOOSE!

It had been a fairly busy day for my slow little station. We had actually transported 3 people and were back at the station when the phone rang. One of my cohorts answered it and tried to stifle giggles as he spoke to the agitated lady on the phone. We could all hear her distress as he spoke to her on the phone, then he said we would come help and hung up. He said that the call had been from the lady working across the street at the heating and air place, and that she was being "attacked by ducks" and couldn't leave the building. They had her hostage. I had just finished doing my p.t. and was still in my sweatpants (and one can't go out into public- even the front driveway- in sweatpants) so I just put my bunker pants on and went to join the guys. The three (one not pictured) guys I was working with all went to go check out the duck attack. The "ducks" turned out to be geese. Two of them, and they were agitated. They were honking and hissing and hoooOOOOOOooonking. One of the guys piped up "Man when those things bite, they pinch on and twist! They don't let go!" That stopped them all in their tracks.



The brown goose wasn't afraid at all- he would come running up hissing and hoooOOOONNking and flapping his wings. the White one kept her distance, but was louder and more than happy to voice her opinion.

Being the only one in protective clothing (and having to constantly prove myself equal in the "bravery" department) I edged forward to nudge the goose away from the building so the lady could get to her car. Mr. Goose hissed and honked and hissed some more, but he didn't back down. I was waiting for his long curvy neck to dart out towards me and grab or peck at me, but he stood his ground. I stuck my foot out and ever so gently nudged him. To everyone's surprise, he nuzzled his head up to my boot.

Then he came in for a better look. "Hey- is that a phone you're taking my picture with? You have an amazing camera but you left it at home and you are taking my mugshot with a phone? "

"Go on, see if he will bite you!" they jeered. "I'm gonna laugh my $#@ off when he gets you!" came the taunts. I figured I would get pecked pretty good and that would be the end of that, but Mr. Goose took a liking to me. The lady in the heating and air place came out and was in complete disbelief. She explained "You don't understand! They were pecking at the glass door. They charged me when I went to my car. I had to run back inside because he was trying to eat me!"

Mr. Goose didn't want to eat anyone. Oh no, he's a lover, not a fighter. And he liked being pet. One of the guys said sarcastically "why don't ya just have a seat and let him climb in your lap?"

He never did, but he did follow me all the way back to the station and into the bay. I have pics of that too but they are so blurry they aren't worth posting. All in all it was really funny, aside from the new nickname "the goose whisperer" and "Mother goose". So much for kittens in trees.....