Fly South!

In preparation of the ice storm that is supposed to descend upon us tomorrow, we gathered in a bit more firewood.  Plenty would be needed to keep the wood stoves chugging out that warmth!  While out and about, I could hear the critters making preparations as well.  The squirrels were busy stowing away all of the sunflower seeds that they could steal from the bird feeders.  This was a hard job considering Ms. Ez was standing guard to make sure that her feathered friends got their share of the seed.  Several times, geese could be heard making a landing in the Bayou.  Their honking drew our attention as they made entry.  This is not an unusual occurrence but what stirred my curiosity a bit was the fact that the geese never stayed more than a few minutes before taking flight southward once again.  Do they know something that we don't?  Is this ice storm going to be a doozy and deal us with more than we expect?  I pondered that fact as I threw a few more logs in the bin.

Normally, the Canadian Geese will make their appearance in the Bayou around December or January and hang around until late March or early April.  They find all they need in the way of food and shelter.  My cousin, Michelle, graciously sets out a fine meal for the critters. They can get their bellies full of the best eatings around.  Then, after leaving her place, they settle in for the night among the mudflats of the Bayou.  In the depths of the marsh, they are sheltered from the cold winds.  Several times, a few of the birds have hung around the Bayou well into April and even into early May.  I had hopes that those few pairs were considering nesting near the Bayou but as of yet, there has been no luck in this happening.  Maybe someday, but right now, even though some might linger none have stayed.

I am hoping that the geese we observed for the past few days are not trying to tell us something about the coming weather.  What with the "spoons" found inside the persimmon seeds predicting a snowy winter and the geese flying even further south, I wonder if our two bins of split wood will be enough.  Perhaps after this bit of frigid, icy weather, Michael and I had better start our gathering once again.  Mark has already started scoping out some more dead trees that will need to be removed so I imagine I will hear the chainsaw buzzing once again come the first nice day after the storm.  How can a couple of geese throw me in such a tizzy?