How many of you are nature lovers? It’s pretty hard to deny the beauty that surrounds us.

And we are so fortunate to have abundant wildlife living among us. From deer to egrets and everything in between, I love them all.

I am fascinated by the idiosyncrasies of animals; their natural instincts and habits intrigue me.

I’m sure that you’ve heard all about them before but I find something very compelling about geese.

We have a pond in the front of our neighborhood and every summer geese come to lay their eggs.

I realize not everyone is a goose lover. I’m sure the people who live near the pond grow tired of their presence, not to mention their poop.

We often have to stop in the road as the geese make their way to and from the pond. As the momma goose sits on her eggs the male can be quite protective and will quickly let you know if you’ve gotten too close.

So there are many aspects of geese that cause some to – I’ll put it nicely – dislike them.

But once those eggs hatch it is quite a sight to watch the goslings follow the lead of both parents. When they enter the pond to swim one parent is always in the front leading the way and the other brings up the rear, making sure all babies are accounted for.

The mom and dad both are protecting, loving and caring for their babies. We could learn a lot from a goose.

Did you know geese mate for life? Male geese are very protective of females and will stand between her and a perceived threat. When one mate dies, the other may wait for several years before finding a new mate. Yes, we could learn a lot from a goose.

When geese fly in V formation the flapping of wings of one goose creates an uplift for the goose immediately following, allowing a greater flying range than if a goose flew alone.

And when the lead goose grows tired another will take over that position. The geese in the back honk to encourage the ones up front to keep up their speed.

Geese have strong affections for the other geese in their group. If one goose is unable to continue flying, one or two others will drop out of formation to stay and help protect him.

They will stay until the goose dies or is well enough to fly again. Then they will fly together to catch up to their group.

Our animal friends teach us so much. It’s really quite simple too – loyalty, compassion, love, trust. If only we would learn.

 Contact Kim Hudson at tkhudson@comcast.net.