This is momma goose.

This is momma goose.  It must have been about 15 years ago when we brought home 3 African Grays for Bret because he wanted geese.  We had 37 ducks but that was not enough.  Years passed as years do and we gained more geese and the fox ate most of the ducks.  The 2 ganders died of one thing or another, but momma goose remained.  My flock had dwindled from 15 down to nine.  For the last 7 years momma goose and the handsome Emiden with the bent neck were inseparable.  Every year they built a nest and laid eggs and I stole them.  Birth control, you know.

He was always so protective of her.  She would go off chasing a weed and he would keep a very close eye out so nothing bothered her.  These two never hung with the other 7.  They were renegades and happy in their little world. 

When the house next door came up empty I saw the perfect opportunity to put my geese in the back field so they could eat weeds.  I had not seen a fox in the area for several years so I thought it was safe.  This afternoon when I went out back to check on them I saw momma goose standing in a puddle of water I had run for them.  She was all alone and she acted like her foot was hurt.  I knew something was wrong when I did not see her mate.  I looked all around and then went to the empty field.  Half way up the fence line I saw feathers.  In the corner I found his headless body. 

It did not take me long to find the den in a pile of brush in the middle of the field.  He lept out and ran across the neighboring field headed for God only knows where.  I went back to my yard and momma goose met me.  I picked her up and carried her to the goose. house.  It was not hard to figure out what happened.  She was chasing a fresh green weed and he was guarding her.  The red fox jumped out and grabbed her leg and he attacked the fox.  He gave his life for her.

Tonight my heart is broken.  Life was so simple this morning, but now my heart cries for my little momma goose who lost her husband.  Sort of ironic the way love works, isn't it?  Treasure what you have while you have it because it always ends up this way.