Lydia

........During my years in Ottawa, when I ran to work along the Ottawa River, I loved having the chance to see these inspirational animals up close. Alas: geese, I discovered, have much in common with sausage and democracy. As Winston Churchill noted: “Democracy is like sausage. If you enjoy it, you should never watch it being made.” Geese are like sausage and democracy: if you are inspired by them, you should not spend too much time observing them closely. Not in a shared urban environment, anyway. It is not my intention to diminish the incredible abilities of geese. How anything which appears so ungainly on land can soar so gracefully in the air is one of life’s great mysteries; a creature that can fly for days and swim forever has to inspire awe. Any parent that has ever protected children appreciates the vehemence with which geese of both sexes will protect a nest, an egg, or a gosling. You don’t want to mess with goose near a nest. I did get a bit weary of being charged by aggressive geese who were ful