Lots of news from a record high tide. First of all, the river has once again become a pond or actually more like a lake. The amount of open water is astonishing. Very little marsh grass can be seen above the water line. The sky, reflected by the water, is a steely gray, making the water many shades of silver, charcoal, and here and there, a few patches of dark green.
The Quackson Five have been out and about, although the number five now appears to have been overly optimistic. Still, it is lovely to see that at least three of the ducklings are still with us and they are just so darn cute. Ronny, the mallard, hangs out mostly with the geese, who promenade up and down the river continuously on the opposite shore.
It is interesting to see how geese change formation. The goose in the lead will suddenly turn and start swimming in the opposite direction. This leaves goose number two looking confused and not sure what to do next. Continue swimming forward as it had been or turn to follow the lead goose? Then goose number three also seems baffled and the whole gang gets all bollixed up. It is quite comical to watch. the way they try to right themselves to an orderly flow once again.
There is definitely a pecking order with a senior goose in charge of his gaggle. It's just quite challenging for the other geese to keep track of what he expects them to do. Sometimes, because I have hours to contemplate such things, I wonder whether the other geese resent their boss and wish they could spend a little more time doing what they pleased instead of having to drop everything and follow the leader. But probably I wonder about this mainly because of my own distaste for having my own life micromanaged.
These days especially, I long for a greater independence and mobility and the capacity to plan my own hours. The people who love and care for me are incredibly sensitive and I know they bend over backwards trying to make sure I have as much say in what goes on around here as possible. But still, I can sympathize with goose number two when a sudden change in direction throws me for a loop and I'm not sure which way to swim.
