As I got home today, a thunderstorm was brewing. There was a yellowish cast to the light and a faint rumbling in the distance with an omninous sky seeming to lower itself to the ground to meet me.
My first thought was of the horse in the meadow. She isn't usually a horse that is spooked too easily but then again something like a mouse crossing her path can create havoc in her world. A few more serious rumblings and it was decided that she better come down from the field to the barn. Sweet feed is the ultimate control for Kit. You don't even need a lead if you have a bucket of sweet feed in your hand, she'll follow you to the end of the earth and beyond. In fact, you don't even need something IN the bucket. She just sees the red bucket and knows.
As I drove up the drive, I was met by the geese - adults and babies munching grass on the centre of the turning circle in front of the house. As I pulled up to the head of the driveway, Angelo, the large male goose, charged the car! I know he's guardian of the babies, but charging a car? Is that where the term 'silly goose' came from?
The thunder seemed to make the geese and ducks stop in their tracks a few times at the intensity of it but other than that and dealing with gusts of wind that the storm kicked up, seemed no worse for wear and actually liked the rain.
For humans, it stopped power off and on, knocked out internet connections and made me wish it were dark so that I could enjoy it properly. I always feel a good storm is wasted in the daylight.
Today's drawing is of one of the Muscovy ducks, B.D. B.D. stands for Big Duck. Yes, imiaginative I know but these are large, slow moving ducks with no quack. They are more goose size than duck size. They are the remaining two of a flock of 8. All the females (4) and one of the males were killed one night by coyotes. Three is not a crowd for males and as two seemed to buddy up, the third was sent to be companion for a Toulouse goose of a neighbour.
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