"THE RICHNESS I ACHIEVE COMES FROM NATURE, THE SOURCE OF MY INSPIRATION."
----Claude Monet
Yesterday, I went for a walk around the pond. It's incredible what you can see if you take the time to look around; the dragonflies circling the water and landing on a cattail; a butterfly gently resting on a blade of grass. In addition to the small things that I noticed, I also noticed the ducks and the geese. The ducks and the geese are a constant pleasure to many young (and old) people who walk in the park. They do make a mess on the sidewalks occasionally when flocking toward people who come with bags of scraps to feed them. I suppose there should be a sign for them which reads: "keep on the grass" but they don't know the difference.
Last week a meeting was held to determine what to "do" about the ducks and the geese. I hear that it was decided in a vote 3-5 to relocate them all except the Canadian Geese (which should theoretically be back in Canada at this time of the year).
I didn't attend the meeting but I wish that I had. I didn't know anything about it until it was over and decided. I would like to know where they plan to relocate them and what exactly was the problem in the first place? Too many? Too messy? Too much time spent cleaning up after them (pond water and sidewalks)? With all the budget cuts that pervade our society now, who or what will be next?
It makes me wonder about people and what they value. And I hope that wherever the ducks and geese find a new home (here's hoping that they really do get relocated and not destroyed!) they will be happy. I will miss the sounds and the sights of what they contributed to the ecosystem of the pond. Will I begin to notice smaller things starting to deteriorate too? I hope not.
P.S.---I just found this article on Channel 13 News.
They may try to move the ducks but I bet they can't keep them away. One can't move mother nature and the ducks have claimed that pond as their home-I wonder what the future holds?
ReplyDeleteAww the ducks :)
ReplyDeleteCanadian geese were a pest on my campus, often terrorising people, especially in breeding season, so I could take or leave them, but ducks... I have a special fondness for those.
ugh.it may seem small but when we start muching with ecosystems it can screw up more than we hoped...i too bet they are back soon...
ReplyDeleteI don't think they will be gone for long. It's their home now. Channel 13? We get that here in Modesoto. I think that's Sacto, right? I think we may be neighbors of sort. Tee hee. My best to the duckys.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to notice the small details and the small miracles of life too.
ReplyDeleteSilly. How many people did you find at the pond? Probably not a soul. And if you did, they probably don't mind sharing space with ducks either. Just silly.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is not the ducks and geese that are the problem but the feeding of them. I know a local city park that has signs up asking people not to feed them. It decreases the mess and the numbers that gather. But to take all of them away from the pond, impossible I think. And who would want this, a lifeless pond. What is more fun in Spring than to watch tiny ducklings? Ah, we humans are always so busy messing with mother nature which takes us way out of our league.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the city is thinking of getting sued if some slips in the mess and injures themselves. Let's hope the critters all find their way back. We need nature - something needs to teach us how to survive and get along with one another.
ReplyDeleteI never understand why we can't leave nature alone. After all it was all here before we were. Excellent photos.
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