Fade to Black and White (again)

Nothing is normal these days.

 

From snow storms in October to grandiose weddings whose marriages only last 72 days to normally "loafing" geese who stay one day in a lake and then quickly leave.

 

The 8 geese seen Sunday night at Harlem Meer, were gone last night.

 

One might have expected that if figuring the geese were migratory.

 

But, their familiarity with the environment, as well as their seeming recognition of me, prompted the speculation that they were actually resident geese who normally stayed at Harlem Meer through the fall and much of the spring. 

 

But, as noted, nothing is "normal" or routine anymore.

 

It was of course, disappointing not to find the geese last night.

 

It seems all my begging them to stay and even an attempt to bribe with treats did not work.

 

Perhaps I have made the mistake of believing too much of the crap and propaganda written about geese in newspaper articles and claimed by the USDA.

 

You know, all that stuff about the geese "wearing out their welcomes" and "staying where people feed them" or where they are not wanted.

 

But, none of the 13 geese observed in Central Park over the past three months have stayed beyond two days in any location.

 

In the past, I have speculated that the geese were likely harassed out of the areas because Central Park Conservancy admits to employing a goose harassment company. But, I doubt that is what happened yesterday.  The Conservancy has too much on its plate these days with all the downed trees from Saturday's snow storm to obsess about 8 geese on a lake.

 

Perhaps the simple reality is that the geese flew into the Meer to escape the brunt of the storm and then just as quickly departed when the coast was clear. (As previously noted, the north tip of Central Park was not as impacted by the snow storm as the rest.) 

 

If that was the case, it again speaks to the smartness of geese to find "safety" even through storms, but then actually leave those places they feel otherwise hostile or threatening.

 

Perhaps the 8 geese had memories of previously being harassed at Harlem Meer -- or perhaps with no other geese there, they surmised the Meer to be too foreboding or suspect. 

 

Whatever the case, things were back to the nearly normal last night.

 

Brad and his mallard pals came to greet me as they usually do, partook of their treats and as usual, when leaving with my two dogs, the "regulars" (a group of about ten mallards) followed me to the edge of the lake as if to say good-night.

 

The latter I consider to be an especially sweet gesture.  Though often joking that I am "not going home with a bunch of crazy mallards" the departing ritual is actually quite touching.

 

Mallards, wild and "crazy" as they may otherwise appear to be, like geese, form certain attachments to people.

 

I could almost imagine them saying romantically, "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

 

Or, more likely:

 

 "Hey, don't worry about those flighty, unpredictable geese!  We are still here!"  (Or, at least as long as the weather stays decent.)

 

Unlike Sunday night when walking home (after discovering the geese) and noticing all the beautiful, vibrant colors around me, from the yellow, crescent moon in the midnight blue sky to the changing hues of leaves under lamplights, last night, the drabness and sadness of broken branches on the ground became more apparent.

 

It was as though, without the geese, everything faded once again to a kind of drab, but realistic black and white.

 

I looked around the North Meadow and upon the Reservoir for any sign of geese, but there was none.

 

I wondered where the geese had gone and if and when, any geese would reappear?

 

It is odd that we are now in November and as of yet, no migratory geese have apparently made their way into Central Park.

 

I wondered about those promises from Caroline Greenleaf of Central Park Conservancy and Allan Gosser of the USDA:

 

"Don't worry!  In a couple of weeks, you will see plenty of geese in Central Park!"

 

Those words were spoken almost two months ago.

 

But, in almost three months now, I have observed and counted a grand total of 13 resident geese in Central Park -- and those vanished almost as soon as they arrived.

 

The sweet and fanciful colors of the temporary and surprising, quickly washed away by the realism of the stark black and white.

 

"Don't worry!  We are still here!"

 

And yes, I am very appreciative that the mallards and Brad are still alive and put at Harlem Meer -- for however long that lasts.   Hopefully, the nearly normal remains or becomes normal through the rest of the fall and upcoming winter. 

 

Then again, nothing is really normal these days.

 

Apparently, even the Kardashions couldn't afford a marriage counselor or a session with Dr. Phil.  -- PCA

 

 

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