Tale of Two Cities Mayor deBlasio Awash in Lofty Rhetoric Than Practical Action

Frozen New York City.  What does it take for the new mayor to close schools during emergency?  Apparently, an asteroid hitting City Hall. But then deBlasio would have to open window and look out.

He's only been in office over a month, but so far, NYC Mayor, Bill deBlasio has managed to cross hairs with "rich" residents of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the governor of New York, more than a million school kids and their parents and even Today Show weatherman, Al Roker.

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The latest snafu occurs over the mayor's decision to keep open NYC public schools on a day Governor Cuomo (correctly) declared a "State of Emergency" for New York and urged people to "stay home."

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http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/13/us/nyc-deblasio-schools/

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After personally shoveling his Park Slope driveway yesterday of snow (a photo op deBlasio always takes full advantage of for media cameras) the mayor held a press conference in which he attempted to blame the National Weather Service for failing to predict the severity of the latest snow storm.

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But, anyone paying even slight attention to media weather forecasts knew days in advance this was going to be "a big one" -- a "Nor'easter" in fact, dumping up to a foot of snow in the city.

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deBlasio's attempt to divert blame to the National Weather Service for his poor and senseless decision to keep open public schools did not sit well with Al Roker who went on to post a number of critical tweets on Twitter, including one that suggested de Blasio would be a "one term mayor" (a tweet Roker later apologized for, but not the others).

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My problem with de Blasio (and reason I didn't support him for the office of Mayor) is that he doesn't appear to understand the actual job of a mayor of a large city.

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That is to be manager and administrator of public services.  (i.e. insure the trains and buses run on time as well as insuring public safety -- especially from crime).

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Considering that during a previous snow storm when deBlasio also kept open public schools, hundreds of children were stranded on school buses for hours because Manhattan's Upper East Side streets had failed to be plowed and considering that less than half of public school kids actually attended school that day, it seems deBlasio fails to learn anything from past mistakes.

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Yesterday too, only 45% of children actually attended classes in NYC public schools. With such poor attendance teachers were forced more into the roles of baby sitters, meal providers and showing movies than actually teaching anything.

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Then again, deBlasio seems to think schools are more for baby sitting and providing "hot meals" than actually providing education. -- Hence his campaign for "Universal Pre-K" education in NYC with price tag going to "rich taxpayers."  (Apparently, deBlasio doesn't believe modern parents capable of opening a can of Spaghetti O's or tuning on a microwave.)

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I am not in favor of Universal Pre-K because I believe young childrens' time with parents when very young is critical to their sense of security and emotional development. (My earliest childhood memory is the "trauma" I felt when first being separated from my mother when attending first grade.)

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In nature most animals stay with mothers (or parents) long after maturity from infant stage.  It is how animals learn to function in an otherwise dangerous and threatening world.  

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That some politicians (like deBlasio) seem in a rush to move parental/child separation along sooner than it normally would occur under the guise of "Pre-K Education" seems a push for too much governmental authority and influence upon both the young and parents. These in turn can lead to too much dependency upon governmental services such as meal providing or "baby sitting" (responsibilities that normally fall to one or both parents).

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In essence, I have concerns with the long range impacts of these programs upon the emotional stability, security and independent functionality of future generations.

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I believe it is always a little "traumatic" when children first have to separate from parents and spend large parts of the days with otherwise strangers. But, that this would become common practice for toddlers and children not old enough to understand the reasons for it is all the more troubling.

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Yesterday someone posted on the NY One site that deBlasio was "soft on crime and hard on children."

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I don't believe that accusation to be far from the mark of truth.

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deBlasio's answers to much the criticisms often begin with, "As the parent of public school children......."

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But deBlasio's kids are teenagers, not toddlers. And they are kids of a prominent New Yorker who are likely not stranded on school buses for hours because Dad makes a bad decision based upon personal social agendas rather than practical and safe management of a city.

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deBlasio has only been in office a month, but I am already weary of his lofty "Tale of Two Cities" divisive talk, his liberal and extremist social agendas and most of all, the photo ops of him shoveling his driveway.

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If deBlasio cares so much for the "poor" then why isn't he offering some down on his luck young man a few bucks to shovel a driveway and buy his own "hot meal?"

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Along with everything else, the new mayor is an apparent cheapskate.

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Spare me from the mayors who push "health" and social agendas (for some kind of eternal Utopia) ahead of actually seeing to it that the trains run on time and the people are kept reasonably safe. -- PCA

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A Glass of Ice and a Meal of Snow -- Tough Going for the Birds of Winter in NYC

Frozen --- Mallards huddle on snow with legs tucked underneath in effort to conserve warmth.

Scrambling for morsels of food on frozen snow.

Romantic fine dining as city prepares for another round of heavy snow.

 Let Them Eat Snow -- "They're Just Animals"

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I remember the first snow storm of this winter -- which now seems years ago.

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I walked in blankets of the falling, fluffy stuff in the majestic peace of a Central Park evening while listening to Vivaldi's, "The Four Seasons" (winter).

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This is what heaven must be like! I thought joyfully. Everything so exquisite and perfect!

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Six snow storms later, the feeling isn't quite so joyful as Central Park has been enveloped  in snow and ice for seemingly the last two months.

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And today, as nearly another foot of snow falls atop the ice boulders and mini snow mountains already in place, my only thoughts are for the wildlife trying to struggle through this notorious winter in New York City.

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"Don't Feed the Wildlife!" the park signs admonish.

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But, with all the lawns of Central Park now covered in more than a foot of rock hard snow and virtually all watercourses transformed into solid ice, what exactly are the birds supposed to eat?

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My friend, Liliana shares with me a story of a park enforcement employee admonishing her this morning for feeding the ducks and three geese at the Boat Lake in Central Park:

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"You're not supposed to feed them!" the woman said sternly.  "They're just animals!"

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"Do you have a dog at home?" Liliana asked.  "Why do you feed him if he is just an animal?"

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Ducks on Ice

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Like Liliana, I too, have been feeding the ducks of Central Park this winter, though at the north side of the park -- Harlem Meer.

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For the past week, the lake has been entirely frozen at the Meer with not so much as an inch of open water.

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It is heart wrenching to note the mallards huddled on the ice with legs tucked underneath them to try and conserve any warmth. Sometimes, they spread their wings outward in seemingly another attempt at staving off the bitter cold.

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Rather than walk on the bone chilling ice to get to the cracked corn tossed their way, the ducks fly short distance.  So desperate are they for any morsels of food, I have to watch my step as there is a cluster of mallards scrambling at my feet for the corn and pumpkin seeds that fall out of my hand. The other night, I nearly stepped on a mallard.

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The food seemingly vanishes even before it hits the ice.

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As I walk away some of the mallards are pecking madly at the ice trying to find any stray kernels of corn while others follow me along the ice as if to ask, "Don't you have any more?"

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Calm Before the Storm -- But the Mallards Know

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The 23 degree temperature seemed balmy last night as I headed to Central Park because there was no wind.

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But, unlike most nights when the mallards are generally spread in a wide circle on the ice at Harlem Meer, they were last night huddled into a tight cluster near the weeds and tall reeds that surround parts of the lake.

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The ducks apparently knew a storm was coming despite the deceptive calm of the moment.

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Sly As a... Goose!

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Another story from my friend, Liliana.

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There are three Canada geese at the Boat Lake in Central Park -- A mated pair and the solitary goose, Liliana calls, "Loner."

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Liliana brings cracked corn and barley for all the ducks and geese.

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But, she brings peanuts for her favorite duck -- a domestic Khaki Campbell whom she calls, "My Boy" and for "Loner" because she feels particular sympathy for the Canada goose without flock or mate.

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Normally, Loner keeps respectable distance from the mated goose pair as the gander is not welcoming of him in their immediate space.

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But, in recent days the mated pair have apparently figured out that if they separate when Liliana arrives and each one positions himself or herself a few feet from Loner that Liliana cannot then tell the geese apart.

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All three geese thus get peanuts.

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A Romantic Dinner of Ice and Snow

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Valentine's Day is tomorrow.

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There is a small French restaurant on Madison Avenue and 90th Street that apparently has optimistic expectation for the evening.

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Outside the restaurant is a small, white clothed table, two chairs and menus awaiting. Photo snapped last night was taken in 23 degree temperature with snow in surrounding gutters.

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Nearly a foot of snow has since been added to New York City.

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I have already informed the love of my life of my desire for romantic dining at this restaurant.

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But, he informs me he is not keen for a romantic dinner of ice and snow.

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Apparently, that is only good for the ducks and geese of our parks, who, according to park officials, "have plenty of food" -- even during near blizzards.  -- PCA

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Dark Forms Against the White - New York City, a Vintage Black & White Movie this Winter

Black and white -- the images of New York City, this winter.

Park bench in Central Park.

Mallard drake in the snow.

The brave shall find a way.....

How do you know its been a bad winter?

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You know it's a bad winter when 25 degrees seems pleasant to you and freezing temperature (32 degrees) seems a heat wave.

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You know its a bad winter when opening your mouth to breathe, your tongue freezes.

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You knows its a bad winter when your nose and eyes run more than the winner of the NY marathon and people look at you piteously for the constant tears streaming down your face.

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You know its a bad winter when your puffer (non-down) coat becomes your most treasured, earthly possession.

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You know its a bad winter when the ice-covered running path around the Central Park Reservoir is completely devoid of runners.

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You know its a bad winter when your Sporto snow boots (which you thought you'd rarely need) have become your main fashion statement for the past two months. 

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And you know its a bad winter when you see the mallards at Harlem Meer digging through inches of snow to the grass below because the lake has entirely iced over -- choking off their main food supplies (aquatic plants).

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And finally, you know its a really, really bad winter when even the hundreds of Canada geese and ducks who normally winter at the open water Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park have been forced to take flight as their winter retreat has instead transformed into an icy glacier resembling something from the North Pole.

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Yes, it has been that kind of winter in New York City.

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A winter that has so far seen more than 40 inches of snow when the normal amount for the entire winter is 25 inches.

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A winter that has us all scratching our heads and wondering when was the last time we actually remember seeing grass -- or any color in NY?

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New York City has seemingly become a vintage black and white movie, the dark silhouettes of buildings, trees, people and animals contrasted against the constant white of the snow.

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But, still I wonder where all the geese and many of the ducks actually went to seek color and cover this winter?

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Judging from the photo contained in the article below, perhaps some place with lots of tall plants and weeds to wait out the storms and starkness of a black and white winter along most of the US.

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http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Not-much-to-do-about-geese-report--244017931.html

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Its nice to see color again -- if only in a photo.

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But, still some of the resilient, stubborn birds of NYC remain, their dark forms now surrounded by a constant blanket of white.  -- PCA

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Winter Wonder Land -- Where Do the Geese Go?

Where do the geese go?  A question of constant wonder this winter.

Footprints on the icy Reservoir this past Saturday -- two days before another storm.

Bandy at Harlem Meer this past Saturday....waiting.

Geese taking off from Reservoir Sunday evening while the flying was still good.

Reservoir on Sunday, following snow storm. Bird empty and nearly entirely frozen.

Winter wonderland -- Harlem Meer.

New York City has become a winter wonderland this season.

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We wonder how much snow and ice is going to be added to that already on the ground and covering watercourses?

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We wonder if we will experience further "Polar Vortex" with temperatures plunging to single digits and wind chills below zero?

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And we wonder if this winter will actually come to an end -- let's say, by June?

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But, most of all, I wonder where exactly the geese, ducks and other water birds go when the watercourses they normally winter on transform into frozen sheets of ice?

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The latter is a question that has vexed my consciousness for some weeks now -- especially noting all the times the wintering Canada geese (who normally spend January and most of February hunkered down at the Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park) have suddenly had to pack up and leave.

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There is little question that the geese seem to "know" or sense when matters are about to quickly go to hell weather-wise at least a day or two before they actually do. They generally fly out from the Reservoir while conditions are still reasonably mild and favorable.

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But where the geese (and other water birds) go for "shelter" from the type of storms we've been having all along the east coast (and even the south) is anyone's guess.

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Even large parts of the Hudson River have iced over causing the Coast Guard to work overtime with ice cutters trying to create passage for ships and boats.

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This past "Superbowl" weekend, the weather temporarily warmed up in New York City to balmy 40's and even 50's degree temperatures. 

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Geese began to trickle back to the Reservoir and by Sunday afternoon, most if not all of the roughly 300 wintering geese had cautiously settled down once more.

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But, no sooner had the geese returned when they began to organize themselves once again for take-off.

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I spent at least an hour just after the sun had gone down Sunday, listening to loud, excitable and constant honking amongst the many gaggles of geese on the semi-frozen water.  That kind of "chatter" and communication was sure sign that the geese were quickly gathering to soon fly out.

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Sure enough, one by one, the geese began to take off in their perfectly timed and highly organized flocks like airliners taking off from a runway.

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Usually the flying skeins consisted of 7 to 15 geese,  But, a few were as small as two geese or as many as 25,

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Many flocks stopped briefly at the North Meadow in Central Park  -- perhaps to graze a little --before taking flight again.

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But, where the geese ultimately went, I have no idea.

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I just know they left Central Park.

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Noting the brief return and departure of the Central Park wintering geese, it was not too surprising Sunday evening to go to Harlem Meer and discover that Bandy was gone.  The "loner" and banded Canada goose was seemingly left behind when her flock was presumably harassed out of the Meer by Geese Police a couple of weeks ago.

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I had been speculating all along that Bandy was waiting at the Meer for her family (or flock) to return and as soon as they did, she would rejoin them.

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I don't know for fact that actually occurred, but I am guessing -- and hoping that it did.

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It is usually not a bright future for a Canada goose without a family or flock.

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That we have had so many "loner" geese in Central Park over the past few years is seeming testament to human destruction and never ending harassment of these wondrous and courageous birds.

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Watching how deliberately and meticulously geese usually take off when flying on their own, it is more than apparent that when harassed, geese are forced to take flight in disorganized and even panicked fashion and this can often result in a goose being left behind (usually a younger goose).

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Hopefully, the geese can later reunite as is hopefully what occurred in Bandy's case.

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But, if the geese are migratory, that might not always be the case if the flock has simply moved on not to return to a harassment site.

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Nor can a reunion occur if the loner goose's mate or family has been wiped out. It is suspected that this occurred to Cago last summer when the loner female goose flew into Harlem Meer in late June. Having molted later than most geese and still flying in late June, Cago most likely survived a USDA WS cull that took out all her other family members.

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Since late last summer, there has also been a "loner" goose at the Boat Lake in Central Park.

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But, in this case, no reunion with mate or family has occurred. (Perhaps that is because this site is patrolled every day by Geese Police and if the goose family returned, they would be immediately harassed out.)

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My friend, Liliana monitors the goose she calls "Loner" everyday at the Boat Lake and reports to me.  

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Fortunately, for Loner, there is a mated pair of geese also at the Boat Lake who apparently are well accustomed to Geese Police and are not easily harassed out.

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The mated pair have begrudgingly "accepted" Loner into their space (as long as he keeps respectable distance), but it is speculated that arrangement is only temporary because of the current (non-nesting) seasons.

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When the gander of the pair wishes to mate again with his partner (usually in March), he will likely be relentless in kicking Loner out of the current cozy and convenient arrangement.

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Loner had better hope that there are some youthful, unpaired Canada geese that take up residence in the nearby Reservoir over the spring and summer. And even if that be the case, it will require many weeks before he might be accepted by them.

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It is not an easy life for loner geese.  They have to struggle for acceptance into established flocks and may have to spend many weeks and months being the "odd goose out" and lowest on totem pole.

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But, it is essential that all geese (and ducks) have family and/or flock, (regardless of hierarchal position) as they cannot ultimately survive for long as "loners."

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Cago's ultimate broken heart death last October is seeming proof of that.

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And this winter, we seem to have also lost "Mister, Mister" the mallard with broken wing at Harlem Meer.

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It wasn't the broken wing that ultimately killed Mister as he had survived with it since the early spring. Nor, was it, I believe, the frigid weather -- at least directly.

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But, alone on a frozen lake when all the other water birds had left (or, in the case of geese, been harassed out), Mister ultimately became an easy and highly visible target for an off leash, predatory dog or even predatory bird.

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Whatever the case, I have not seen Mister in well over a month and am quite sure at this point, he is dead.

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This is the first winter in the years I (and my friend, Liliana) have been observing waterfowl in Central Park that we have knowingly lost a duck or goose.

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But, for sure (especially realizing Mister's demise) had the four flightless domestic ducks from Harlem Meer and the three domestics from the Boat Lake not been rescued and responsibly placed this past November, it is highly unlikely they would have survived a winter like this on frozen lakes and as easy targets for predators.

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That is the one aspect of this winter, that I don't "wonder" about at all. -- The wisdom of getting those vulnerable ducks out of Central Park before the "iceman cometh."

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But for all the wild geese and ducks who DO miraculously survive, the question of where they go to beat the elements of a particularly brutal winter throughout most of the country is one of constant wonder.

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I just know that amongst their ranks are some really bitchin,' top notch weather forecasters -- or fortune tellers.

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Something tells me there are few things in life the geese actually wonder about.

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They just stoically  pack their gear when the going gets tough and fly out before the punches. -- PCA

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"Danger: Thin Ice"

Dangers to waterfowl in winter:  Frozen lakes, lowered food supplies, freezing temperatures -- and off leash dogs.

The signs are posted around all lakes and ponds of Central Park in winter:

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"Danger: Thin Ice."

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Despite that, there are too many dog owners who think it cute or funny when their dogs "chase the birds" on ice.

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What inevitably follows however are news stories of the dogs falling through ice and in this particular case, the owner attempting to rescue her pet and both having to be rescued out of frigid water.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/dog-walker-relives-moment-fell-central-park-ice-article-1.1593035

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(Regarding the story above, I personally don't buy the woman's story of a "frozen" leash buckle resulting in the dog getting away from her. Presumably, she has to offer some excuse for her dog being off leash at 10AM -- a time dogs are supposed to be leashed.)

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I have, in the past, personally warned dog owners of this danger and in one case was told by a man that if his dog fell through ice, he would "simply call 911" -- as if emergency workers have nothing better to do.

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Past stories on this blog of waterfowl attacks by off leash dogs allowed in park lakes have documented several duck injuries and in two cases, death of a mallard and a goose.  

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It is easy to know these irresponsible actions by some dog owners still occur at Harlem Meer (site of latest dog-falling-through-ice incident) simply by observing the extremely nervous, jumpy behavior of the ducks (and presently one goose) every time someone passes by with a dog -- including well behaved dogs on leashes.

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The birds immediately bolt or fly to the middle of the lake in what appears sheer panic. (Of course some of this extreme behavior might be attributable to Geese Police which for nearly a year, uses dogs to harass any geese at Harlem Meer and other Central Park lakes and ponds.)

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This is in fact how I know the loner goose ("Bandy"), presently at Harlem Meer can fly (something one normally questions when noting a Canada goose failing to fly out with her flock). She and all the mallards flew as if shot out of a cannon last night when a man walked by with a leashed dog more than 50 feet away.

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Considering the immense challenges to all wildlife and birds of this particularly bitter winter in New York, that there are still people who think its "cute" or acceptable that their dogs harass and add to the stresses of these animals is disgusting to say the least.

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Call me callous, but while feeling some sympathy for the dogs who, with general encouragement from owners, become ultimate victims of their aggressions against waterfowl, I feel no sympathy at all for the humans.

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The wildlife of our parks does not exist for the self-entitlement abuse of some dog owners and their dogs anymore than emergency services exist solely for their rescue when failing to heed important warnings.  -- PCA

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The Big Chill, a Long Chill in New York City

Snow covered Central Park

Mallards huddled on ice at Jackie Onassis Reservoir.

Icy chill in the air.

Lone (banded) Canada goose at Harlem Meer sharing ice and treat with mallards.

It's hard to believe winter is only one third over.

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It seems like months we have been dealing with sub-freezing temperatures, cutting winds and had to don winter gear from gloves, to boots to scarves and hats.

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Already in New York City, snow fall has surpassed its normal amounts for the entire winter (25 inches).  At this point, new snow is falling upon old snow and new ice forming on old ice.

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The Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park is nearly 90% frozen over -- something that rarely occurs in this normally favorite wintering watercourse for hundreds of ducks, geese and gulls.

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http://www.chattanoogan.com/2014/1/7/266888/Cold-Snap-Will-Be-A-Killer-For-Birds.aspx

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At Harlem Meer in Central Park, there is surprisingly still open water on an otherwise frozen lake.

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But, one suspects some man-made intervention (such as pumping in of steam or warm water) for that as the Meer was entirely iced over when it was as balmy as 50 degrees.  Perhaps concern for the survival of the fish and turtles at the Meer necessitated action to keep part of the lake open water and allow oxygen to the marine life below.

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Despite large pools of open water at the Meer, most of the mallards have vacated as have all but one of the Canada geese.

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Canada geese have also left the Reservoir (again) over the past few days.

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Throughout the past month, wintering geese at the Reservoir have demonstrated a pattern of seemingly knowing in advance when weather and temperatures are about to plunge south and they generally take off a day or two beforehand.

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But, I have yet to figure out where the geese and many of the mallards actually go before the deep freeze or snow storms actually set in.

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Usually they return to Central Park when temperatures stabilize to near normal again.

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"Normal" daytime temperature for New York City this time of year is 38 degrees.

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We have been far below that for most of the month -- even diving to single-digit temperatures (so far) six days in January.  We hit as low as 4 degrees this month -- a temperature not experienced in NYC since 2004.

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With such unusually harsh and enduring weather condition, it has been difficult to predict and speculate waterfowl behavior.  Normally for example, the wintering geese stay at the Reservoir until about mid February and then take off for their normal warm weather habitats.

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But, as noted the geese have been flying about this winter (here one day and gone the next) and it is impossible to know at this point if the geese will even return -- though guess is that they will.

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Temperature by the end of next week is predicted to warm up to freezing -- 32 degrees.

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In experiencing this unusually bitter winter in New York City (and throughout most of the country) I can only be eternally grateful that the "fab four" domestic ducks were rescued from Harlem Meer just days before the first deep freeze and first snow storm arrived.

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Its highly unlikely the flightless domestics would have survived -- especially when the Meer was entirely iced over for more than a week and abandoned by all the waterfowl. 

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The big chill in NYC has also been a very long chill this winter.

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Hard to believe it is only 1/3 over. -- PCA

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Reckonings and Politically Smart Canada Geese?

After the snow storm, Canada geese return to Jackie Onassis Reservoir last night in Central Park.

"Baby, its cold, but we will prevail!"

New mayor of New York City, not as prepared for snow storm as Canada geese.  Unplowed streets outside Guggenheim Museum on Upper East Side of Manhattan last night 24 hours following storm.

Side streets of Upper East Side Manhattan appearing unplowed a full day after storm.

 An Eventual Day of Reckoning? 

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"People are just being too emotional about the dolphins," says the fisherman.  "They want to protect them because they're cute and clever."

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The above quote is from an Anderson Cooper news video covering the annual dolphin slaughter currently occurring in Japan.

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 (49) CNN on Taji"s Evil Secret - Kandace AlePhant

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It's particularly interesting because these are exactly the same words and argument some of us received when attempting to recently speak up for the 2,200 wild swans of New York slated to be "eliminated" by 2025.

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The irony is that such argument occurred on the "New York Birders" facebook page -- a site one would presume to be in the corner of swans and other birds on a government slaughter list.

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/NYBirders/

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The fact is that in nearly every instance of people attempting to speak up for animal justice and advocating for protection over slaughter, accusations of "emotionalism" are sure to follow as well as attempts to write off legitimate grievances to the animal victims being "cute," "pretty" or character in a Disney film.

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The only reason animal abusers are able to get away with such accusation and dismissal is because the animal victims cannot speak for themselves.

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God help the human race the day scientists, researchers and documentarians are finally able to decipher animal language.

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Such day is actually not that far off -- particularly for dolphins, whales, chimpanzees, elephants and many other species.

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But, it is a day the human race should dread as with animals' abilities to communicate and actually be understood, will fall our rationalizations for brutalizing and massacring them.  

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Canada Geese Smarter than New Mayor in Figuring Out Snow Storms?

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Speaking of animal language and communications, among some of the most vocal animals are Canada geese.

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Lacking high tech, scientific equipment, I personally am unable to decipher exactly what geese are saying to each other.  But over the past couple of months, I have been privy to what sounds like variable and highly complex "language" among the thousands of geese who either migrated through the Central Park (Jackie Onassis) Reservoir two months ago or have been wintering there over the past 5 to 6 weeks.

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Though they may often appear as one big, random group of birds on the water, the geese are actually broken up into different and distinct family groups or flocks.  The flocks communicate with each other and this is especially true just prior to flying out somewhere or immediately upon flying into Reservoir.

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Prior to each snow storm this winter, the geese have left the Reservoir, only to return a day or two later.

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The geese returned to the Reservoir last night -- all two hundred of them!

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No worse for the wear of the storm, they were nevertheless very chatty last night with much honking and communication occurring among members of different flocks.

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Not sure what the geese were "discussing," but it might have been strategies for what to do when Reservoir freezes over (which it is in process of doing now).

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But, regardless of what happens, I am confident the "honkers" will figure it out.

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They already know what to do prior to arrival of severe storms -- though they don't tell me where they go.

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Apparently the geese know better what to do during snow storms than our new Mayor. 

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/nyregion/east-coast-storm-brings-snow-and-disruptions-to-the-new-york-region.html?_r=0

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"Tale of Two Cities" indeed.  Photos taken last night of unplowed streets on the Upper East Side of Manhattan a full 24 hours after snow storm suggest possible "payback" for lack of general support for deBlasio from this region of the city during election campaign.

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Perhaps deBlasio should confer with Canada geese before the next snow storm. The geese don't play politics.  They just know what to do when chips are down and life becomes a matter of survival. 

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And yes, the geese are always freely communicating.  Judging by their different voices and tones, it would not be surprising to learn they actually have names for each other. -- PCA

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