Canada Geese in August

going in circles

Canada geese honk-honking

August confusion

There is a pond about two miles from where we live, and because it is supplied in part by run-off processing water from a lumber yard, it stays warm year-round. Usually at the end of August, when the nights cool down to the 40s for the first time, I awake to the sound of the confused and disoriented Canada geese who circle around and head toward that pond (SW). I actually think the local flock makes a daily migration to and from this pond until December, where it either stays through winter -- or the birds figure out this isn't a warm climate and they head south for real until spring. We stop hearing the daily honking by mid-November when we begin to keep all the windows closed and we cozy up -- but we continue to see them now and then through December. Silly geese. The expression makes sense to me.

Anyway, I heard the geese for the first time this morning. The descent to autumn has officially begun. After weeks of warm temperatures, our highs on Saturday and Sunday are expected to be 68 and 73 degrees, respectively. The thing that takes the sting out of summer ending is that fall in this area is incredibly nice. I love it.

Photo from: http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/portjoli/images/geese_flight.jpg