I Am This Goose

I've been watching a momma goose for several weeks. No matter what time of day I would arrive, there she was, sitting on her eggs.

She would hold her mouth open, panting in the heat of the afternoon. I understand, momma goose! You want to get up and go anywhere else-- somewhere with shade, somewhere with drinking water, somewhere that you can sleep comfortably-- but taking care of your babies is more important than all of that.

Occasionally she would stand up and tenderly rearrange the pine straw that she used to build her nest. She protected and cared for her four little eggs, keeping one eye on me as I watched her incubate her babies.

Today she was gone. The nest was empty, except for part of the shell of one of her hatched eggs.

Good luck, momma. Good luck babies. I wish you the best.