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Friday, October 17, 2008

My heart goes where the wild goose goes

October 12th, I was out at William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge with the nip of fall just barely showing on the trees. As Farm Boss and I walked along the trail, we could hear the geese calling. I wanted to ask them, Where are you going? Can I come? I will follow.

The closer we got, the louder they were. Hundreds of geese, maybe thousands, some making a deep whooping sound and the others more like when you hear when a flock goes overhead.

I must go where the wild goose goes.
My heart knows what the wild goose knows,
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wanderin' fool or a heart at rest?

Tonight I heard the wild goose cry,
Wingin' north in the lonely sky.
Tried to sleep, it weren't no use,
'Cause I am a brother to the old wild goose,

It's not like I need to go with them but there is a thrill in hearing and seeing them that makes me think about it. I have often heard flocks overhead with that thrilling sound of a thousand birds calling to each other. Going north, heading south or just circling the valley, the sound of wild geese always calls to me.

A young man along the bank said he had identified Lesser Canada Geese, Cackling Geese and Great Basin, the latter two are also Canada Geese.

Woman was kind and true to me.
She thinks she loves me, the more fool she.
She's got a love that ain't no use,

To love a brother o
f the old wild goose.

The cabin is warm and the snow is deep,
I got a woman who lies asleep.
She'll wake at tom
orrow's dawn,
She'll find, poor critter, that her man is gone.

Poor critter? Well it's a wonderful song to sing and hearing it makes me feel like taking off on an adventure. Shall I go south with the geese? Not this year but maybe some year.

The geese were excited, stirred up. I would watch them lift off from the pond. A few would head upward; then when nobody followed, they'd drop back onto the water. Some would go east and some west. Were these geese resting up for further migration or are they the ones that spend the winter here?

More lifted off as though, yes, now, let's go now. Come on... When not enough followed, they would again settle back on the water. After a few of false starts and building energy, they all lifted off. Wow!

The sound of their wings as they took off, I swear it was like a nature climax for the ecstasy you could feel as their flocks rose, building in power and purpose as they set their patterns for flight. The whoosh of a thousand wings or more, it was power and excitement. Describing it goes beyond words.

Does one bird decide, yes now? Do some of them get enthused by those young ones soaring and landing? How is the decision made that now-- we will go now?

Finley Refuge is only open for hiking until November 1. Then they close most of the trails until April 1 so the birds have it all, leaving a few small blinds where human visitors can watch but not be intrusive. It's a wonderful gift to be someplace like that and hear those sounds because the hearing is as much the power as the vision.

Lyrics: Cry of the Wild Goose, written by Terry Gilkyson, and sung most famously by Frankie Laine. Photos from Finley October 12, 2008

If you haven't seen Winged Migration, definitely rent it. I had bought the soundtrack too just because the music, the sounds were so stirring. It gives a small taste of what it's like to be out at a nature preserve with those big flocks: Nick Cave-- To be by your side

7 comments:

robin andrea said...

What a beautiful post, rain. You capture that raw spirit, awe, and wildness of the moment. Whenever I hear flocks of geese overhead, I think of the song Who Knows Where the Time Goes by Sandy Denny.

Across the evening sky
All the birds are leaving
But how can they know
It's time for them to go?
Before the winter fire
I will still be dreaming
I do not count the time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

Sad deserted shore
your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, then you know
It's time for them to go
But I will still be here
I have no thought of leaving
You know I have no thought of time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

And I am not alone
While my love is near me
I know it will be so
Until it's time to go
So come the storms of winter
And then the birds in spring again
I do not fear the time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

Sylvia K said...

It is indeed a beautiful post. I have a thing about geese, too. There was a park in Hillsboro that use to be a stopover point for many geese and I always loved to be there when they flew in or out. Can hear Frankie Laine singing that song as if it were playing right now. Love the lyrics left by robin andrea, too.

J said...

A lovely post indeed.

We saw Winged Migration, and I'm sorry to say that my daughter was traumatized by it. Mostly the crabs advancing upon the bird on the beach, but also by the birds killing the penguin baby. So one thing to consider, if you're thinking you might show it to a young one.

Rain Trueax said...

Those lyrics are beautiful, robin. And I agree J about the drawback to any nature films. The one that got me the most was Planet Earth,which we bought, and I regret now. It was so much predator and prey and after DVD after DVD of watching one animal kill another, I couldn't even watch the last ones. I know it's what nature is but it's still tough to see it in a movie. Disney nature films were more enjoyable if less accurate :) Maybe we see enough of the negative stuff on our news.

Darlene said...

I love the video - it's soothing. Just what we political junkies need now.

Your post is, as always, a very good read.

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

I am sorry I missed the geese at Finley. Maybe some are still there.

David Edward said...

i did like the dvd - i can't figure out how they got all those close shots