The final week of the Goslings first month dawned sunny and bright. As with many lockdown weeks, this one went pretty much as the others had for us. Somehow, I rather doubt the Canadians and their friends really worried much. It was sunny. It was fine. There was food. There was each other. Life was good.
And really, as lockdown goes, life was good. Britain was accustomed to the queues and routine of lockdown, now, and people were generally pretty good-natured about the whole thing. We all had to queue, didn’t we. Thank goodness it isn’t winter!!!
We had health issues we were dealing with and I had a procedure coming up to get the final piece of my health puzzle. The garden was beautiful. The sun was warm. And we had our Canadians to make us smile. And boy did they do that!
I loved sitting at my desk watching them change from morning to night. Sometimes, that’s how quickly it seemed to happen. Their wings were the next best thing to useless, still, but they were learning to care for them. While their feathers were still downy, their muscles were beginning to develop. And their face colouring was shifting ever so slightly.
There isn’t much solitude in the life of a Gosling.
I spent May 23 working out pandemic frustration on my garden, so it was later in the day by the time I visited with the family.
There is one other thing I’ve noticed. When the Goslings want comfort and a good nap, they always pile together.
And then May 24, their birthday, arrived. The Goslings were one month old!
This age is always a bit of a relief to me. They are finally large enough that the Crows won’t try for them. The Buzzard could get them, still, but the Buzzards have never been the predatory hangers on that the Corvids are.
Of course, my sweetheart wasn’t going to miss out on giving the Goslings a treat for their birthday. In fact, he was so excited that he forgot to wait for me to get my settings right and the window open! He called out to them as he went down to the opening in the laurel and I just caught them going into full run to get to him.
That day felt special. It really did. There was a playfulness to the Canadians, especially in Mama and Papa, that brought joy to the heart. It was as if they, too, were celebrating this very special day.
It was so lovely watching the friendship between my sweetheart and our Canadians develop, this year. It was much more intimate than ever before.
And so, this year’s Goslings had their one month birthday treat.
I’m glad I’ve had to take the time, this year, to go through the photos carefully, instead of trying madly to post them all as events occurred, as in previous years. As I’ve gone through the photos, it has become clear that while the characters I’ve come to expect were not there, these Goslings also had personality quirks.
The one who always reaches too far for food. The ones that are always together and often eat from the same spot. Spike’s twin and the other one, both of whom are more independent. And the one I’ve come to think of as the Movie Star, who wants to be alone.
Health issues knocked me flat for a while and all I had energy to do was look after us and develop these photographs. I couldn’t write or sing. I barely took photos. When I was particularly down, all I had to do was start developing. Their little faces, their joy in life, the trust that Mama and Papa clearly feel for us, all conspired to lighten my heart.
But finding Spike’s twin was wonderful. His cheeky little face captured me, utterly. Happy Birthday, Lockdown Family.
A Canuck's Eye View 