Stewey

Have I mentioned our geese? You know, those beautiful, graceful, personable, and LOUD geese? Currently, they have a lovely pen inside our barn, completely safe from any type of predators that might enjoy goose, with their own window, and direct access to their outside pen area for daytime wanderings. If someone is out and about on the farm they also get to enjoy checking things out in one of the big pastures. In other words, this gaggle of four live the 'life of Riley'. (Okay, I'm not sure who Riley actually was, but I always hear that he had a really, really terrific life!)

The geese are about a year old now. They are American Buff, an endangered breed, and Lexie had bought two show quality breeding pairs, therefore, we have two geese and two ganders. She gave them beautiful names to go with her high expectations for breeding and showing them. Her favorite was a male named Bergamot. He tolerated being held in her arms and lap, would fall asleep when she petted him, and she was just sure that he would always be sweet and gentle with her.

Bergamot has grown into a nice size gander and he just loves his gaggle of friends. (Interpretation: he is HUGE when he spreads his wings and comes at you with his head down and neck stretched, which is often as he has the feeling that we are out to get him and his feathered friends.) Lexie has become most reluctant to walk through the pastures if Bergamot is loose in them! So, with the most loving intentions, she has 'gifted' him to her husband, Watson, and changed his name to Stewey (for possibly obvious reasons.)

At 6'1" Watson has a distinct advantage over Stewey and hisses right back at him; I think that the two are becoming quite attached to each other. I'm also suspicious that Stewey is beginning to ponder whether or not Watson might not just be a really large gander....