A Goose without a Mother

     Once upon a time, well actually just this past Memorial Day. Vince, Kristin and Rex went for a hike. While on their hike a little gosling started following them. They looked around trying to find her Mom and a nest, without luck. The creek was running high and fast, so they think she might have gotten washed away from her family. We don't really know if it's a boy or girl just using she to make things easier. The gosling followed them back to their car. Afraid she might get hit by another car they brought her to our house, we have a very small pond. Rex christened her "Puffee".

Rex and Puffee

Wait for me!

     Kristin called friends who have some acreage and a couple of large ponds. They agreed to take Puffee. Rex wasn't ready to give her up yet so they took the little girl home for awhile. So she became part of the family for a few weeks. They used a 10 gallon glass aquarium for her to stay in at night or when they were gone. But if they were home then she wanted to be held all the time. She would squawk her head off if they left the room.

This is more like it.

Nap time

Watching the Kings Hockey game with Vince

Resting on the counter

This is how Vince and Puffee roll

     Finally Puffee reached a point where she was getting too big for the aquarium and it was time to move on to bigger things.

Here she is with Rex checking out her new digs.

She would stay in the coop at night and be let out to roam around during the day.

Paying a visit a few weeks later, look how she's grown

     The above pictures were taken the end of June. Puffee has made a friend, another orphan, a duck, named "Duck Food", aka "DF".

Here's Puffee and DF having breakfast with a photo bombing drake in the background.

Paying another visit in August

Puffee is now a beautiful full grown goose. Hanging with DF.

     The last report about Puffee is, she thinks she's a duck. When the wild ducks fly I guess she flies with them, but she always comes back. It will be interesting to see what happens when winter gets closer. Will she stay, will she hook up with her own kind and fly south, will she fly south with the ducks. We shall see.

A thought to ponder: The kindness one does for a animal may not change the world....But it will change the world for that one animal.

Shared with:Sincerely, Paula

Celebrate Whenever You Can

     I was going to save this until closer to the holidays. Then I got to thinking about the whole celebrating thing and our need to save things for special occasions. How many of you have "good" dishes that you only bring out when company comes?  Shouldn't you and your family be just as important or even more so then "company"? No matter what constitutes your family; you and a furry friend, you and a significant other, or with kids, or just you. You shouldn't hesitate to celebrate whenever you can, and in whatever way makes you happy.
    Children have the knack of enjoying each day, making it special because there are always new things to see and learn. Our granddaughter Miranda has always enjoyed music. Even as a baby she would bounce and sway to music. When she could walk, she would dance. It made her happy and still does.

"Children dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music"

     We tend to celebrate major milestones, as well we should, but what about the minor ones. Did you just have your best golf game ever; did your child learn to ride his two wheeler; did you buy your first new car; or how about you just had the nicest Tuesday in a long time. We shouldn't save our nice things for special occasions. What's the point of having them if you don't enjoy them. The same goes for our days. Yes, some days are not so good, maybe down right horrible, all the more reason to celebrate when a really good day comes along.

     I buy Miranda a holiday dress each year before Thanksgiving. One year I was visiting and had given her the holiday dress, so her mother bought her some nice shoes to go with it. When Casie came home with the shoes Miranda exclaimed, "Oh, now I have my celebrating shoes."

Miranda in her celebrating shoes

     Everyone should have a pair of celebrating shoes. It doesn't matter what they look like. Maybe they're tennis shoes and you go for a hike or a run. Maybe they're flip flops and you go to the beach, lake or a picnic. They can be any kind of shoe in which you do something you enjoy, because enjoying life in big or small ways is celebrating life. So go put on your celebrating shoes and dance like no one is watching.

Miranda still enjoying dance

A thought to ponder: Happiness is not about getting there; it's about being here.    Robert Holden