The Geese are Flying North

Yesterday was a nice warmer day and somewhat sunny. I was finishing putting the Christmas decorations in storage, when several flocks of geese flew over heading north. That happens every year about this time. Just seem a bit early this year. Sometimes they land in the lake at the ranch and hang out for a while. Then continue on after resting and recharging.

Usually we have ducks and geese that winter over on our lake and in the spring we have a crop of ducklings and geeselings or what ever you call the baby geese. They munch on the grass and leave there dropping behind to nourish the lawns. Some like it so well here they stay all year.

We have people that do the same, except most come here in the summer season and leave when it starts to get cold. Some come all year regardless of the weather. Then there are those of us that never leave. That is to say it is our home. About 120 or so. Some use the ranch as home base when they travel around the world. Some travel in their motor homes most of the year and come back for the important holidays or a vacation from vacationing.

Of course we have a few snowbirds that come from Canada or the east that don’t want to shovel snow. Occasional dips into the 30s are better than constant minus zeros all winter long.

Ginny and I don’t travel much. We did that when we were truckers. We spent too much time on the road and away from home to want to do much of that now. I still think it’s a treat to be home on weekends. My itchy feet got scratched a long the way.

While we were trucking we were in all the contiguous states, but Maine and North Dakota. We were dispatched to Canada a few times. That is a COLD place in January. Ginny liked to have froze to death standing on a loading dock while we unloaded a load of computers (pre personal computers, when a van load of computers were needed to-do the work of one of today's desktops) we spent a week there in two days once. I understand now why the geese leave.

That night after we unloaded in Trois-Rivières (Three Rivers) Canada,  we went on to Quebec for a delivery the next day. Being that it was very cold minus 60 something, we wanted to stay in a nice warm motel room. We found a motel that had parking for the truck and a restaurant across the street. Perfect!! Ginny when in to register and I waited in the truck. I could see her talking to the desk clerk and all of a sudden she disappears from view then pops up with her hand over her head with her fingers spread open bobbing up and down while her head went back and forth. Was she having a fit or something I wondered? I was just about to run to her aide when she turned to indicate she was ok. A few minutes later she came out with the key to the room all smiles.

"What was that all about", I asked.

 "Oh, they only speak French and I had to tell the desk clerk we wanted a bathtub and not just a shower, so I pantomimed it for him. I sat on the floor and scrubbed myself then stood and indicated we did not want just a shower".  Never under estimate what lengths Ginny will go too to get what she wants.

It was late, and we were hungry and the restaurant across the street was still open, so after we parked the truck, checked the room and dropped off our gear we went to dinner. It was around Midnight.

Have you ever tried to order dinner from a menu you cannot read because it is in French and the waitress nor anyone else in the place spoke English. Ginny’s pantomime came into play again. Buzzing like a bee and flapping her hands like a bird to get some honey for her tea. We just pointed at anything on the menu that looked good and hoped it wasn’t an instruction or direction to the place. It turned out to be some kind of pancake thingee. Very good stuff.

While we were having dinner, some drunk staggered in and sat down at the table across from us. The waitress and he got into a discussion. We could not understand a word of it. But, I think it was something like "Order or get out!” He placed his order and went to sleep sitting up. A while later, his bacon and eggs were delivered and placed in front of him. He was still sleeping and the waitress mumbled something and left. A few minutes later, one leg comes up and plops in the middle of his breakfast. We were still gaping at that when the other leg comes up and finishes the job of breaking the dishes and spreading food all over the table and surrounding floor.

Back came the waitress and the cook. After a few verbal exchanges and some cash being dispensed, out the door the drunk staggered. Dinner and a show, who would have guessed.

Next morning after a nights rest, Ginny had pancakes with cheese on them. Morning pancakes are not the same as nighttime ones. We wondered why the morning waitress looked at her funny when she ordered "crapes with fromage". And we thought we were getting the hang of the language.

Back to the geese flying north. I think they are taking their time. It’s still cold up north.

Until next time, may your God keep you safe.........