Loving seeing the geese back on my uni campus

wish us luck 🥲

im gonna miss you guys <3
hope yall enjoy the geese pics! (and the ducks)

One of the things we do a lot is visit the many cold springs that surround us here in North Florida. Because Asha is still not integrated with the flock i don't like to leave her alone if i can just bring her along. So yesterday we had a trip to go swimming with Asha. The coolest thing is though, we came here with Asha when she was only a few days old back in May. She was too little and the water too chilly for her to actually go in the water last time though. Last pic is of her little boat we made for her to keep her with us but dry last time. This time we had an uncomfortable encounter with a local, who appeared to be drinking, who was trying to tell everyone that the "duck" belonged to her neighbor and she was going to "round her up" and take her home. I'm glad she back pedaled after being confronted because i will fight over this goose... and i hate jail. I expect people to be curious and want to pet her and ask questions... absolutely I'm cool with all that. I'm even prepared for the day someone thinks she's a wild bird and tries to intervene with us "molesting" her...i was NOT prepared for this lady😆

Man i love them so much fr they are just the bestest guys. But sometimes they are a bit Naughty they almost ate every zucchini plant that my mother had planted this year.
So you guys hide all your zucchini from them.

So someone in the neighborhood called the police on the goose that follows humans and dogs around 🙄🥺

On Tuesday evening we were stopped by a conservation officer who made us load Harley up in the car (which hasn’t happened since we found him around 1 day old) - and take him to a licensed rehabber for “reintroduction”. I am crushed. The property we took him to was absolutely gorgeous and he’d have lots of animal friends to hang out with there, and the rescue lady has been incredible. She has sent me updates all day yesterday and was accepting of all the photos and videos I’ve sent her of Harley growing up - she also agrees this was completely unnecessary and is pissed someone called and caused this all to transpire bc he was indeed thriving here. At only 4 months old, his instincts were only starting to kick in, he just needed more time. 😭

He slept in a barn that first night (which again, we haven’t contained him since he was about a month old), spent all day Wednesday by her side helping with chores and afraid to go past her barn porch until evening time when he wandered the yard with her domestic geese.

This morning I texted the rescuer my mock “Save Harley” t-shirts I wanted to make to wear to our upcoming neighborhood meeting as a f*ck you to the person who called on us, and that’s when I got word that he has flown away and she thinks he’s heading home!!

I was sad and worried when I left him there because I saw him on the way there watching his surroundings and while I want to be excited he’s heading home, I’m now terrified that he attempted to fly the highways and roads we took there instead of heading for the Great Lake we live next to and finding us from the shore. 😭

I know there’s nothing I can do about it but wait and pray - but I needed to share somewhere because this whole situation has been an unnecessary trauma for Harley and for this pocket of the neighborhood that cares so deeply for his well being - and now this poor rescue woman who spent yesterday getting attached to him and now he’s taken off to try to find home 😥🙏

Behold Tristan and Isolde. I have to pick them up and squish them several times a day. They like having their backs rubbed, under their wings, tummies, necks, under beak scratched. I also massage their feet.

They aren’t mean (yet). The UPS driver pets them.

I don’t know if it’s possible to have only two.

Haven’t really given him any name yet, but this is my favorite goose in the entire gaggle. I’m always able to tell it’s him because of a small brown streak on the side of his neck!

He loves coming up to me when I sit with the gaggle, he’ll rub his neck against me, lightly nibble at my hands, and even lets me pet him. I’ve been feeding the geese at this park for over a year now, so they recognize me whenever I come by. :) He doesn’t mind the pets and hugs

Credits: my lovely GF captured this

My offense? I wore some new striped maternity pajamas that Stacy the Fashion Police decided weren’t that flattering on me. Sorry for trying to be comfortable, Stacy.

Made by me - https://www.instagram.com/blue.faerie.nails

Heard a ruckus down at the temporary coop, Honky just wanted everyone to know he is a proud papa and has new babies!

(Juliette is still sitting on 9 more eggs and about a dozen duck eggs she stole). 😂