Liam's Version of Goose's Demise (Run Goose - be free!)
HI Kate,
One of Liam's latest cartoons - inspired by the story of your goose. He hopes you're not offended. :)
Patrice
Kate's Note:
One of the great challenges when both parents work is to maintain a home for the children and give them opportunities for growth.
Nearly 20 years ago, Rick and I decided to move to the country and home school our younger girls. This allowed us to stay involved in our tutoring service and still raise our children.
We did a lot of schedule juggling, gave up the big TV and new cars, and ordered a bunch of chickens, ducks, and GEESE.
The geese were always interesting and would wander the property honking at visitors and delivery men. They make great guard animals.
Rick developed a very good ear for "goose" language and would talk to them daily. They would follow him around and watch him as he repaired fences and mailboxes. Rick's brother, who visited frequently, complained about the waste the geese left behind and so we allowed our goose population to dwindle. (Geese have a long life span when protected - up to 80 years I have read- with an average life of 20 years or so.)
So we were down to one goose finally, a gray Toulouse, who started getting agitated by the increased traffic.
When we first moved to the farm we might count 20 cars a day passing by. Now, with the growth of housing construction many commuters have discovered that our road is a cut through and they need only endure about 3 miles of gravel to save 20 minutes of gridlock. I've counted over 20 cars in less than a half hour during morning or evening commuting time.
Well Goose got really upset by all this traffic and quite territorial. Every morning and evening he would position himself dead center of the two-lane road and honk at the passing cars. From time to time someone might stop and try to shoo him to safety but that would last a brief moment and he'd come back.
Of course we could have caged him but, as a child of the 60s, my motto is "live free or die."
So, the inevitable happened and one fine spring morning we went out to the road and saw a pile of gray feathers. Rumor has it a semi hit him.
