Do geese mate for life like emperor penguins? I'm not sure. We had two geese growing up and one of them was named Charlotte, but the other name escapes me now. Maybe Fred? No matter. I was four or five years old and whenever I asked, my dad always told me that the one on the left was Charlotte. Always. They did move as one, almost synchronized, so I believed him and didn't realize why his own answer made him giggle until much later in life. I don't remember what happened to those geese, but I remember them being together always, and then they were gone.
In my part of town, I don't see a lot of geese. If I do, they are usually flying across the sky instead of walking in duos like Charlotte and her friend. A few stressful and gloomy mornings ago, I saw one goose fly over the highway while I was on my way to work.
I watched it and watched it. It was airborne and headed south, but it seemed wobbly and unable to stay consistently at the same elevation. Hurt maybe. It also struck me as odd that it was alone since I usually see pairs or flying V formations. This time, there was just one lone bird headed in the right direction, getting the flight done, but struggling to make it happen.
I can relate.
