Pause Point And Proceed

How do geese cross the road????

The right way of course. By stopping traffic! By following the rules we are all taught as small children. To pause, point and then proceed. My young niece and nephew have known this rule since they were very small.

It is truly amazing that these wild animals are smart enough to learn this rule too.

Geese are really cool creatures.... and smart too. And Canada Geese are all over the place here. And there is one specific spot where there is a wildlife park situated between the river and the road. The geese cross this road in order to eat grass in the other ditch, I think. Or maybe they are just bored of being on the canal side so they cross over. I don't really know how a goose thinks....

But needless to say they cross the road. And they follow the rules. I witnessed it one day.

That day two goose families needed to cross back to the canal side.

There were two mamas and two papas on the left side of the road (away from the water) and each had a family of three babies that were about half grown but clearly still dependent on mom and dad. Let's call them family #1 and family #2 There was a third family of similar size on the right or river side of the road. Let's call them famil #3 and that family had to cross an approach to get to where everybody wanted to be.

Well when I came upon the scene the traffic coming towards me had stopped to let the birds cross the road. The car in front of me drove on through but I stopped too. Papa #1 came out into the other lane about 1/2 way and waited and. And watched me. And shook his head in the direction he wanted to go. And waited. And when he was convinced I wasn't going anywhere then he took his little family across the road. Now it was papa#2's turn. He came out about to the middle of the road and his babies sat down in the opposite lane while he decided what to do. He waited while family #3 did the same sort of deal to cross the approach to the park and then wandered into the park across from him and cleared the shoulder of the road. Then pap #2 got his little brood up and took them across in front of my lane and into the ditch after he waited to make sure we, the car drivers, didn't move and shook his head to show where he was going.

I was amazed. But it doesn't always take much to amaze me.

But still... a goose knowing the rules of crossing the street??? They must do it all the time to know enough to pause, point and proceed.