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A mallard nest on the island.
My mother told me the story of discovering the goose nest. She had gone out to the island, a small piece of land they had separated from their property years ago to solve the erosion/marsh issue. She sat down in a lawn chair and was surprised to see a female Canada goose sitting in the brush. Ah, she must be nesting.
My parents avoided the island but watched daily as the male guarded the space where the female sat on the nest.
Then I came for a visit. On Saturday morning, I was looking toward the island and noticed both the male and female were walking around… and there were little fuzzy thinks walking around them. Goslings! They hatched!
We grabbed the binoculars and squealed with excitement.
I snuck out with my camera and telephoto lens to capture the scene. The parents led their babies out for their first swim, and I caught it on video.
On Sunday other Canada geese families came by to visit and welcome the new goslings.
Why are we so fascinated by new life?
For weeks now I have been following Cynthia Lord’s daily Facebook posts about her bunny babies. My daughter’s best friend had a baby last week, and we can’t get enough pictures. Everywhere there is new life, and it is thrilling.
Mom and I chatted constantly about the baby goslings. We grieved when we saw there were only four when originally there were five. Even though this life and death is a part of every day in nature, we still marvel at it all.
Creation is an amazing thing. We want to feel that newness of birth. We delight in seeing something so small mimic its parents. Don’t you look forward to all the firsts?
I was sitting out on the back porch reading. I hadn’t seen the geese or goslings for some time. I heard a splash and looked up to see one of the goslings jumping from the bridge into the water. I called to Mom, “Guess what I just saw!?”
New life tells us that there is a generosity in this world.
There will be another hatching soon. On the day I was leaving, Mom and I walked out to the island to see the abandoned nest. I wanted to take a picture of it. As we were talking, a flutter of wings flew up from the brush and flew into the lake. A mother mallard. There we saw her nest of 10 shiny white eggs.
I probably won’t be at the lake when these ducklings hatch, but I can be sure that Mom will call me with a report. New life is God’s way of saying life must go on. It’s also just. plain. joy.
Reflections on the Teche 