Flight of a Thousand Geese

They came last night in that time just after sunset. Wave after wave of Canadian geese flying out of the West. Hundreds of them broken into separate groups, heading away from the newly set sun to find a place to settle for the night. I had never seen anything like it, and like a small child I was enthralled. This morning while we were feeding the horses, a sound began to build. The roar of a million people applauding……it was surreal. Like sleepy humans suddenly discovering that they are late for work, the geese rose in one great thundering mass. They were too far away to see, and never hearing anything like it before, the horses showed signs of panic. They wanted to run, but the people they trusted were standing at ease and looking to the sky. Being the trusting beings that they are, those horses stood still, the only evidence of their panic instinct showing in their erect posture and wildly flashing eyes. As the geese approached, they once again broke into separate groups, each heading toward an unknown destination. I can fully understand now why ancient man believed his world to be populated with gods and spirits. It was amazing…..truly amazing.