Going down the Rabbit Hole by Nancy M Bell

 

To find out more about my work please click on the cover.

Working on a historical mystery has its own rewards and challenges. There is so much information to track down and then process. How to fit it all together...what to keep...what to throw away...what to actually use in the story...

The process of tracking down the information and then verifying said information is an experience all on its own. I find myself following links and leads from one site to another and then oh my! looking for actual books, either hard copy or digital, to further add to the pile of data that needs to be sorted through.

Ultimately, I arrive at the bottom of the rabbit hole and I'm never sure if I'm any more enlightened than when I started. But of course, then the author has to start to shovel their way back to the surface, sorting the dross from the gold. I emerge into the light holding some tiny nuggets of  gold (information I can actually use).   

However, the journey is important because even though I may not use all the information directly in the final product, the finding and sorting of all the information helps me to formulate the background structure that I will ultimately pin my story to. It enriches the overall image and atmosphere I wish to create, a backdrop if you will, against which my mystery and the characters involved can play out the storyline.

Though, sometimes I do wish the rabbit hole was not quite so deep or the rabbit warren not quite so extensive.

The Tom Thomson Mystery releases from BWL Publishing in November of 2024. I think you'll find it interesting with a rather unique POV from my protaganist ~ Harriet Agnes St. George of Sprucedale Ontario who is spending her spring and summer of 1917 in Algonquin Park  in what was known then as New Ontario.

Until next month stay well, stay happy

New Series - mystery and romance combined by Janet Lane Walters #The Writer's House

 

This cover is the Writer's House where a number of writers rent a work room and also congregate. They are giving a seminar on writing a book for a new writer. Valentina Hartley or Val decides to take the course. She  is new to town and is looking for an apartment or house for her mother and five-year-old son in Rockleigh where she now resides with her partner in their business We Research. Val goes to the seminar at the Writer's House where she meets Dana Bradley who interest her in a half house her brother rents. When the talk and questions end, Val leaves since she starts the research early each morning. She discovers the lights for the porch and parking lot are out and calls for help. Believing she remembers the porch, she starts out. The lights come on startling her and she trips. She discovers the obstacle is a dead man and she screams. Val almost appears guilty. She is newly come to town but she swears she has never seen the man before.

For Kyle Bradley, the corpse becomes a puzzle. He has a SS number but no other information other than a computer, manuscripts for three books he's written. Is he in witness protection? When Kyle and his partner investigate, they learn though he had the number, it wasn't for him. They are faced with a puzzle. al has an idea that may help. Will it. By working together and being neighbors, the pair become friends.

At present, there are two other ideas for this series bouncing in my head. The History Writer's Snuff Boxes and the Erotic Writer's Nightgowns. Hopefully more stories will come as I work.

My Places

   https://twitter.com/JanetL717

 https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f

bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

 

Clean dirt vs dirty dirt, by J.C. Kavanagh

 

The award-winning Twisted Climb series!
Click here for the purchase link: 

https://www.bookswelove.net/kavanagh-j-c/

Have you ever driven past a sign on the road that read, "Clean dirt wanted." I have, and each time I would laugh out loud. "Clean dirt?" Is there such a thing?

Apparently, yes.

My partner and I recently purchased a country property. When we inspected the property in February, there was fresh snow on the ground. It was a beautiful sight. When we moved in the following month, the snow had melted and we discovered the rear portion of the yard was not topped with grass, but with gravel and sand. And even worse, the south perimeter of the yard was surrounded by a clay-bottom, water-filled moat. 

Oh dear.

We live in one of a gazillion 'mosquito capitals' in Ontario and if you have stagnant or standing water on your property, it's a perfect breeding ground for these blood-sucking pests. 

But back to the dirt.

To eliminate the breeding grounds, we have to fill the moat. Before we fill the moat, we have to shovel out the clay bottom. Clay is so dense that water will not penetrate easily, thus the standing water. So we put on our Schwarzenegger arms and dig out enough clay to fill dozens of wheelbarrows.

Next, we research the best material to fill the moat. Sand? Gravel? Dirt? Ah, and that's where we went down the rabbit hole. There's six types of soil, three kinds of dirt and countless types of gravel and/or sand mixtures. We need to fill the moat with something that drains well, so sand was the best option. We ordered a tri-axle truck load and distributed it using a wheel barrow, shovel and rake. A very hearty work out.

Tri-axle dump truck carrying 20 yards of fill which equals 25 tons or 50,000 pounds

Since the back yard was sloped into the 'moat,' we decided to truck in additional loads of dirt to level the area and totally eliminate any ponding. Again, we went back to research and found that 'clean dirt' was the best - we could spread it and then add a good layer of top soil before seeding for grass. Clean dirt is composed of rock, sand and grit and has no compostable material in it. Whereas 'dirty' dirt may contain garbage, waste material and unknown substances. Steer clear of the dirty dirt!

Me on one load of 'clean' dirt

Three of six truck loads of clean dirt

Six truck loads later... we have almost half the back yard filled and levelled. 

Please, somebody hand me a beer.

In the Twisted Climb series, there are volcanic rocks and stone cliffs but the holes in the ground found in the dream world do not lead to rabbits; they lead to the Un-World. Order the series today and set yourself up for a fantastic escape into the adventures of Jayden, Connor and Max. And the Protector.

In the meantime, stay safe and don't forget to tell the ones you love, that you love them! 

J.C. Kavanagh, author of
The Twisted Climb - A Bright Darkness (Book 3) Best YA Book FINALIST at Critters Readers Poll 2022
and
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2) voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll
Voted Best Local Author, Simcoe County, Ontario, 2021
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh
www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh
Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh)
Instagram @authorjckavanagh

The Joy of Meeting Readers

Find my books here

Every time a reader reads one of our books, it is made anew. Readers' life, thoughts, feelings, go into their experience of reading. Is it any wonder that most authors love meeting our readers?

I appreciate you reading this blog, and enjoy reading your  comments. I love when readers write or email. I have mail from readers as far away as Australia that I treasure. 

Best of all for me, is meeting readers. I enjoy doing book signings and talks, often based on my research. When possible, I love teaming up with other writers for this. I often partner with BWL author Eileen O'Finlan. After I met her, we also discovered we are distant cousins. What a nice bonus!

Eileen and I have done talks on the experiences of Irish immigrants to America, the subject of two of our books, her Kelgeen and Erin's Children and my Mercies of the Fallen and Ursula's Inheritance.

We're about to launch a new speaking tour here in New England, entitled Witches and Vampires: When New World Nightmares Invaded the New World. This revolves around our two 2024 novels. Eileen's The Folklorist is a marvelous dual time-line novel set in the museum world of the 1970s and the New England Vampire Panic of the 1830s. My Canadian Historical Mystery #7 is Spectral Evidence, set during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93. It's set in Newfoundland, where some survivor children are taking refuge with their Canadian cousins. So, I'm in charge of the witches, and Eileen, the vampires. We hope our talk is enlightening and enjoyable to our treasured readers.

And we hope to meet you someday soon!

 

Novels Make Great Historical Research

 

                                        Please click this link for book and author information

My favourite research for my novel-in-progress set in 1918 Calgary has been reading novels written by contemporary authors of the time. This week I finished Rilla of Ingleside, the eighth and last book of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. When I was a child, I devoured all the Anne books. I loved the first three novels in the series best, but once Anne realized Gilbert was her true love she got boring and the stories shifted focus to her six children. The story of Rilla, the youngest, grabbed me more than those of her older siblings because Rilla grows as a character and the war's impact was poignant. 

Rilla of Ingleside is set during World War One. The novel begins with the war's start in 1914 and ends shortly after the Armistice of November 11, 1918. Wikipedia calls Rilla of Ingleside "the only Canadian novel written from a contemporary woman's perspective about the First World War." I found it an excellent portrait of the experiences, views, and feelings of people living on the Canadian home front. The book led me to make a few changes to my novel, A Killer Whisky, which takes place during the Great War's final month.  

Rilla lived in Prince Edward Island. A friend loaned me four novels written by early twentieth century Alberta writers. As their titles suggest, Cattle by Winnifred Eaton and The Cow Puncher by Robert J.C. Stead are largely set in ranch country, but the characters venture into Calgary. The Cow Puncher gets into World War One, which ties to its theme that meaning comes from service rather than selfishness. Cattle deals with the 1918 Influenza Pandemic aka the Spanish flu, which features prominently in A Killer Whisky.

The Shadow Riders by Isabel Paterson is set entirely in Calgary during the pre-war real estate boom. While reading all of the books, I kept a pen and sheet of paper handy to jot notes on descriptions of Calgary during that era, details of daily life, and word usage. A hundred years ago, expressions of surprise and horror tended to come from religion, such as "Lord Almighty!" "I'll be damned!" and the softer "Heavens!" Peppering a novel with these as well as slightly archaic phrases -- "he was wont to say," "it's a mortal disgrace," "wicked to do this" -- helps bring readers into that former time. 

The fourth Alberta novel I read, The Magpie's Nest, was Isabel Paterson's second published novel. Set partly in rural Alberta and New York City, it provided less Calgary detail than The Shadow Riders, but The Magpie offered some interesting commentary. Today's writers tired of the pressure to promote themselves on social media might appreciate this Magpie character's view of fan worship: “What does anyone want to meet an author for? Or a painter, or any famous person? You’ve got all the best of them in whatever they create. I’d as soon meet a cook because I liked the meal.”

In addition to their practical value for research, I found these five novels jolly good reads. The female characters are remarkably spirited and smart. While the books' styles are somewhat dated, I enjoyed them more than many modern novels I've read. There's good reason to call them classics, but they all aren't easy to get your hands on.  

Rilla of Ingleside is the only one available for takeout from my Calgary Public Library due to the continued popularity of the Anne of Green Gables series. Cattle, re-released last year by Invisible Publishing to mark the 30th anniversary of Winnifred Eaton's death, is available only for in-library use. You aren't likely to find Cattle on a bookstore shelf, but it can be ordered or purchased online. The Leopold Classical Library has republished Isabel Paterson's two novels by scanning the originals since books published in the United States before 1929 are now in the public domain. You can also read e-book versions free online.      

I liked The Shadow Riders so much that I bought the republished paperback and was surprised -- "Good Heavens!" -- when it arrived in 8 1/2 x 11 format in large font with wide margins. A bargain for $30, even though the original novel probably cost about 50 cents in 1918.    

      

         

                 

Food, and some Interesting Facts, by Karla Stover

 

Check out all my books here:  https://bookswelove.net/stover-karla/

And by the same author:

Parlor Girls

Wynters Way

Murder: When One Isn't Enough

A Line to Murder

    Julie Andrews may have liked "Rain Drops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens," and I do too, but if push came to shove, I probably like food better. And If and when it comes, to avoid global starvation, I'd have to go to France, the only European Country that is self-sufficient. At least, that's what I read on google, but google can be confusing. Consider this: regarding "Food waste produced annually in selected countries worldwide 2020, China and India produce more household food waste than any other country." versus this: "The United States discards more food than any other country in the world."  

    Huh?

    But what if I don't want to go to France? Well, there's always the cheese caves in Missouri. The cheese story has been created by several presidents but the gist is this: In the 1970s, America had a dairy products shortage. To alleviate the crisis and encourage production, President Jimmy Carter poured money into the dairy industry. The two billion dollars provided pushed the industry into overproduction. Struggling dairy farmers were motivated to produce as much as they could, knowing that the government would buy whatever went unsold. But then, with all the dairy products on its hands, the government scrambled for a solution to the problem it had created. The answer was convert the dairy to cheese, which was okay for a while. Then, in 1981, the Secretary of Agriculture told the country that the government owned 60 million, five-pound blocks of cheese which was starting to get moldy. Thus was born TEFAP, the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program which gave cheese to food banks to be doled out. However, issues with dairy products seems to be a never-ending problem.  Demand has declined, the number of lactose-intolerant people is growing but neither government subsidies nor production are waning. And, as a result, in 2016 farmers dumped 43 million gallons of milk into fields, animal feed, and anaerobic lagoons also known as manure lagoons, in other words, places where waste can be treated. And, now, cheese having become a totem of American culture, both Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z referenced it in songs.          

    But we are not alone. India and Norway are stockpiling wheat, and government involvement ( dare I say interference? ) created what became known as The Butter Mountain in the European Union. It joined beef mountains, grain mountains, milk lakes and wine lakes. 

    Here's something funny from Wikipedia: note the dates.

    Bloomberg News, New York, NY Retrieved 28 December 2017. "Europe's Butter Mountain Has Melted Away " 

    and

    The New York Times, Castle, Stephen (2 February 2009 ) Retrieved 28 December 2017.  "EU's butter mountain is back.     

    In 2021, Canada, surprised the world when it made a withdrawal from its strategic maple syrup reserve, which many people didn't even know existed, in order to stabilize prices.

    In 2019, China, thanks to African swine fever, auctioned off 10,000 metric tons of its pork reserves to help offset the damage done.

    In a series of former mine tunnels deep below the surface of Central Russia the government has a top-secret cache ( though how top-secret the cache is seems questionable since I found out about it on google )  of cereals, sugar, canned meat, and other food staples, all managed by Rosreserve, an agency which manages all of Russia's federally-mandated reserves.

    There are reserves other than food all over the world: animal DNA, rubber bullets, vaccines, cotton, there is even a library of ice. Like helium, raisins, and opinions about reserves, some stockpiles seem to come and go. I just hope the cheese holds out.

Jillian of Banff XO – Book Release July 1st / Barbara Baker

 

 

As the July 1^st release day for Jillian of Banff XO creeps closer, the jitterbugs get more active, and my house gets cleaner. When I worry, I clean. What if I didn’t get Jillian right in this story? What if someone finds an error between the pages? What if? What if? Clean. Clean. Clean. My knick-knacks cringe at the site of me coming so I head outside to walk. The outdoors helps me refocus on the seasonal changes and for a while I forget to worry about ‘what if?’

Initially, I never thought I would write a sequel to Summer of Lies but then What About Me? came to fruition. And then the need for yet another story, Jillian of Banff XO. Now it’s a series—something I never expected to happen when I wrote the first book.

Each novel takes Jillian through a stage of her teenage years and the turmoil life has in store for her. And it all takes place in Banff, Alberta where I grew up. The school’s hallways, a few favourite teachers and the places she walks past are so familiar to me. 

I hope readers can relate to my characters and will cheer them on to The End. I also hope readers will tell friends and family to check the books out. I hope. I hope. I hope. Yes, I will be out walking shortly replacing ‘what if’ with ‘I hope’ and taking a different trail to see if the shooting stars are blooming yet.

    

 

As if the emotional turmoil is not enough to deal with, I have to choose from a plethora of sales strategies and prepare a series of social media posts to promote my new book. And then of course, the dreaded - asking readers to leave a review. Ack. I get imposter syndrome when my finger hits the post icon. It sounds like I’m boasting … ‘look at me, look at me, I have a book release coming up.’

When I received the proof of the cover, I held my breath. It’s beautiful. One step closer to getting published. What if it becomes a best seller? My ego goes on a runaway for a few seconds, and then I chuckle because I’m right back at the beginning—what if? The whole process is overwhelming and frightening and exciting all mixed together and you can bet I will be logging in a lot of steps each day as July 1^st approaches.

Canada Day and my release will happen on the same day – almost like I planned it. How cool is that?

If you would like a reminder when the link opens for pre-orders, send me a note at bbaker.write@gmail.com

 

  

Summer of Lies: Baker, Barbara:9780228615774: Books - Amazon.ca

What About Me?: Sequel to Summer of Lies : Baker, Barbara: Amazon.ca: Books

 

Twice Hung! A Historical Mystery by Vanessa C. Hawkins

 

 

 Vanessa Hawkins Author Page

    

Twice Hung came out last week! I'm so excited! If you're into historical mystery, with a sprinkle of romance, this one's for you! It features Ethel Arsenault and her journey to Charlottetown to see her affluent, business saavy brother Ernest, who has made a name for himself in the shipbuilding industry. When he turns up dead, Ethel is left to care for his estate, Eden Hall and his wife, Dolly. But Ethel is sure that there is something afoot when she starts hearing voices at night. Is she being plagued by the past, or is something more sinister at work? Please check out Twice Hung at all available retailers now. Though I wrote way out of my genre this time around, this book has been lovingly crafted with a ton of research into 1800's Charlottetown PEI. My visits to the island in the last few years really paid off here. Can you solve the mystery of Eden Hall? Oh! And don't forget to write a review! :)

PIC: The real Eden Hall my story Twice Hung was based on.

Nursing Home by J. S. Marlo

 

Undeniable Trait

is coming

in July 2024

   

 

  

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

I'm part of what my friend call "the sandwich generation". That's the generation of 50 to 70 yrs old who takes care of elderly relatives and young children at the same time.

I enjoy babysitting my grandchildren when they can't go to daycare. Being my children's backup babysitter isn't a chore, it's a ray of sunshine in my week, but taking care of two elderly relatives who live at the other end of the country is a whole different story.

These elderly relatives require special assistance, assistance that I'm not equipped to provide, assistance only available in a nursing home. Ironically, finding the right nursing home isn't any easier than finding the right daycare. One of my elderly relatives wouldn't be able to tell me if the care she receives is adequate any more than my 15-month-old granddaughter could.

The Covid years exposed the ugly management of too many nursing homes where basic care wasn't even basic. Some say you get what you pay for, but what happens when you can't pay more than you earn?

In Undeniable Trait, Willow is a young female plumber struggling to care for her elderly grandmother. Willow can't afford to stay home and not work any more than she can afford to pay for home care. Her only option is to send her grandmother to the only nursing home in her isolated northern town -- a nursing home that hides more than a few deadly secrets.

    Hoping to start afresh, Dr. Zachary Auckerman moves to a northern Canadian town in desperate need of a doctor. Within days of his arrival, he stumbles onto suspicious deaths and illegal activities at the nursing home, and encounters a fascinating female plumber with a spunky personality and six fingers on her left hand.

    After suffering an injury fixing a toilet tank, Willow Mitchell falls for the new doctor who stitched her hand and called her to thaw his frozen pipes. 

    The murder of her mother, a woman who seduced and extorted men, prompts Willow to dig into her past and seek her father’s identity, but the secrets surrounding her birth are buried deep in old medical files and locked in the ravaged mind of her grandmother who lives at the nursing home.

    Amid rumors, lies, deceit, and betrayal, Willow and Zachary hunt for the truth, unleashing deadly events that threaten their lives. Can they trust their hearts, and each other, before one of them becomes the next victim?

Undeniable Trait will be available next month (July 2024). 

As for me, one relative is a work-in-progress who's giving me lots of grey hair, but the other elderly relative and my three grandchildren are in good nursing home/daycare. 

Happy Reading,

J. S.

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Teaming Up for Author Talks by Eileen O'Finlan

 

Click here for purchase information

One of the most fun things authors get to do is go to libraries, bookstores, and other places to talk to interested readers about their books. It's even more fun when we get to do it with other authors. Early this spring, I got to enjoy talking about Erin's Children, historical fiction set in Worcester, Massachusetts, with my friend and fellow author, Mary Anne Kalonas Slack. Mary Anne's debut novel, The Sacrificial Daughter, is also set in Worcester and, while it's not historical fiction, it does, like Erin's Children, feature an Irish family. We felt that was enough for us to do author talks together. Apparently, we were right because we've had great turnouts with very enthusiastic attendees.

More recently, I have done a talk with fellow BWL author, Eileen Charbonneau. Eileen and I have teamed up before and we truly enjoy it. This time we're talking about our most recent releases - my novel The Folklorist and Eileen's novel, Spectral Evidence which she co-authored with Jude Pittman and which is part of the Canadian Historical Mystery Series. Both are historical fiction. The Folklorist centers on the New England Vampire Panic while Spectral Evidence incorporates the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Since we are focusing on the folk beliefs about witches and vampires that came to America along with the European immigrants, we've titled our talk, "Witches and Vampires: When Old World Nightmares Invaded the New World." 

Most of the people in our audiences have never heard of the New England Vampire Panic and, though nearly everyone knows of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, most are surprised to learn that one accused husband and wife managed to escape from prison after having sent their children off ahead of them. In Spectral Evidence the children are sent to relatives in Newfoundland where they try to adjust to a society very unlike their own. We both enjoy enlightening talk attendees on these little-known events from New England history and about how they connect with other places outside of New England.

It is always a pleasure to talk to readers about our books. It's especially enjoyable to answer questions, listen to comments, and interact with readers. You never know who might be in the audience and what gems they may want to share.

Case in point:  Early in May I did a presentation with Mary Anne and another author, Ed Londergan, at the Hibernian Cultural Center in Worcester. In it I talked about my research on the history of Worcester including the fact that a resident of one of the historical districts gave me a private tour of his 1850s house which is nearly the same now as when it was built. Afterwards the President of the Hibernian Cultural Center told me that he and his wife are in the process of restoring an 1852 house and asked if I would like to see it. It was adjacent to the building we were in so I got an impromptu tour of a once- magnificent gem in the heart of the city right then and there. I have a feeling it will make an appearance in the next book in that series.

Eileen Charbonneau and I have started our Witches and Vampires book tour in the comfort of home. For me that was the Gale Free Library in Holden, Massachusetts, and for Eileen it was the Village Square Bookseller in Bellows Falls, Vermont, each being in the towns in which we live.

Presenting at the Gale Free Library in Holden, Massachusetts

Interacting with the audience at Village Square Bookseller in Bellows Falls, Vermont

While doing our talk in Bellows Falls, we found that one attendee was a direct descendant of Rebecca Nurse, one of the people hanged for witchcraft in Salem. During the Q&A portion of our talk, he told us the fascinating story of how he came to find out he was related to her. Again, an unexpected delight while on tour!

Now it's time to take it a bit further afield. In August, after we present at the Rockingham Public Library on the 9th, we will head north to the Champlain Valley area of Vermont. On this leg of the tour, however, we will be joined by another writer, Jane Willan, author of the Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery series. Having another author onboard necessitated a change in title, so it will become "Witches, Vampires, and Murder!" We are booked for a talk at the Pierson Library in Shelburne, Vermont in conjunction with the Flying Pig Bookstore on August 12th and are in the process of lining up more dates for the 10 days we've allotted for this leg of our tour. In our down time we'll be enjoying our own mini-writer's workshop as well as a little site-seeing.

We haven't forgotten that October is truly the best time of year for talk of witches and vampires. You can catch us at Tidepool Bookshop in Worcester, Massachusetts on the evening of October 29th. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with newly added dates and locations.

https://www.facebook.com/eileenofinlanauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/EileenCharbonneauAuthor/

Meandering Thoughts

All my books available at 

https://bwlpublishing.ca/baldwin-barbara/

            As I walked by the small pond in the apartment complex, I happened upon a group of geese. This spring there were six – three pairs if their behavior was any indication. By the end of May they had hatched a gaggle of geese and pedestrians along the walkway could often be heard complaining about the refuse the critters left behind. One woman called the office every day for a week because a goose chased after her, as if they had anything to do with fowl of that nature. I had seen this particular woman on one of my daily walks, and I do believe if she would quit feeding them bread scraps, they would not be begging her for more. But what do I know; I’m not a goose.

I have, however, learned quite a lot from this group of feathered residents. They never get too far away from each other, especially after the goslings hatched. I can also tell exactly where the babies are, even hidden in the grass or beneath the shrubs, because there is always a guard on either side of the group, head held high and unwavering. I don't know which gender it is. It could be the patriarch, standing watch over his charges, but I like to think it is the mothers who are always the steadfast protectors. Either way, the guards do not move an inch if you approach and it is you who will step to the side, or ride your bicycle around them, even if you are much bigger and it is your residence. During the spring, until the goslings are fully feathered and can fly, this particular area of the complex belongs to them.

I wonder if studies have been done on geese. They appear to have a great sense of commitment and family and are very protective. They also have the patience of Job. I watched one day as they ventured across the street – crossing guard at front and rear and other adults scattered amongst the young ones. Traffic did stop, but after fifteen minutes, more than one horn honked to hurry things along. The geese were not in the least intimidated by the vehicles that could flatten them in a heartbeat.

            Today there was a new occurrence and I stood for some time watching – from a safe distance, of course. This year’s hatchings had lost their down and now had feathers and their heads were marked with the black and white of their tribe. The only way to tell them apart from their parents was their size, for they were small in stature and not yet built for the long distance migration which they would eventually take on. Even as they picked through the grass for bugs, fully capable now that they were grown, there remained a stalwart guard at either end of the group.

            And off to the side, outside the cluster of scrambling toddlers but close to one of the guards, was another gosling. This one was far behind the others in development. Its body still covered with down, it lay in the grass as if unwilling or unable to join in the lunch the others were enjoying. I took a step closer and the guard (it had to be mama) took two steps closer to the baby but her gaze was steady on me. This hatchling was a full three weeks or more behind the rest of the group. I had to wonder with nature in all its glory, how that had happened. It certainly put a wrench in things for the rest of the gaggle as they couldn’t venture far or fly to new feeding grounds and leave an unprotected baby. You could tell by the way the adults acted that this baby, regardless of how poorly it developed or how much care it required, would not be left behind.

            Much can be learned from a goose.

Barbara Baldwin

http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Barbara-Baldwin/author/