By Barbara H. Peterson
Dee Dee Dee and the spinach patch.
We have a goose that lives in our garden. Not just any goose, but a very special goose. His name is Dee Dee Dee, and this is his story.
Early one morning in April, a tiny beak poked its way out of one of the many eggs nestled warmly under one of our young geese. As this little guy poked his way out, his brothers and sisters were making their way into the world also. Finally, everyone came out of their shells, and snuggled up under the protective wings of their mother. It was a proud moment for a new mom.
As time went on, it became clear that little Dee Dee Dee was not as quick as the others. He lagged behind, and spent a lot of time by himself. He also did not grow as fast as the others, and seemed weak. He would take a few steps and then sit down, exhausted. He could never keep up, and consigned himself to foraging alone, without the protection and company of his family. He looked lost.
Then he found the garden.
Every morning, during watering time, there was Dee Dee Dee, wandering around, grazing in the garden. And every morning, we escorted him out, but as soon as we turned our backs, he was right back in. This had to stop! All of the new lettuce was disappearing, and he started working on the spinach. So we found a hole in the fence that was only big enough for him to get through, and patched it. Problem solved. Or so we thought.
That evening, I watched as Dee Dee Dee sat in front of the fence, staring at the garden. I felt bad, but figured that there was plenty of food and water for him outside, and that he would get over it and be okay. In the morning, we found him still sitting. He was so weak that he was unable to walk. That seemed to be the end of Dee Dee Dee. I cried, then went out and picked him up. He snuggled his little head inside my robe, and made a few muffled goosey noises.
I decided right then and there that he could live in the garden, so I opened the gate, and brought him in. He perked up immediately. I set him down in a sunny spot in the middle of a patch of grass, gave him a pan of water, then went back into the house to peek out the kitchen window at him. He started eating. Then he started drinking. After about an hour or so, he was up and walking around. Saved by the garden!
Yesterday I harvested spinach, but made sure to leave enough for Dee Dee Dee to glean. He is gaining strength, and is happy. He may not be as big, or live as long as the rest of his brothers and sisters, but he is happy. Was it a broken heart that almost killed him? I will never know. All I know is that he is alive and well, and living in the garden.
© 2011 Barbara H. Peterson
Tags: Barbara H. Peterson, critters, down on the farm, Farm Wars, farmwars, gardening, geese, Inspiration, life
God loves his creatures too! May God Bless and Keep You and Yours! Thank you for posting it is so refreshing to hear about a home hero!! Especially in the times that we are way to busy to pay attention.
A moving story! Thank you for sharing it with us, Barbara. The result of the hunger strike definitely seems to have favoured the goose!
thank you for putting him back in the garden. a very significant act in the scheme of things. i still have tears in my eyes. say hey to dee dee for me….
Hello Barb,
How about remediation minerals for DeeDeeDee?
Research link at this site shows significant improvement in fowl & livestock vigor: http://www.sea-crop.com
Best wishes to you & DDD.
mgw
I also love this story! I have 5 white geese I raised from babies, one I call Pirate. He has a defective wing, and one eye has a dark circle around it (hence the name Pirate!) He is the most affectionate one of all. He always runs to greet me, and follows me around as I tend to the garden and other animals. Isn’t it funny how the “imperfect” ones are the most special? Thanks for sharing your uplifting story and taking care of Dee Dee Dee. It made me smile!
Awwwww, what a cool story!! I raised geese, and if one can’t keep up, the parents basically abandon it. Law of Nature. Poor baby was so weak from not eating/drinking. Bless your heart for having such compasion!! He would have starved to death, not knowing how to forage for himself..couldn’t forage for himself.
I have a pond full of geese & ducks…all healthy….but if one were to come up & stay, I’d take it in. We feed the birds, and always take old bread & wilted lettuce to the geese & ducks. They love the seeds that fall from the bird feeder, too. Like dessert for them!!
Such an endearing story, you must keep us informed on dee’s life in the garden. Picture pages of Dee would be really great! Thanks for sharing Dee’s story with us all. Morning Star /*
I LOVE this story!!!!!
cute story