Ghostly Geese
In February 1998, I was awoken from sleep by the honking of our geese who were carrying on right under my window. We had White Embedens and Toulouse Geese. I opened the shade to make sure they were OK. I didn't believe my eyes and thought I was seeing things. I am one of the most down to earth, level-headed people you will meet. But that night, I thought I was seeing ghosts. It was the only explanation my sleep numbed mind could come up with.
I saw glowing white bodies floating in the air right over the ground under my window. I rubbed my eyes, blinked and looked again. The double take did not clear things up so I headed outside to investigate. We had 2 nor'easters come in back to back. This caused the Chesapeake Bay and it's tributaries to back up. Our river was running high and we had about 12-15 inches of water in the yard, which was the first time that had ever happened. My geese were floating and the moon was making their white bodies glow. Their honking under my window was them sharing their delight!
Raven and the Tidal Flood
After seeing we had water in the yard, I got up to check on the other animals. The one I was the most concerned for was our old horse Raven. If you have read Raven was an Ugly Horse, then you know he was in bad shape. I was concerned he'd catch a chill and become sick. Raven was not kept in a pastured area. He had full range of our place and we left a stall open for him. He knew the boundaries and never tried to leave. He would follow us around like a dog. If I was hanging up clothes, he'd come behind me and nudge and nuzzle until I stopped and petted him. If Clint was working on the cars, Raven would nibble at the tools in the toolbox like a curious child exploring his surroundings.
So, I put on my waders, which is our local term for muck boots and buttoned up my coat. The night was cold and I had to move slow through the water to keep it out of my boots. I managed to get wet anyway. I checked Raven's stall. He wasn't there which surprised me. I called him and looked in all of his favorite spots for 45 minutes. I called for him until I was hoarse, no pun intended. I was freezing and soaked. I come to the conclusion the "old man" had walked to higher ground and figured we'd be asking the neighbors if they had seen him the next morning. As I was walking to the house, I heard a nicker. I look around again and see nothing. I think I am hearing things and begin back to the house. Another nicker sounds to my left. I knew I heard it this time. I venture that way and see Raven in Clint's workshop. That horse could see and hear me the entire time and only let me know of his whereabouts when I was giving up. Raven had opened the door and stepped up about 2 1/2 feet with his old arthritic legs. Somehow, in the very tight confines, he had managed to turn himself around. He had a mischevious glint in his eyes when I made my way over to him too. I imagine he had a good time watching me wade through the water back and forth, calling his name the entire time.