The goose is on the loose!!!

It's spring. Finally! So yours truly is more often then not using two feet and a heartbeat to make her way to the office. Ah the joys of living 4 blocks from work. Or. So. I. Thought.

This morning, I woke up with an extra spring in my step. Tonight, I'll be making my way to Gananoque for a long weekend with my nao'r whom I haven't seen in three weeks.

And it's sunny. A lovely day indeed.

Now it must be said, i don't have the most serene of walks to work- I mean I do walk along Hurontario, aka Hwy 10, where no one would ever dare jaywalk considering it's 5 lanes wide in it's narrowest part. I happen to walk along is widest parts where it's 10 lanes...and at the corner of a major intersection in Mississauga.

So I'm walking along Hurontario, and I've just passed said major intersection. I can see my condo behind me and my office building ahead. I've just hung up the phone with nao'r, and am already jotting my mental to do list in my head for when I get to my desk and after the first sip of coffee has been ingested.

When all of a sudden I'm attacked by a goose.

(yep you read right)

A Canadian goose.

Attacked me.

(go ahead, laugh... I'll wait)

Twice.

It charged. It hissed. It honked. It flew.

(done lauging?? if you think so, keep reading for the full story)

There I am, minding my own business, walking to work, and out of the corner of my left eye, I see the goose. My he's getting quite close. Oh dear. He's coming. He's hissing. He's ATTACKING!!!

I squeel like the girl that I am. Duck for cover (no pun intended), and start half walking/half running, flailling about in the most ungraceful way along the. busiest. street. in. Mississauga.

Sensing my fear the goose thinks he hasn't had enough of me, so he tries some more. What the hell am I going to do? I can't very well cross the street! Thinking I'm a little safer closer to cars, I do go in that direction, but he keeps coming after me! Luckily for me, my knight in shiney jogging suit arrives with broom in tow and helps out this damsel in distress. He comes from the parking lot above and shoos the bird away while signaling to me to get on my way. (I also kinda think he's taped this whole fiasco and will submit it for America's funniest home videos- if only Ahston Kutcher had jumped out saying I was being punk'd!)

I don't know whether to laugh or cry so I do a little bit of both. Then I call nao'r who doesn't believe me and tells me it was likely a pigeon. He also reminds me- "uh honey, aren't you from the town of geese?"- referring to Jack Miner's Bird Sanctuary- I reply back something to the affect, of the goose having the nerve to attack one of it's own (sorta not really)! For crying out loud, our town has a Migration Festival every year for these birds!!! aside: For an intersting article from Time Magazine on Jack Miner- click here

I get to work and no one is around. First thing in the morning it's usually quite busy at the office with the two bosses having morning meetings that they need to prep for. So I surely couldn't share my story with them at this particular time. Then I realize two of my colleagues whom I know would laugh along (not at) me, were working elsewhere this a.m. so I couldn't share my horror with anyone! I emailed them and quickly received calls, where of course as soon as I answered, I hear laughter on the other end and know it's one of them.

Some suggested perhaps it was because it's mating season- I mean i was wearing grey pants and a black jacket- and did look quite cute if I do say so myself!

It was only when I called Mississauga Animal Services (where I could hardly tell them my story without laughing) that the Dispatch lady said that there's nothing they can do about the goose, he's nesting and they can't touch them. I'd have to call the Ministry of Natural Resources if I wanted anything to happen- but the Canada Goose is a protected species.

The goose apparently has more rights then me... I'm so glad I don't have to walk to work till next Tuesday!