Canada Geese eat American cheese

I learn something new every day.

I was being good today, at least as far as my low-carb diet is concerned. So I went to McDonald's and bought two meat-salt-cheese sandwiches (McDonald's calls them double cheeseburgers, but I think my description is more accurate, as they seem to be as much salt as beef). I get them without ketchup (as regular ketchup has sugar in it), and I eat them without the bread.

When I'm done with my lunch, I take the bread outside, behind the little building in which the hospital has my office. Then I break them into little pieces and spread them around, so that the squirrels can come have a nosh.

Today was different (by the way, I don't have this for lunch every day--just when I don't have time to find something better). Today, we had guests...



Every so often, a flock of Canada Geese will stop by for a visit. Today was such a day.

So I decided to feed these pushy, overgrown birds a little lunch. They were more than happy to cooperate. If anyone was watching, I'm sure they were amused by the sight of the HR Director walking out of his building and calling out, "hey geese, come over here!" Yeah, I'm a little crazy, but Marc thinks it's endearing. :)

The geese swarmed around me, fighting with each other to get the pieces. I got smacked in the leg by a rather large wing when one of the birds tried to jump out of the way after being pecked by another of the birds. All in all, it was fun.

One thing that gave me a moment of concern was when one of the geese got a big piece of American cheese into his bill (it was stuck to the bread). I may be anthropomorphizing a bit, but I think I saw a look of surprise on the goose's face!

For a moment, I was worried that I'd have to do the Heimlich maneuver on a goose. I should have known better. I've seen Canada geese in action before, and I'd bet one could choke down a radial tire if it were so inclined.

Sure enough, it not only managed to swallow the piece of bread and cheese, but it then went on to grab another piece of bread to chase it down.

Ah yes, it was a red letter day for the geese. A feast on McDonald's rolls, followed by a drink from the nearby mud puddle. What more could a goose want?

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One last note: Hey, Mom, I remembered! "Canada" geese, not "Canadian". (Mom had an expert grasp of the English language and bristled if someone said, "Canadian Geese.")

Mom's actually in heaven now (or whatever we Jews would call it--wherever such a wonderful soul goes after this life), but she may be reading this. After all, they must have high-speed Internet connections in heaven. Right?