Goose Pond

I can’t wait for spring—this spring-like weather we’re having notwithstanding. Spring is when the geese come flying back north. And Goose Pond is crowded with geese.

We first took Saylor there when she was about a year old. She probably got a crook in her neck from looking up in the sky at all the geese. There were some marshy trails we followed, but definitely, it was the sights and sounds that entranced us all. I cannot wait to take Singer there this March.

As I recall, we took Saylor right around the Spring Equinox. The area is a designated state natural area, about fifteen miles north of Madison. The 500 or so acres host hundreds of species of birds, not just geese. There are wetland habitat restorations going on, and tall grass prairie sites, perfect for walking your bird dogs. I imagine the experience is sort of like Disneyland for hunting dogs like Singer. She will be so excited, her body rigid in alert concentration, as she points for the birds. Saylor was a pointer, but not formally. She held her tail aloft and her head pointed, as if we were out hunting water fowl. Singer is such a natural hunter, I bet she’ll be going crazy with excitement.

Yesterday, I went back to work after two weeks. Tough getting used to my old schedule again, and knowing that Singer is crated for a good part of the day, although Nate comes home in the afternoon and lets her out before he leaves again. She seems fine though, and I keep reminding myself she spent a lot of time in the kennel. She is getting used to our routines. As if she is noting our particular temperaments for future reference, she watches us deliberately at breakfast, looking from one face to another. I smile as I think, “Turn around is fair play. You’ve had many people watching you and evaluating you these last two weeks. Now it’s your turn!”