The big white goose that was a regular visitor all along the north shore of Clear Lake for at least 10 years has died a peaceful death.

Many people knew her as she seemed to have a regular visitation schedule looking for food handouts along the shoreline. When she saw a person she would honk loudly as she rapidly approached. Nearby mallards hurried to join her as they apparently recognized her “foods here” call.

Some people may have noticed her when she was sometimes seen on the very edge of Highway 20 searching for food in the vegetation.

I never thought I would write about a goose but we suspect there are a lot of people who wonder why they haven't seen her lately (but please don't tell this to my brother who has been known to harass me).

Our dear neighbor Margaret, who lived here long before we did, thought the goose was a male, perhaps because it was never seen with other geese but probably because it was a very large bird.

We thought goosey must be female because she was very maternal. Every year Granny would adopt one mallard family, sometimes with a drake, sometimes without, but always with ducklings.

For weeks Granny would escort that family everywhere, she was always on watch and would drive off any other duck that came anywhere near the ducklings. But now Granny Goose is gone.

Jack Bettencourt lives in Lucerne.

{mos_sb_discuss:4}