Hello!! Again, I have to apologise for not writing; this is the continuation of the Internet antenna saga. About two months ago, the antenna fell down off the roof of the house with a great gust of wind. After two weeks of no Internet, Gnome valiantly climbed up to the roof of the house and attached the antenna back on. At first the Internet was running okay…a bit slower but good enough. Then we had another windy night and the antenna swivelled out of reception. For the last 4 weeks or so, Internet has been on and off, emails are eventually received and Internet access practically non-existent. Today, it was a bright and clear with no rain for days so Gnome decided that he would climb up once again. The antenna originally pointed towards Big Falls so Gnome brought up his compass to make sure that it was pointing North. Here we are again…back on-line.

This is also a message to Gnome’s mother….we should be able to contact this weekend!!

What has been happening? You will be pleased to hear that machinery is working once again and we are in the process of cleaning up the farm.

Other news…we have a goosie story to tell you…

Last week, I was doing my usual goosie evening feed which involves a massive goosie stampede, lots of jostling and squawking and a Munchkin with a bucket of corn. Every evening we have goosie time and all goosie factions return from the pond or foraging to congregate for the big event. This gives me a chance to do a quick head count and I immediately noticed that my five baby geese were missing. After feeding time, Gnome and I wandered through the farm (about 20 acres) scouring the area for the missing geese. There was no trace of them and we arrived back to the house upset and distraught over the disappearance. At night, we couldn’t sleep for worry…what if a jaguar or a snake took them out…or, maybe it was a snatch and grab….arrrghhh!!! The next morning, we walked down the main road towards the nearby village. Still no trace and we kept on looking up in the sky for signs of buzzards swirling. We informed somebody in the village that we had lost 5 geese and headed back home with dismay.

Every evening, I hoped that my five goosies would suddenly turn up and join the corn eating mayhem. There was still no sign of them but I still remained quietly hopeful.

One week after the geese went missing, a boy from the village hailed me at the gate. He told me that he had seen “five big ducks” behind the fence on the opposite farm. In the middle of night, he was cycling pass and stopped to hear the “five ducks” squawking at our geese on the farm. He said that in the din of the ruckus, he realised that the five geese were trying to move towards the noise of our geese. When he shone his flash-light in their direction, they quickly ran away. The boy’s account of the “five ducks” gave me renewed hope…

Gnome and I were very excited and by the turn of events. Yesterday afternoon, we attempted search and rescue ; we obtained permission from the owner of the farm and went traipsing all over the cacao fields. Gnome called “Goosie!!” and I called “Goosie, Goosie!!” as we searched high and low with no luck. After an hour, I started to feel the exhaustion from the afternoon heat…I met back with Gnome and sat down by the shade of a tree. I was ready to give up…

Tears rolled down my face and I was about to tell Gnome that I was ready to go home. I felt dizzy, tired and discouraged. At this point, we both stopped talking and heard a, “qwack!”

It was a very soft “qwack!” but nonetheless it was a “qwack!”

We stilled ourselves to listen again and then heard the crashing noise of heavy webbed feet on bush and then we saw five little heads peak out from the long grass behind us…

More tears rolled down my eyes, “My goosies!!”

The geese were panting and exhausted as if they had walked a long way from the back of the land to our position at the front. They were too confused and delirious to be driven or led so we ended up carrying all five geese. Just picture us walking with geese stuffed under our arms…I had three of them and Gnome had two. We could hardly get the farm gate open with our burden!

The geese are back home and safe. What a nice ending!