Friday, August 06, 2010

Goose Crossing

Being a staffer is a fast-paced job. Coming back to FSI meant shifting into a lower gear. Sometimes that takes some getting used to...I confess that for me, it took maybe a day

I am so geared down that I even take time, even when I am late (because those who know me know that as a half-German, half Indian, I either have to be 15 minutes early or it is a good day to fish), to stop and smell the roses

Or let the geese cross, as the case may be.




If you have spent any time at FSI, you have seen geese. Canadian geese. There used to be tons of them, but there aren't as many now as there were the last time I was here...it seems the cardboard cut-outs of coyotes (which I admit I laughed at) have worked to a point. But some have figured it out and the geese (and goose poop) have returned. I guess we just built a smarter goose...more proof Darwin was right.

I have concerns about these geese though. I mean, they are Canadians. So I am not sure whether they are legal permanent residents, here on a visa, or here illegally. I do suppose though that the chicks they gave birth to at FSI are U.S. citizens since they were born here (at least until some birthright movement folks try to get their way and remove that protection from the Constitution).

Yes, FSOs are geeks...you knew that already.

11 comments:

Daniela Swider said...

Don't go suspecting scams everywhere now. There might be a benign explanation for their presence. They could be tourists, you know, or just migrating birds.

But then again, they could be spies...

Anonymous said...

When I was in Prague in the mid-90's, when I would arrive somewhere (like a cafe) people would sometimes say "oh, you JUST missed Vaclav Havel.". It got to be a bit of a joke for me, because there was just no way he was hanging out in all of the common places that I was.

It's sort of feeling the same with you... You keep saying you are here at FSI with me, and indeed I saw those very same geese at lunchtime, and yet I still haven't run into you.

Digger said...

Anonymous, I am surprised at how both small and big FSI seems. I see lots of folks there that I haven't seen in years, and I totally miss people I KNOW are there. But I have been there, every day, eating my lunch in the cafeteria or at the tables just outside it.

I won't be back at FSI again until September (yay disser-cation!), except if GLIFAA has a brown bag for the new A-100 while I am in town. Which is very possible.

Unknown said...

Love this posting. I really LOL!!! HA!

Undocumented geese are taking FSI by storm....

Melissa V said...

I completely feel the same way as Anonymous - in fact, I was going to see if you wanted to meet for lunch next week. If I knew what you look like, I would just find you. However...

Well, language training is just around the corner - so I'll probably see you next month.

Melissa V said...

Also, those geese were totally giving me the evil eye on the way back from the AFSA lunch today. I will be watching them.

jc said...

Actually, many of the geese in the Washington area are no longer migratory. So not only are the new born chicks Americans, so are their parents.

Sara said...

My son still yells "GOOSE POOP" any time we see poop on the ground (in Costa Rica it's a frequent occurance) thanks to our time at FSI.

Digger said...

Melissa, I looked for your orange purse, but the only orange purse I saw belonged to an older lady who I took for a language instructor.

Anonymous said...

As strange as it sounds, they are actually called Canada geese

Heather W. said...

I was told by an instructor that some of the geese even lay their eggs next to the coyotes. The geese may not be fooled, but perhaps they hope other predators will be....