Chicago's Anserine Family

Anserine: adj. Having to do with or related to a goose.

Over the weekend, Miss Healthypants and Iwanski discovered that a Canadian goose has taken up residence in the heart of the city and is raising a family.

I know! Most Chicagoans can’t even do that.

Anyway, the goose has made a nest in one of the planters along the river walk and has been sitting there, non-stop, incubating her eggs. Meanwhile, the proud papa-goose has never left her side and just swims back and forth keeping watch. (Deadbeat dads need to take notice and get their “goose” on.)

Miss Healthypants wrote about it here.

So, after a meeting yesterday, I was walking along Wacker Drive and thought, “I wonder where that goose is?” I looked down below and it turned out I was right by the goose! She must have been sending out goose-vibes or something. The coincidence gave me goose-bumps. (sorry)

It was really sweet how she was just sitting there, nurturing her eggs with the daddy-goose by her side. At one point, she raised up to rearrange her eggs and I could see two of them underneath.

I called MHP to tell her that I had found the goose and we decided to name them. So, we came up with Gertrude and Stanley. (Stanley, the manly goose.) The children will be Pippin and Dumplin’. If there's a third one, the name will be Aflac. (cute, huh?)

Even though it was raining this morning, I took a little detour on my way to work to check on Chicago’s anserine family. There they were, doing their goose thing.

I took the stairs down to the river walk and got right up close to Miss Gertrude. She let me take a couple of photos before administering a little hiss at me, as well she should.

I called MHP at work with the update.

I hope they do well, I really do. It would be a shame if some city workers came along to plant things in her planter, shooed her away and tossed the eggs in the river. We should start a Facebook page to protect this little family. Let’s wish them well.

We will keep you posted, to be sure.