Facing Feather Fears

Whenever I had a free morning to myself in the winter of 2006, I would walk the length of downtown Boise Idaho or go to Katherine Albertson park with a freshly made latte. I would walk all over the parks in hopes to see a deer or some wild life in general and on one snowy December morning I saw such a sight in Katherine Albertson Park under the morning sunrise....(these were the days before I had any pets, before I packed water, poop bags and leashes everywhere I go) On this morning I was about to face a deep fear of mine, BIRDS. I like birds in the trees and sky as long as they stay there and don't dive bomb me then sure "Leave it to the birds." BUT as I rounded the trail in this amazing beautiful park I froze! My lips were sipping my coffee in hand with fuzzy gloves and matching hat I stood locked into the sight of THOUSANDS of geese! They were spread out over the open field more birds then I could ever count in one try!  I began to walk backwards from where I had come and they hissed at me with those big black tongues If I could have screamed and thrown my coffee up in the air I would have! Instead I moved away in awe, in calmness I was starring at endless amounts of geese bodies, while trying to find my way back to my car as fast as I could without them noticing..... I honestly have never seen a time like that ever again. The geese were spread out across the whole landscape of this park on that mid-morning with a little dusting of snow yet side by side they stood with each other facing me all at the same time....and I knew I couldn't walk forward with such frozen fear inside of me!
I may have faced the most birds at that moment then in the whole of my over all life time! So I scrambled to my car with no shame only a few drops of rushed coffee on my gloves! That is why walking with dogs now will make these geese fly away and I feel safe again! No matter how brave or knowledgeable I become with geese the VERY second they hiss or flap their wings I will squeal and run away!!!! Because I DID face my fear, AND....It was terrifyingily clear how I needed to get the hell out of their way!!!