Now, it seems that nature is taking its revenge on me for my lack of positive feelings towards it. In this most difficult moment of the academic year, I am persecuted by birds. There are flocks of geese living next to my house and in front of my building at work and they screech all the time. There are also other birds next to where I live and they start chirping insanely early in the morning. Tonight, the pandemonium began at 4:52 in the morning. I know this because the screeching and the chirping woke me up at this insane hour. I tried going back to sleep, but the birds were relentless. The crazy noises they make drove me out of the house and into my office at the ungodly hour of 6:20 am.
Of course, when I arrived at work, I discovered that the screeching continues here as well. And it is even louder than the screeching I experience at home. The geese on campus are extremely aggressive, too. The student lore has it that a student was expelled last year for defending himself against the angry geese by hitting them with his backpack. So now self-defense is out of the question. For me, the noises these hellish creatures make is the worst aspect of having them around. Coupled with my current level of exhaustion, the screeching is really getting to be too much.
7 comments:
In space, no one can hear the birds screeching.
-Mike
I have a new dream now... :-)
You will get used to the noise. Never feed them. Once they recognize a specific human that has fed them, they will chase that human every time said human walks by. Watch where you walk - their turds are about the size of those of a small to medium dog. I presume that you don't garden - the turds can be used as fertilizer when broken up. Guano.
To add to your nature worries, I assume that you know about the white-tail deer issue? It's important if you drive down the main entrance to the uni, the area that has trees on both sides. They weigh hundreds of pounds and can do serious damage to a car if you hit them (not to mention the chance of going out of control).
I'd never attempt feeding them because I'm too terrified of them. :-)
I am planning to take up gardening, though, so thanks for the advice!
Onion-Sage Stuffed Goose recipe
Ingredients:
3 lbs of onions.
½ cup of butter.
½ cup of celery, chopped with leaves.
6 cups of soft breadcrumbs.
1 tablespoon of salt.
½ tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper.
1 tablespoon of dried sage.
1 teaspoon of dried savory.
½ teaspoon of dried marjoram.
¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
1 goose, about 11 lb.
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
Salt and pepper.
2 chicken bouillon cubes.
Boiling water.
Directions:
Peel and cut the onions into quarters, then put them in a large saucepan, and add just enough boiling water to cover, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain, cool, and coarsely chop the onions.
In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter.
Add the chopped celery and gently sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add half the breadcrumbs and cook gently until lightly browned, stirring frequently to combine.
Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl.
Add the salt, pepper, sage, savory, marjoram and nutmeg. Toss to combine the ingredients.
Add the prepared onions and the sautéed celery and breadcrumb mixture to the bowl and toss again to combine.
Allow to cool before stuffing the goose.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) degrees.
Rub the goose inside and out with lemon juice.
Generously sprinkle the inside of the goose with salt and pepper.
Stuff the neck cavity with some of the prepared stuffing and fasten the neck skin to the body of the goose with a skewer.
Stuff the body of the goose with the remaining stuffing, skewering and lacing the end closed.
Tie the legs and the wings to the body with butcher's twine.
Prick the skin of the goose all over, to let the fat escape while roasting.
Place the goose, breast side, down on the rack of a large roasting pan.
Add the chicken bouillon cubes to the two cups boiling water and stir until dissolved, then pour the mixture over the goose.
Roast for 60 minutes, uncovered.
Pour off half the drippings and discard.
Turn the goose over and pour two cups of boiling water over the bird.
Continue roasting for another 60 minutes.
Pour off the drippings from the pan, again.
Prick the skin of the goose all over and continue roasting for about 90 minutes more, or until tender.
To serve, place the goose on a large platter; remove the twine and skewers to carve.
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Problem Solved!
ha ha ha! Thank you, Paul C.! The recipe is great and I will definitely try making it.
Actually, every time I pass these geese I always think how good they would look on a plate. :-)
Hahahaha.
Thank you Paul C for the recipe. Now I want to blog this :)
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