It's 8:21 PM and I just came in from my nightly ritual of smoking a cheap cigar while hanging out in front of my house. I was standing under the eave of my garage, out of the falling snow and behind the cars parked in the driveway. From my left, where the ravine is about 100 feet away, I heard some odd barking. Down the street came the small coyote I've been seeing. It was barking lightly as it walked and looking around like it was calling to something.

It stopped at the end of my driveway, about 40 feet away. It seemed to know I was there, but since I hadn't moved it turned down the dead end street that tee's at my house and barked it's way into the far woods.

A minute later a lone goose flew over head squawking it's way down to the river to join the crowd.

I had left work early today. On 111th street from Route 30 west is nothing but corn fields till I get into Oswego. I have never seen so many geese in the fields and over head as I did today. The fields were black from the road all the way back for as far as I could see. Long strung out V's of geese were drifting by in every direction. When I crossed the river in Oswego and again at Orchard Road, the skies above and beyond the river were filled with even more geese.

I couldn't help but feel that this may be one of those once in a life time moments.

While out smoking that cigar, over a half mile away the geese on the river on the frozen pool above the Yorkville dam were louder than they have been all week. They were drowning out all the other neighborhood noises and at times sounded like they were coming up the street.

I was watching the snow slowly layering the ground. I was hoping Marseilles was getting more of the same. Squirrel hunting at first light. Even if I don't see a single squirrel I get to do what has become one of my favorite past times, tracking critters in freshly fallen snow.

As I stood out there blowing dense clouds of smoke into the air and dwelling on all that I was seeing and hearing and planning on doing, I couldn't help but think about my first 11 years living near 22nd and Western in Chicago. Then later just a few blocks west of Midway Airport. Then all the neighborhoods all around Chicago that I lived in till I was 35. Some nice, some not so nice at all. A true city punk.

Watching the coyote disappear down the street left me amazed and at the same time feeling somewhat confused.

How the hell did I get here.

I just read this again after posting it just to make sure it read all right.
If I ever get around to putting all the crap I've written over the last twelve years into some kind of book format, I just came up with the subtitle . . . How the Hell Did I Get Here.

Now I need a title.

Ken G wrote:How the hell did I get here.

1) It takes a man and a women (which would be your parents).
2) A bottle of wine.
3) PM me if you need to know the details
4) Nine months later out come Ken G

MattC wrote:

Ken G wrote:How the hell did I get here.

1) It takes a man and a women (which would be your parents).
2) A bottle of wine.
3) PM me if you need to know the details
4) Nine months later out come Ken G

Smart ass. I'd check with your mom and that bottle of wine. You know, you do look a little like me.

Sunday about 3pm we heard this overwhelming squonk from outside.
All 4 of us heading to the deck and watched literally thousands of geese flying North.

Some were circling for stragglers to catch up.

It was like spring break in opposite.

We were yelling up at them....Wrong way...Snow is coming!

Really an Amazing sight..
They will be back soon but probably not in one huge mass...

By Saturday night the river had opened up and they were gone.
Monday on the way to work going through the same fields, there weren't any and only saw a dozen overhead.

I guess it might have been one of those once in a lifetime things.