Close Encounters

The Linscott family seems to have a problem in general with geese and swans. It's not all water fowl. Mostly, geese and swans. I first became aware of the issue on a childhood trip to colonial Williamsburg. My dad had taken my brother and I there. I remember we were on our way to the ice cream shop. We had to walk all the way around the square to get there. There was a lawn and garden in the middle of the square. My dad and I decided to go the long way, my brother decided to cut through.

My dad and I were walking and we heard a blood-curdling scream. We looked and there was a goose flapping and chasing my brother. It meant business! I think this is where my bad luck began....

Since then geese and swans really have no tolerance for me. The ducks love me....geese and swans...not so much.

I've been the victim of a few random attacks and charges since then. While riding my bike I've had one latch onto my leg and it went with me for a few rotations before it fell off. I got home and showed Mike my torn tights. I then lifted up my tights and you could see the mark on my leg where the vicious little sucker latched on.

In Harriman I was on my road bike going at a pretty good clip and a goose took off and was flying low right beside me. I didn't know what the heck to do. I kept pedaling. His wing was so close I could feel the breeze from his flapping. If I wanted to I could have reached out and touched it. The goose flew by side for a few hundred feet. It then swerved and cut me off. I almost freakin crashed trying not to hit the stupid goose. I still to this day feel it was trying to sabotage me...

Since then I have had MANY run ins. They hiss at me and give me dirty looks. There are a bunch by my office and I am the only one that gets hissed at. My co-workers always tell me my "friends" are waiting for me. One day they were sunning themselves by the truck and I was trying to leave. I went to approach the truck and they started to get agitated and come towards me hissing...anyone else and the would have walked away. I'm convinced of that. Crazy...maybe a little.

Even Mike calls them "my buddies". Whenever we go ride together he can get really close. When I approach they get into he attack mode. They hate me....

I go on rides with people and when there are geese or swans they always laugh and tell me to stay away because they don't need any random "water fowl attacks" today.

So it was a really big deal for me to get up close and personal with these swans without being hissed at or chased. after riding at Kittatiny I stopped and took a few pictures....I was certain the one was going to chase me. He was actully pretty tolerant. Baby steps...