There's been a particularly friendly white goose hanging around Sarles for a while now, and the other night I decided to make friends with him.

He hangs out by the boat ramp up near the railway in the evenings, returning after untold adventures in Spa Creek. He makes an awful racket with his incessant honking, but I think he just wants attention.

I had some old hot dog buns in the fridge, so sat down with him the other night and had a little foody snack party with him. He literally came right into my lap and ate from my hand, nibbling on my fingers as he tried to eat the buns. It doesn't hurt when he nibbles. He's got no teeth, only a beak.

Last night I took him a little bowl of water and it's incredibly comical to watch him drink. He leans down, sips some water up, then put his head back to let it slide down his long neck, making little sipping noises all the while. This morning he came honking by the boat, paddling along with his orange webbed feet and I fed him some Swedish crispbread for breakfast, which he seemed to enjoy immensely. He lets me pet him now, even without food, and his big puffy white chest is incredibly soft. He has bright blue eyes with an orange ring around them, and is quite striking when you look at him up close.

We named him Jonas, and he's a friendly goose.