THE BLUE SHEEP

"Man overboard off the starboard bow!" the captain yelled out to his crew. His fellow fishermen immediately jumped into action as they pulled a lifeless body from the icy waters. "Is he still alive?" a crewman asked. "I think so but we need to warm him up before hypothermia kicks in!" A pair of burly men lifted the stranger's limp body from the water and rushed him below deck. The man was quickly wrapped in warm blankets as the captain fixed him a hot cup of tea. The crew dressed the man in some dry clothes they had aboard the boat. Eventually the stranger woke from whatever had afflicted him. Groggy and weak, he finally came to.

The man was still feeling a deep chill as his body shook and his teeth chattered. "You're aboard our fishing vessel, The Blue Sheep. We were heading back to shore when we found you floating in the ocean." "What happened to the goose?" "What goose? I didn't see any geese when we rescued you." "Oh, I was hoping to see him again." "How did you end up floating in the Atlantic Ocean?" "I don't know. Maybe we should ask the goose?" "There's no goose. Perhaps you need to get some rest." "No. No. I'll tell you all about the goose I saved." "Are you sure? You're cold, tired, and disoriented." "I'm fine. I want to tell you my story."

"It was a cool and rainy day as I made way down by the Falls for my daily walk. I walk every day for two hours, rain or shine. I never get tired of walking along the beautiful parkway or reveling in the majesty of Niagara Falls. I walk year-round so I've built up a tolerance for all types of weather. It seemed like just another walk for me until I got closer to Duff." "Duff?" "It's what the locals call Dufferin Islands. It's a wonderful little nature reserve that's home to geese, ducks, seagulls, squirrels, chipmunks, and the occasional groundhog."

"It was a little misty that morning by the Falls but thankfully I was wearing my waterproof windbreaker. Unfortunately I stepped in a big puddle and my running shoes got soaked. But I'm tough. I can handle it. I always greet the collection of birds that gather by the Falls. They're always flying around in search of crumbs from a tourist's discarded snack. I know it sounds silly but I give them all names when I greet them. They probably think I'm silly but they play along. The tourists must think I'm really weird when I talk to sparrows using a fake British accent. But it's fun." The captain and his crew exchanged confused looks as the man continued his tale.

GONE

FISHIN'

"Sorry about the outfit. It's the only dry clothing we had aboard this ship." "No worries. I'm just glad to be out of those cold, wet clothes. Anyways, I have been going for walks down by the Falls for most of my life and had many interesting interactions with tourists and animals." "Any encounters with a giant squid? A man-eating shark? Were you swallowed by a massive whale?" "Uh, we don't have those animals in the Falls." "Oh" a disappointed captain replied. "Carry on with your story then." "Trust me. It gets better." "I sure hope so" he mumbled. "What was that?" "Oh nothing. Just reciting the words to an old sea shanty. Please continue."

DUFFERIN ISLANDS

"Let me tell you a little bit about Dufferin Islands. It's one of my most favourite places to visit. It's a group of scenic man-made islands located in Niagara Falls.  The islands are known for their quiet seclusion and nature trails. They are surrounded by water where the waterfowl like to hang out. In fact all of the birds who live at Dufferin Islands seem to get along quite well. It's a nice contrast to the noise and crowds when you venture deeper into the tourist area. Of all the animals that call Duff home, I'd have to say that there are more geese than anything else." "But no sea serpents?" "No. It's not Loch Ness. Okay, what was I talking about? Oh right, Duff."

"I like to walk across an old wooden bridge that's located by some old hydro buildings. There's water on both sides of the bridge. From there I usually cross the street and begin my walk home. I like to walk a different route every day and luckily it lead to me finding a goose in distress. I don't like to see animals suffer but all of the experts tell you not to interfere with an injured wild animal. They might feel threatened and try to attack you. But I couldn't let that poor goose suffer like that. He couldn't put any weight on his right foot and kept falling over as he tried to walk across the street. I didn't want him to get hurt so I tried to help him out."

"The poor thing couldn't stand for very long as he collapsed with every step he took. There were cars coming from both directions. Thankfully the drivers were kind enough to stop as I escorted the goose across the street. I thought about risking a nasty bite and picking up the injured bird but I remembered that it's not good to handle wild animals. We waited on the median separating the four lanes of traffic. He hissed at me a few times even though I was only trying to help. I didn't get too close to him so he wouldn't feel threatened by my presence. The goose somehow made it across the street where he sat and rested. I let out a huge sigh of relief."