Chapter 2…NOT A TOTAL PARADISE

“Th…Th…The BAD news?” I stuttered.
“Well there is some bad news about living here but most of the time it’s manageable.”
Toucie continued. “You see we are in the Tropics and so we have a very very long growing season and no freezing winters that animals have to migrate from. So we get the desirables…like us of course…and well…the UNdesirables too.”
Just then, out of the corner of my eye I saw a rather large cat like creature sneaking and slowly creeping very low to the ground, staring unblinkingly at me and getting closer and closer with its large, sharp, pointy teeth showing.
“Ah…..there……ah…” I tried to shout a warning to the group of my new friends but I was so scared that all that came out of my bill was a squeaky honk.
Toucie saw the look of terror in my eyes and quickly turned in the direction of my fearful stare.
Then she chuckled.”Ha…that’s Cougie the Cougar…he’s just trying to look fierce to scare you, but don’t worry…Coogie has been harmless every since he became a vegetarian!”
The Cougar immediately stood up fully and started to act more like a house cat or kitten even.
“Huh….oh….yeah….well never hurts to keep in practice.” Cougie said somewhat embarassed by being caught using his scary prowl tactics. Then he said to me.
“You’re new! Never seen a bird like you around these parts.”
“Hi I’m…Stormy…I’m a Canada Gander.”
“From Canada eh…I’ve heard of there.”
“Well…to tell the truth Canadian Lakes Michigan…I’ve never actually been to Canada. Could have flown there but never have.”
Cougie held out his paw with his claws retracted to shake paw and wing with me.
“Glad to meet you…although you had me scared there for a bit!” I confessed.
“I did? I did huh…still got it!” Cougie puffed out his chest and pranced around me in a circle then suddenly… “ROAR!!!!”
I jumped and flapped my wings which is a natural reaction of ganders in that kind of situation.
“COUGIE you stop that this instant you hear…Stormy doesn’t know you are just showing off.” Toucie had her beak right in Cougie’s face and the cougar slumped down and actually rolled onto his side away from Toucie.
“Now say you’re sorry to Stormy!”
“I’m sorry Stormy…I really am.” Cougie got back up on his four paws again.
“That’s OK…I just never saw a Cougar before, let alone got close to one. Cougie, I guess your instinct to act like that is hard to get rid of.” I sympathized.
“Oh we don’t want him to get rid of his scary nature. Cougie is our protection from those UNdesirables that I mentioned awhile ago.” explained Toucie.
“Oh goodness. All of this socializing and we’re late for our afternoon snack. We usually gather here under the Jacaranda Tree.” said Toucie.
“You all meet here every day and eat a snack together?” I asked, thinking to myself that it sounded like a fine idea.
“Unless it’s Stormy! Oh….I didn’t mean….” Maggie was embarassed but all the others were snickering.
“From now on it seems it’ll be Stormy EVERYDAY!” Toucie chimed in and we all laughed. But I was happy about the fact that they all thought and accepted that I would be there EVERYDAY!