Camilla as a gosling with her penmate Badger
When we were out for our morning walk great, untidy Vs of Canada Geese honked their way across the skies to their morning feeding grounds. So noisy they were, even Roger stopped to watch them fly over, a puzzled look upon his face.
Canada Geese always remind me of the orphan “ duckling” I took off an academic from Bangor university for she turned out to be a magnificent , doe eyed specimen, with a haughty look and regal lines. No wonder the village child announced precociously that she should be named after the then Prince of Wales old beau when I asked her jokingly to name her.
Occasionally Camilla would take to the skies when the mood took her, but she proved to be a terrible flyer all told and the following is an excerpt from a blog from seven years ago when Camilla crash landed on the local binmen’s lorry
Enjoy
I was half expecting them to be in a pissy mood after all I had left half a ton of plumber's packaging and bin bags out for collection but the binman wasn't bothered about the rubbish, he was more upset than anything
" One of your birds has smashed into our van" he told me
Apparently they had just turned the corner at the bottom of the lane when " a soddin massive black bird" had appeared from nowhere and had bounced on the roof of their refuse lorry, just above the windscreen.
The bird then " shat" down the windscreen ( probably in shock) then bounced into the hedge.
" It's still alive" the binman told me " it was hissing at us"
" It's probably Camilla Parker Bowles "I told him " She's a crap flyer"
The binman looked confused.
I could have done without another little drama. I was still getting used to the heating system more complicated than the average ITU ventilator and had already fixed a leaking radiator single handed a few minutes before, so with slightly heavy and irritated heart I followed the binman down the lane to where his three colleagues were peering into the hedge.
" It's in there" one man chirped up pointing to a goose sized hole in the hedge
I looked in and sure enough Camilla looked back at me with her big black solemn eyes.
As I reached in and picked her up, the binman who had knocked on the door turned to his friends and said" her name is Camilla Parker Bowles !" They all nodded with interest in a chorus of " ooos and arrhhhs"
Apart from a massive crap stain on her back end , Camilla looked shocked but unhurt. So I thanked the binmen and apologied for any damage caused.
" It will have to be logged " , the senior binman said " she's dented the roof" but they were soon on their way and Camilla was soon sat in a dark calm goose house under observation"
I wonder what the binmen would log in their incident file?
"Camilla Parker Bowles crash landed on our bin lorry today and she shat all over the windscreen "
Dirty girl.......”
Camilla after the collision
That one made me cough. At the tail end of a cold and laughter endures coughing.
ReplyDeleteAn absolute classic. Thanks JG
You made me laugh with your last paragraph.
ReplyDeleteThat was the idea
DeleteI know it is early in the year but that is the best laugh I have had so far. Think I make keep a score sheet of Going Gently laughs this year. Thanks for the uplifting start to my day.
ReplyDeleteI know it was a cheap laugh being an old post , but hey
DeleteI remember this story from the first timer around and it made me smile all over again. Thank you, John!
ReplyDeleteI know a cheap post xx
DeleteAnd worth resharing!
DeleteWhen I saw the title of this post I thought "Oh shit...she's DEAD?!" Lol.
ReplyDeleteNot camilla, ! I do rather like the real old bird
DeleteTee hee...
ReplyDeleteHee….
DeleteTotally unexpected and hilarious story. I too thought that CPB, the consort queen had died.
ReplyDeleteOk at the tail nnow , hopefully no one else will
DeleteStill giggling now at the thought of those binmen logging the incident and recounting the story to their mates. You do have an eventful life, John! xx
ReplyDeleteIt was much more interesting when the field was full
DeleteWhen it comes to looks, Her Consorted Majesty can't hold a candle to the feathered CPB. I know which of them I'd prefer to have had cradled in my arms.
ReplyDeleteFor a big bird she was surpringly light
DeleteAnd so was the goose
:-0 I wonder if King Chuck would have liked CPB for Xmas dinner - with ALL the trimmings and PLENTY of stuffing. That surely ought to have given him an appetite!
DeleteI do hope that is what they put on the report, just to see if anyone reads the reports. Reminds me of a story, for a different time.
ReplyDeleteDo tell x
DeleteAn Epic Tale!
ReplyDeleteOne of my best….her most epic story was when I tried to sex her and Eric the tiny bantam whooped my arse
DeleteI remember that story and its excellent conclusion. The binmen were well and truly goosed that day.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant
ReplyDeleteCheers x
DeleteStill laughing! That priceless story is surely one for the book. Literally!
ReplyDeleteHugs!
It’s a good tale , and an honest one, I didn’t make it up
DeleteGosh, that's funny, John. You told the tale well!
ReplyDeleteCheers ellen
DeleteI had the same initial reaction as Jennifer, above, at the title. A funny story, well-told. Happy New Year, John.
ReplyDeleteLol and to you my friend x
DeleteThank goodness she survived - I was sure she wasn't going to - She looks beautiful -and similar character to our Queen Camilla falling from her horse maybe - My mums canary didn't - Mum placed the cage on a upstairs window ledge - the wind blew and the cage tumbled - she said workmen saw that happen too and as she was so upset they said they'd deal with everything x
ReplyDeleteAuntie Mary had a canary up the leg of her drawers
DeleteWas a favourite song of my grandmother
We have lovely "bin men" here too. No pet geese, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteCeci
I’ve always found hairyarsed workmen types the most gentle when it comes to animals. When I had chicks in an incubator and the electric went off, the linesmen all came to see them when they brought me a portable generator
DeleteI remember that adventure, and laughing so hard I nearly snorted coffee while reading it. I laughed again today. Thank you, John. --Elise
ReplyDeleteLol nice one x
DeleteMade me laugh too. FWIW I too am a crap flyer.
ReplyDeleteI should hope you are x
DeleteThe visuals of the binmen are wonderful! We have flocks of Canada geese in my neighborhood and some of them do have flight paths that barely clear the hoods of vehicles. One can imagine the "whump" and "splat" all too easily!
ReplyDeleteWhen my geese were fat goslings you could hold them under your arm, point their bums forward and squeeze them and a massive , green jet would thunder from their assholes ! Great fun
DeleteNow that one made me snort!
DeleteSo true
DeleteYou rescued Camilla twice. The crash story is really funny. Poor Camilla but also lucky to have you as her owner.
ReplyDeleteShe was a sweet bird and incredibly unquiet for a goose
DeleteQuiet
DeleteI read the title and thought the human CPB had died. Can you imagine King Charles without his Camilla in these early days as sovereign? I suspect it would be a ghastly mess. We've come a long way from his intercepted phone call longing to be her tampon, but I doubt he could cope without her.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, this story of your feathered CPB is a classic. Like many others, it had me laughing out loud.
That was the idea
DeleteYou tell an excellent tale, John dear. Thanks for the laugh today!
ReplyDeleteI must admit it was one of my more humorous
DeleteLOL -- that's hilarious. I hope Camilla was OK in the long run. When I saw your post title I thought maybe I'd missed some major news!!!
ReplyDeleteNot now I’ve amended it Steve
DeleteOh bugger…I have just noticed the new title now. More snorts
DeleteYes that’s the idea
DeletePoor CPB... I felt sorry for her... the goose I mean; I remember that story from the first telling. Beautiful birds in the air not so much when they are landing. Thanks for the early morning chuckle. Heigh Ho... off to work.... etc..etc.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland
I hope she’s still alive , captive geese can last until their twenties
DeleteBrilliant!
ReplyDeleteShe also crash landed over by the pub one afternoon
DeleteI laughed the first time and I laughed again! Thanks, Jonno!
ReplyDeleteJonno? I like that lol
DeleteWhen I saw the title, I thought the human Camilla had died. Fortunately, this story is much funnier.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
[my earlier comment never posted, check spam?]
ReplyDeleteOmigosh when I saw the headline of this post I thought Queen Camilla had died!
I well remember Goose Camilla! Loved the early days of Going Gently with all your farmland adventures and animals, happy times! And [I suppose politically incorrect now] Ukrainian Village reports.
I too am a long time reader, maybe from first six months, when you had few followers and less comments---my you've come a long way, through good times and bad.
love
lizzy
x
I haven’t read this post since I wrote it.
DeleteWhen re read it this morning , I laughed too…I can amuse myself sometimes
You have the ability to raise a laugh out of almost every situation you wicked devil. x
ReplyDeleteLol what else can you do
DeletePoor thing. You don't last long as a goose if you can't fly. Loved the story ❤️
ReplyDeleteHer flock mates never flew , so she never had any practice
DeleteThat is undoubtedly one of your best tales! Love it!!
ReplyDeleteLinda from Alabama
Thank u linda
DeleteWhat a wonderful story; I think you should send it to the Lady herself. She'd love it.
ReplyDeleteLoved the story! Poor old girl, well, both of them, to be told. Hopefully your CPB is living the high life, too.
ReplyDeleteHow did you know the binmen had hairy arses?
ReplyDeleteThey always do
DeleteGosh, I remember this post... loved Camilla. Loved Cro's idea she would love it I think.
ReplyDeleteThe most hilarious adventure tale that I have seen you (re)post in ages. I laughed so hard I damned near wet my drawers! I haven't had a good belly laugh in ages. I'm going to tell that story the next time Episcopal Vicar comes to visit. Thank you John for chasing my doldrums away!
ReplyDeleteWoody xx
Delete