Animal behavior

The many, many geese that were hanging out in the Parade Grounds fields that wtill have real grass (not many) were all gone yesterday, and only a very few were there today. I wonder what's going on. Have they migrated back north? Have they moved on to Gateway? They couldn't have been killed, since they are not moulting and can't be gathered up. (They only get murdered when they are moulting, can't fly, and thus defenseless against the round-ups. SO not fair!) I don't think they moved to the park, because there aren't a whole lot of geese in the lake these days. Very curious.

JJ is 9 now and seems to be getting more and more cranky and set in her ways. She is part Border Collie, and is very protective and likes to keep her "herd" together. We once met an actual Border Collie breeder when camping upstate with JJ, who told us that if we don't give her a job, she'll pick her own. Which she did. Protecting us. I have mentioned how we use this to get her to run across any meadow we are at by splitting up and walking around. She goes back and forth, back and forth, trying to get her herd together. We never could sit down. Then she gets really protective and barks at anyone who comes near.

Problem is, now she acts like that when we are just standing around. She reminds me of some people who will never retire because they'd have no idea of what to do with themselves without work.. which got me thinking about work. Dogs don't go to "work." There is no distinction between what we see as their work and their lives. People used to be like that. When did the idea of "going to work" evolve? Was it the Industrial Revolution? Or the Agricultural Revolution, when surpluses allowed the creation of specialists (tool-makers, brewers, artists, etc.) Just some thoughts.

There seems to be no activity whatsoever at the alleged site of the Boardwalk empire filming. Disappointing. Well, the Ditmas Park Blog says they have several other areas in the nabe where they're filming. maybe I'll walk in the other direction later today.