Gleaning

The farmer who has the fields closest to us has harvested his corn. We were afraid that his crop would be a total loss because of the drought. Geese in this area depend upon what he drops as he harvests to fatten up for the trip south, or for the winter here.
It seems there must have been more corn than we thought there would be. It’s fascinating to be driving through rolling fields which have been harvested and see what looks like a field of black stalks. Actually, that’s the necks of the geese we’re seeing. Parts of the fields are covered with our feathered friends. Every region has seasonal changes they watch for, and the geese gleaning the fields speak to Midwesterners of fall.