When I woke up yesterday morning, the first thing I did was rush to the windows and look outside to count all five of my horses standing by the fence.

Then I turned my ear toward the open window and listened. Very intently. For the sound I was hoping to hear. At first, there was only the murmuring of the wind. I listened harder. Hoping they'd been smart enough to put themselves inside.

Nothing.

I yelled for them out the window, "Goosies!"

A heeler puppy yipped.

I tried again. Only this time louder and longer. "Goooooooosies!"

And then to my relief, floating across the pines through what little early morning light could pierce the curtains of ceaseless, falling snow, came the raucous, agitated honking of my beloved geese.