I am in great anticipation for the Ithaca Spring and Summer. The Fall was so beautiful and my first Winter in the east coast was not as bad as I expected. I was very excited to see a pair of Canadian geese grazing this afternoon. I was so excited, it reminded me of a visit to Portland where I saw flocks of geese grazing in a local park.

I was surprised because I didn’t know geese ate grasses. I was also reminded of sights of cows grazing in California. It is amazing to notice the patterns that these different species convey consistently and overtime.

Additionally, in all of these photographs, there are signs that both the geese and cows are in a controlled environment.

Even though the geese are “wild” and do not belong to any particular person, they graze in land that is predominantly for human use. In Portland, the park was surrounded by water with a dock and ships, and a road with cars. If the geese wanted to travel towards the water, or further inland, they had to be careful to avoid injuries. In Ithaca, the geese are on a small patch of land that is adjacent to a parking lot, sidewalk, and road with cars/ buses. Here, the geese must be cautious to avoid injury.

Unlike the “wild” geese, the cows from California are domesticated and belong to someone. The cows from April 2011 belong to UC Davis as part of the vet school, and the cows from March 2013 most likely belong to a farmer. In the farm environment shown in March 2013, the cows have more pasture land and are at greater distances from each other. There is a sense of peace here, but the idyllic vision is interrupted by the small wire fence in the forefront, and the electrical pole in the middle ground. This scene is near the a road, and the cows do not have the ability to roam as far as expected, like the UC Davis cows.

The UC Davis cows are near the dorms where I lived as a freshman. Living near the cows led me to gain a deep appreciation for their souls and beauty, especially as all of them had their own distinct features like people. Knowing that they were keeping each other company was comforting especially on days when the university seemed isolated and empty. I got this same feeling while observing the geese.

There is an inherent sense of comfort through community connectedness, rather than competitiveness among these species, which parallels the way humanity ought to be.