The Edge of Empty

After posting the picture yesterday , I decided to check out whether a mate could be purchased and introduced to "Swanee". It appears that Swanee's future is bleak since he is a Mute Swan  and many states consider mute swans to be an invasive species making it illegal to introduce them to the wild. Invasive or not, they are expensive. I found one site that sells them for $1180. So Swanee will be staying single unless a mate happens to fly by and stop in. I did read that sometimes mute swans are used to discourage Canadian Geese from sticking around. I wonder if the homeowner's association invested in a little "goose proofing."

SWM seeks SWF for lifetime monogamous relationship. Must love nature. For at least the last four years, the swan pictured below has taken up residence in a pond in our neighborhood. There is something so stately, and yet sad, about him. Knowing that swans mate for life, I have often wondered if something happened to his mate.  I also wonder how he will ever find a new mate when he is the only swan living here. Of course, like so many others who grew up in the 70's, I read  The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White . This may be why I assume that the swan is male. I have no idea, and it could just as easily be a female I suppose, but it wouldn't change that fact that he/she is alone. Although he often can be seen swimming near the Canadian Geese and the ducks that also inhabit the pond, does he feel like the ugly duckling ? With a new road that runs in a more direct path to the highway, there is no reason to drive by the pond these days. Nevertheless, I find myself taking th