‘One-of-a-kind’ columnist taught us about nature

Re: Farewell from Elizabeth Le Geyt, March 21.

When I was a kid growing up in Alta Vista, I was fascinated by birds. If the bird was “black,” it was a “blackbird.” If the bird was blue, it was a “bluebird.” If the bird was brown, it was a “brown bird.” The only bird that didn’t follow that pattern was the “yellow” bird, which my mother would affectionately call “a wild canary.”

As a kid, I read Elizabeth Le Geyt’s columns week after week, and learned to identify the birds that passed through my backyard. Once I was old enough to drive, I would rip her column out of the Ottawa Citizen, grab a map and head to Shirley’s Bay, the Mer Bleu bog, Pinhey’s Point and so many other areas where interesting birds had been sighted.

Not only did she teach me how to identify birds — she did something even more important. You made me love nature, whether I was in the woods or in a grassy field or next to a shoreline, I became aware of all the living things that shared my world, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the beauty that is everywhere. Mist, fog, sunrises, frogs, dragonflies, a fox, a deer and maybe if I was lucky, a “wild canary.”

One autumn day, there were an estimated 20,000 snow geese in a field in Casselman. For some reason, this lone snow goose stood about 500 feet away from the rest of the flock and allowed me to approach him quite closely. I guess he was one of a kind.

She too is one of a kind. I will greatly miss her columns, but wish her nothing but the best for her retirement. Thanks for being a part of my life for 39 years.

SANDY SHARKEY, Manotick