When I visit my hometown of Peoria, Illinois (not the fake Peoria in Arizona), my friend Ruth and I often go to the Peoria Riverfront Museum to see the current exhibits. This time, we went for the premiere of the new Titanic exhibit, which reveals the mission behind the wreck’s discovery. It was very interactive and informative.
Out in the lobby, we found two large plastic geese. These geese are placed there to be sat upon—not only by children, but by adults, too. Hey, how often do you get the opportunity to sit upon a big, blue plastic goose? So, on I went.
The goose was surprisingly comfortable to sit upon. Just in case the goose decided to take flight, I held onto its neck. Ruth, of course, took my photo.
The Challenges of Disembarking
Getting on the goose was easy. Getting off of him, however, proved to be much more challenging.
Sitting centered, my feet couldn’t reach the floor. This meant I couldn’t push myself up and back. I considered leaning to the side, but my leg wouldn’t swing over, despite all that practice dismounting a horse. I knew that if I tried to slide off to the side, I would end up rolling on the floor. Normally, I’d swallow my pride and do that, but I was in the middle of a big museum lobby with lots of people around. I tried to push off with my foot on one side, but I wasn’t getting anywhere.
Nope, I was going off the back, in reverse of the way I’d gotten on. Since I couldn’t reach the floor, I started wiggling, trying to move backward. Ruth even tipped up the front of the goose, hoping that would propel me back.
A Triumphant Exit
Thankfully, I wiggled backward past the widest part and was finally able to reach the floor and push with my feet! A few more pushes and wiggles and I stood up over the tail. My pride was intact!
Despite the dismount difficulties, I enjoyed my duck (goose!) ride!
See Where My Adventures Take Me Next!
I love sharing my unexpected adventures, whether they involve a stubborn plastic goose or the amazing reptiles of Arizona and The Bahamas. Follow me on Facebook to keep up with all my latest travels, books, and science observations!