Turkeys!

One of the things a lot of people asked me when I mentioned that I was retiring was if I was going to move South. My answer was a resounding NO!!! I'm not a fan of hot weather and humidity, and tend to stay inside and moan and groan a lot. I have enough natural insulation that the cold doesn't bother me very much and I love the sense of safety you get when you're in a nice warm house, looking out at a raging snowstorm. Ice storms, now, that's a different story.

Another reason that I'm not moving is that I love where I live. My house was originally bought by my Grandfather, in the 1920's. It has passed down through the generations, and I have lived here my entire life. It is close to stores, a mile from a major grocery store and less than five miles from all the stores I would ever need to shop in. Yet, I am surrounded by woods, and have the benefit of the peace, quiet and critters that woodlands provide.

Yesterday was a revelation, in terms of critters. I knew that I had turkeys around. I see them at the bird feeder occasionally, and there are always plenty of tracks around. I enjoy them when I do see them, and love the way you can clearly see that birds are descended from reptiles. When they run, they look like mini velociraptors.

What I didn't realize was how many I had around here. The past two days I have been treated to an afternoon visit by a flock of 16 turkeys.




Here's a closer picture of some of them. Their feathers are really beautiful, surprisingly multi-colored.



And, king of them all, the magnificent Tom. I had seen him before, and was a bit worried about him. We have a neighbor who hunts in the woods here, and I was very much afraid that he would get him this year. My worry was apparently unfounded, however, and Mr. Tom outwitted the hunter to live another year. He's so beautiful, but, truthfully, I would think that, with 15 wives, he's a little henpecked at times.



This morning, I looked out the window, and there they were again. And, I hadn't put the day's food out yet. I hope that they come back this afternoon.

So, I'll stick right here, in the old house with the unlevel floors and the wavy plaster walls. It's not a McMansion, but, really, who could ask for anything better?