Monday, August 18, 2008

TOM

There are a lot of family cemeteries around here. It seems a lot more common here than up North. There is even a little plot right next to the exit ramp of one of our major interstate highways. There's also one right in the middle of a cow pasture near our local grocery store. And, there are tons of tiny little family plots on many of the back-road farms around here. It's so common, in fact, that a lot of the back roads are named for their cemeteries (e.g. Smith Cemetery Road, Jones Cemetery Road, Joe Bag-o-donuts Cemetery Road).

On one of the many Cemetery Roads there lives a humongous tom turkey. We're still trying to determine if he is a pet, or if he has just been lucky during hunting season (quick fact that is completely unrelated to the story - turkeys roost in trees; I don't know, they seem a little bulky for that ...). But, there have been many times that we've seen him strutting his stuff down the road, followed by a harem of turkey hens and, inexplicably, guinea fowl.

One time, the cherubs were (as usual) screaming in their car seats when we came upon the tom. We stopped to give the cherubs a closer look. I rolled down my window and did my best turkey call. To my surprise, the brazen bird gobbled back and started heading toward the car! I nervously continued gobbling, hoping that the bird would not fly at me in a pecking rage (do turkeys do that?), while Big Daddy snapped pictures with his camera phone.



The cherubs were appropriately impressed by the turkey, and we spent the rest of our drive being regaled with high-pitched gobbles from the back seat. I guess that's better than screaming ...

8 comments:

Muthering Heights said...

That is one HUGE turkey!

Tanya said...

okay, i see the turkey in the first picture. The second picture looks, to me, like a giant turtle trying to flip back on his feet. Of course, I am from 'Busco ... everything looks like a turtle to me.

Kat said...

That is a huge turkey!

Mmm. Thanksgiving. ;)
I'm so mean.

Life in the Crazy Lane said...

Tanya - Okay, yeah. I'm not seeing the turtle - ha ha!

Kathryn - As I recall, that's exactly what my husband said.

Muthering - It IS a huge turkey, and somewhat of a legend in the area. There are many local mobile phones with pics and videos of that bird on them.

Kellan said...

I'm pretty impressed by that Tom too! How funny!

Have a good afternoon - Kellan

Corrine said...

i thought for a brief moment you put the turkey in your car.

Helene said...

Oh my! I've never seen an actual turkey in person (other than on my dining room table at Thanksgiving). That's one huge turkey! I can understand why your kids were so impressed!

Holly said...

Yeah, you definitely live in the country:) Not that I doubted you...