March 25th and 26th of this year were startlingly warm days. Garth and I had the place to ourselves, since the kids had gone to stay with their cousins. We decided to cut down a tree that leans over our house. (Don't you think that's a great way for a couple to spend a Saturday morning?) I kept getting distracted by bird calls and raptor shadows, as all sorts of birds arrived back from the south in one breathtaking rush. Garth kept getting more and more frustrated and worried by the project, and finally we gave it up until the ice ridge should melt off the unused side of the driveway loop so we could get a rented knuckleboom in there for a good high reach.
We went back inside and settled down to play a fierce contest on the "Age of Empires" computer game. Partway through, I glanced up at a movement out the window, then jumped up yelling.
What do you suppose I saw?
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9 comments:
I'm utterly guessing - a wild turkey?
ah geez how's 'bout an itty bitty hint or two more
You're a TERRIBLE TEASE!!!
I got it....a big woodpecker tapping on the window.
Sorry folks, I keep trying to get a minute or ten to post a full reply, but I recently learned that I can only have one number one priority on my to-do list, and blogging just never gets there. Sooo, briefly: apparently "wild" was all the hint madcap needed. Except that there were three of them - imagine, three wild turkeys strolling through our little town on the bald prairie. I get excited when I see a flock of turkeys way over in Manitoba, and here they were walking under the window. I told a few old-timers, and two of the three asked me what I'd been drinking. (The other just shook his head.) And here madcap gets it on the first guess.
Guess what? One of those guys distant cousins was outside my back sliding door yesterday afternoon. Just minding his own business, walking one step or two at a time with head turning and bobbing up and down all over the place.
At one point he (she?) looked directly towards where I was sitting. I'll tell you one thing, when they are facing you straight on, he looked like he had a pair of coke bottle glasses on - funny looking in a weird sort of way.
When he turned away, I started stalking him to see how close I could get to him before he saw me. I didn't get too close before he started walking away deliberately. I knew from past experience (a really funny story goes with that) that they seem to have an infinite number of gears they can use, such that you can't catch them no matter how fast you run. And the annoying part is that they never seem to be exerting themselves.
So I looked and stalked, and you yelled and ran...clearly further evidence of genetic variation.
Hey, not fair! I mean, really, I know it was very unbirderlike of me, but they were hardly being birdlike, sauntering through town. They weren't even being turkeylike, being here miles from anything like turkey habitat. You've read me so wrong! I'm a quiet little nature lover! I'm quiet in every aspect of my life!! You can't tell from way out there, but I'm probably the QUIETEST PERSON YOU KNOW!!!
(Huh, what's that you say, Ruth? The neighbours can hear me typing?)
Ahem. Well. I suppose there's no need to get defensive. Genetic variation is a good thing, right?
So interesting...you say "out there" where I would think you would say "down there." But come to think of it, I'd refer to out there where you live as "out there."
Not that you're "out there" as in "she's really out there, you know what I mean?" but you really are "out there."
BTW, did your "tom" have a band of red under his chin?
Re genetic variation: vive la difference!
You know, I remember thinking "down there" and then typing "out there" instead, but I don't remember why. Trying to be polite? Thinking of "out there" as in "out there in cyberspace"?
As for me, go ahead and say I'm way out there. I'll take it as a compliment, no matter which way you mean it.
As for the turkeys, I mostly saw their backsides, and during the time when I could have had a fairly good look, I was scrambling for a camera.
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