Snow? Fancy That

   It's that time of year again. You know, that white stuff falling from the sky, that keeps me stuck in the house. Still, it's pretty. Cold. Wet. Gray, gloomy sky. There was a very brief period of sun earlier this afternoon. Then it was blinding. I do have a good view of it all from my rocking chair by the window. Hot chocolate, crafts, something to read, TV to watch and a computer to play on and I'm all set.
   Chip is watching the snow fall. He really likes watching snow, rain and hail. Jake is curled up in Chip's bed, oozing over the sides.
   We had our first wild turkey today. Well, 3 of us had our first wild turkey today. Tim and I didn't think it was too bad, but I don't think Amy was impressed. I fixed it as a soup/stew with sage dumplings that called for partridge and not turkey. Partridge, turkey, they're both birds. Besides that, and the most important reason, is I had the ingredients the recipe called for. The breasts from the turkey are in the freezer for another meal.
   Our snow is suppose to wash away later this week with lots of rain. The usual will happen then. It will freeze and then snow on top of it and then it will be a really nice sheet of ice to slip and slide on.
   My custom made leg brace should be finished next week, so I can learn how to walk in snow with it on and with no left ankle movement.  And, because I couldn't just have a plain old boring white leg brace, I chose to have a purple one with yellow, green and orange butterflies and neon yellow velcro straps. If I have to wear a leg brace, I might as well have fun with the colors. It does have a section of tan leather that goes down the front of my leg. Could be it's because I grew up in the '70's or it could be, I'm just weird. Personally, I think a glow in the dark brace would be neat to have.
   Thanksgiving is this week, and I really hope the 21 pound turkey thaws out. There will be 6 of us and besides the turkey and the rest of the fixings, my mother-in-law is bringing a ham and a duck. Don't ask me why. I guess so we can be really stuffed. She is also bringing the desert. I hope pumpkin pie is on the menu.
   I hope everyone has a good and safe Thanksgiving. Black Friday, I will be home, I hope, but you never know.
  

We've Been Overrun By Turkeys

Lately, we have been overrun with turkeys. It doesn't help that we keep feeding them. The turkeys come right up to the door. I know, turkeys aren't the brightest of birds, but these are pretty smart. The actually knock on the door to let us know they're out there.
They have even learned to climb the steps to the back door and knock. If that weren't enough, they finish all the bread we throw them in the front or the back of the house and then they'll run to the other door for more.

We are going through quite a bit of bread feeding them.

This turkey seems to be the bread mooching mastermind. He and his 2 younger friends were the only ones that came for bread, but he told his friends and now we have more. We counted about 20 yesterday and today.

The turkeys are pretty funny. It's not safe to go out- side now without getting mobbed by them.  They come by several times a day. They still eat the grasshoppers, but bread is better. I know I'd rather eat bread than grasshoppers. I'm pretty sure turkey season opened last weekend or this weekend.

Anyone for pre-stuffed turkeys? 

      

Just Here For The Bread

Yesterday, the turkeys came around again. They haven't been around for a week or so. I think they were finally able to get through the snow, since it's only about 5" deep.

   I thought I'd see if this batch of turkeys liked bread. I just happened to have some stale homemade bread that I needed to do something with.

   I quietly opened the door and threw a piece of bread out. A turkey saw it and ran up to the door to get more. Just as the rest of the turkeys saw the bread, Chip ran out the door and scared them off. It's a really good thing the turkeys didn't decide to turn on Chip. With their long sours and their sharp beaks, they could have done some damage to the goofy dog.

  

   We weren't really happy about him spoiling our fun and figured next time the turkeys came by, we'd have to put him in his room.
   The turkeys came by again today. Jake and Chip let me know by barking at them through the front window. I put both dogs up, and got the bread and opened the door a crack.
   The turkeys weren't really close to the house, but I threw bread anyway. One turkey saw it, so he and 2 others came and gobbled (sorry) up bread. When it was about gone, about 7 others came running.
   Now, I need to get them to come when I gobble at them. They might get the hang of it. Some years, the turkeys seem stupider than other years.
   It was funny watching them slipping and sliding on the sheet of ice to get some of the bread. Maybe, they'll come back tomorrow. I still have more bread. If we hear this tapping on the front door, we'll know it's turkeys looking for bread. It would be funny if they came tapping to let us know it was feeding time.

Garden Predators

   Yesterday, I let the dogs out to do what dogs do, and Chip started to stare intently on the side of the house, and point like a good hunting dog should. The only thing is, is Chip is a miniature poodle. He didn't make any noise, just stared. Then he crept forward and then took off chasing something. He took off before I could see what he saw. What he saw was a flock of wild turkeys. Two or 3 hens and a good crop of pretty young turkeys.
   Chip chased them ,and most ran through the fence and into the field behind us. All of a sudden, Chip found the turkey he wanted. A big hen was what he wanted. As I'm trying to catch Chip, he is trying to get the turkey, and the turkey takes off in flight, almost hitting me in the head. Pretty funny. Chip chased the turkey until it landed in a tree. If he could of figure out how to climb the 45 foot tall pine tree, we might have had turkey for dinner instead of squash. Now, Chip is upset he has to go outside on the leash.
    Besides the deer problem, we have wild turkeys eating what they can reach. The really seem to be partial to the tomatoes. It would be nice if the ate more grasshoppers. Our garden feeds the wild animals, and us, well.
  

Just call me Dr. Doolittle

Yesterday afternoon, about 20 teenage male turkeys came for their grasshoppers. (I really wish they liked wasps.) I should have gotten my camera and taken a movie of them. Instead, I sat in my chair by the front room window and gobbled at them. (Some people have waaay to much time on their hands.) Gobble, gobble, gobble. And then there was an answering gobble. I gobbled again and got another answer. In a few seconds, all the turkeys stopped eating and looked at me. (They know a weird human when they see and hear one.) Anyway, after this went on for a few minutes, one bigger turkey came up to the window and stared in and gobbled at me. It was pretty funny, the turkey and I, gobbling at each other through a window. If I had enough bread, I would have started the "here turkey, turkey" call and tossed them a few pieces. Last winter, when the turkeys came by, they all charged the front door when they saw me through the window, knowing they would get bread. They were stuffed turkeys afterwards. I know, you aren't suppose to feed wild animals, but the turkeys expect it, since I'm not the only one who feeds them. I have to make sure the turkeys aren't around when I take my hike to the mail box. It would be even funnier if I had to explain to people that I was mobbed by a flock of turkeys looking for food and good conversation.