Adventures in Nature

My Mom was telling me a story  the other day. It seems that while she was was on a walk by my house BEFORE I moved  and she saw a bush shaking and deafening moans and groans. She moved closer, ( oh like you wouldn't...) and she said it was a group of black birds doing it.  When she got home and told my Dad, he didn't believe her and actually did a bit of research on line. As stories go it was a good one.  In her telling she was able to focus to weave three of her favorite tropes,  the importance of exercise, the wildlife that I will experience here, and the "he never believes a thing I'm telling him" into one story. 

And I told you that to tell you this.  I am experiencing all sorts of wildlife here. There is an owl in the back forest at night and while I've never seen him I have heard him.  Which makes  today encounter with nature interesting.  I was outside with Dash,  and I heard this big WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH.  My first thought was the same of yours ... SQUIRRELZILLA!  Wait, does Squirrelzilla have wings ... because I hear a huge rustle and the whooshes again.  Immediately I thought of my owl, and from the sounds of it, it was huge. I started to consider  taking dash in right away. I look up ... and it is no owl.  It's a TURKEY VULTURE.

Quick! Name a girl who loves Turkey Vultures more than me.  That's right, you can't. There we were, starring at each other. He was sitting up in the tree looking down on us, and while Dash was looking up surely thinking "Dear God, that thing is hideous!" I was delighted.  Once again, I cursed my lack of camera,  then I remembered cell phone!  IN MY POCKET!   At the same time, Turkey Vulture said "Not today, girl and her little dog."  And he soared away.  So instead of  a Turkey Vulture in my backyard, you get a picture of the tree he was in. 

In case you haven't seen a turkey vulture - here ya go ... 

They are AWESOME! 

My Mom comes over with some peaches. Oh don't think she was just being sweet,  yes I appreciate the peaches, but have no doubt that she was really there to check my pantry and fridge to make sure I don't have soda in the house, which I also appreciate.  I was still giddy with delight  from my sighting so I told my Mom all about it, expecting her to roll her eyes and tell me I was a doof.  Instead, she was smiling and nodding her head. 

"Now you know why I was so freaked out when I saw a group of them doing it in that bush." 

So, who loves turkey Vultures more than me? How about the lady that spent an afternoon watching them have group sex?  Peeping Mom.