Turkey Chase

Friday mid-afternoon

Carrie and I

are pulling back into the drive way from

a pleasant outing..

when looking over her right shoulder

into the front yard

she exclaims

"OH, Momma...they have hatched!

Look, look little turke-letts!!"

I put the van in park

pulled the camera out of its case

and told Carrie to roll down her window..

even with the "zoom" on highest

I was not getting the best shot ..

so..ever so quietly I opened the driver's door

and crept quietly out...

with all the stealth these old creaking bones

could muster I slinked along the front and then

the other side of the van...

a few shots of baby turke-letts

were obtained...

Now, I should have been satisfied

and very happy with my pictures...

but, as a soft sweet voice whispered from

her window..

"I dare you...I double dog dare you... to get closer"

Ahh..

greed and stupidity over took

my very being.

Now, I knew how wild animals can be about protecting

their territory..and I personally knew

how when threatened a

mother of any species can become a wild cat...

so with all this in mind,

what did I do?

Get back in the van?

Oh no,...

tippy toeing ever so gently through first the gravel

and then up and around through pine straw and twigs

on the other side

I prepared my self for the best "turke-lett"

pictures ever!

Watch out Marty Stouffer*

*("Wild America")

here I come!!

At first she stood up...

best picture I have gotten of her to date!

then...

well lets put it this way..

have you ever

seen a

Wild "Mama" Turkey

spread her tail feathers and wings,

bobbing her head back and forth

making some unintelligible* loud noise

as she ran/flew at you with

murder and death

streaking from her eyes?

*noise unrecallable due to the loud SHRIEKING

coming from my own throat

as I ran/jumped across the yard/drive way

with her in hot pursuit!!

Chloe just on the other side of the fence

went into a barking frenzy!

Emanating large, loud warning barks

at the rage stricken mother turkey in pursuit of

Chloe's own momma...

She did sound as if to say..

If you make me tear down this fence

I WILL have a nice turkey dinner!

and that I believe was my saving grace..

as I ran right toward my little

puppy Chloe...

My other darling child still

sat in the van

paralyzed ,

not by fright however,

instead by peels of laughter ...

Aww, quite a show we must have put on for our Yankee neighbors!

Carrie continues to laugh and snort...

saying

"Had not the turkey been in hot pursuit ..

It would have looked like

I was trying out
for the "All Rattler Marching Band

at A&M"...

and as for the noises her Momma bellowed forth..

well, she says Jerry Clower would be proud.
...

Michael..did ask

why I got no pictures after she stood up

and began the pursuit..