Wild Turkey

Yesterday while taking a walk down the driveway, I noticed something moving in the grass to my left and bent over to see what it was.  A female turkey burst up at me.  A blur of feathers and beak and talons grew to my size,  menaced me with her loud angry voice.  Her wings and feet rattled,  meant me harm.  My heart  pounded in my chest.  I was stunned and stood still, then realized that this was not what the turkey wanted.  She wanted me to go as far from her and whatever she was guarding as quickly as possible.

I ran to the road and didn't look back.

Car Trip

I was  driving on the Palisades, trying not to go too fast or too slow, keeping with the traffic, veering to the right and left at every curve, when all of a sudden from the east came a long gangly skinny necked bird, bigger than a hubcab, smaller than a house, aiming right at my car, perpendicular to the windshield.  I didn't even have time to panic,  just prayed the glass would not smash.  Then came the heart sickening thud  as the creature made impact and disappeared.     I barely slowed down, I was so afraid to stop suddenly and cause a pile up.

It was a wild turkey.   It was not the first time I had hit a wild turkey on the highway.  Last time my friend said, why didn't you bring it home for dinner.