Vicki, on her blog (Vicki Lane Mysteries) has written about turkeys.
It reminded me of the free ranging turkeys
that visited us from time to time on the farm
at the foot of Mt Pirongia.
What characters they were.
Although rather handsome, I always felt there was something ridiculous about them.
Once the whole flock went through or over our roadside fence apart from one.
He could not work out how to get through and went up and down the fence for two days.
We tried to help but to no avail. Back and forth he went.
Once we came home from town to find our back garden full of turkeys.
They strutted about complaining, as if they were telling us
(to be read in your best turkey voice)
"Oh. So you've come back have you.
We thought you'd left for good and we were just moving in...
Gaaah gaahble gobble gobble gobble!"
It reminded me of the free ranging turkeys
that visited us from time to time on the farm
at the foot of Mt Pirongia.
What characters they were.
Although rather handsome, I always felt there was something ridiculous about them.
Once the whole flock went through or over our roadside fence apart from one.
He could not work out how to get through and went up and down the fence for two days.
We tried to help but to no avail. Back and forth he went.
Once we came home from town to find our back garden full of turkeys.
They strutted about complaining, as if they were telling us
(to be read in your best turkey voice)
"Oh. So you've come back have you.
We thought you'd left for good and we were just moving in...
Gaaah gaahble gobble gobble gobble!"
There IS something ridiculous about these big birds. But they have a gawky kind of elegance and beautiful plumage. Yes, they are native to the Americas but obviously they've adapted well to NZ!
ReplyDeleteWhat silly fellows. No wonder they end up en masse on our tables here come Thanksgiving. Benjamin Franklin, an early American patriot, inventor, statesman and womanizer, wanted the turkey to be our national bird. The bald eagle was picked instead.
ReplyDeleteBack then on the Louisiana farm, my parents decided it would be fun to raise turkeys. Oh, what a mess that turned out to be. They'd get scared when it rained, run into each other and, upon occsion, would die from fright. Since it rains a lot in Louisiana, the turkey project didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteThank you Vicki, Penny and Kitty Howard for wonderful comments. I do think the bald eagle is a the better national bird. Of course our national bird the kiwi, only comes out at night and can't fly. Rather sweet in a shy and retiring kind of way.
ReplyDeleteTurkeys are indeed ridiculous, but I guess they can't help it. Do you think they know their fate? Maybe that's why they gobbleobbleworbleoble about the place - they know life is short and it's best to be as ridiculous as you can!
ReplyDeleteGobbleobbleworbleoble ...is wonderful..sounds a bit like quardle-ardle-wardle-doodle, the magpies. I think there must be a whole turkey poem there Kitchenmaid!
ReplyDelete