It’s very quiet here at the cabin. I can hear the children at the nearby school when they are out for recess, but the rest of the time it is very still. So when something is nearby, I hear it very distinctly, shuffling in the oak leaves that cover the ground, or rustling in the dry grass.

When I looked outside to see what was about, I discovered two dogs from next door. One large black lab and one small patched hound were trotting through the grass. They looked like two characters from an animal adventure movie. When I yelled “hey!” at them, they stood at attention. I told them to go home, and they ignored me and went about their business. Oh, well.

A bit later, I heard something outside my bedroom window. Thinking it was the dogs again, I peaked out, and discovered a huge tom turkey on the hillside under the oaks only twenty or thirty feet away. Naturally my camera wasn’t ready, having the wide-angle lens on, so by the time I changed lenses and got out onto the porch, it was far up the hill, and in my haste and the poor light, I took an embarrassingly fussy photo. I include it here, to prove my vision, and will refer to it as “the one that got away.”

More rustling a bit later, and I was back outside, peering up the hill. A female this time, scooting away.

More rustling, and I discovered that the turkeys had been roosting in a nearby oak, as they hopped down and hustled away. They all were smaller than the first bird, so probably hens.

I know they’ll be back. Next time, I’ll be ready for them!