Middle of Nowhere

Running into these creatures often is yet another reminder that my address is in the Middle of Nowhere, the Great North. 

This particular instance was quite amusing: from far away, some observers thought that these turkeys charged at me, as I tried to photograph them. Instead, they ran toward the tree in the first image every time the resident squirrel above knocked a few berries down onto the ground. It was tempting to suggest that they were working together...until I walked beneath the branches myself only to have that same squirrel hit me in the forehead with a berry or two. 

What can I say? Good aim, squirrel! Good catch, turkeys!

Dinosaurs Walk the Earth

—What did you do this weekend, Nina?

—I chased wild turkeys for a while!

When you live in The City, as I have most of my life, you frequently encounter traffic jams. In rural areas, on the other hand, the latter translates into everything from bear jams to turkey jams.  Yet I've never had the opportunity to photograph these...errr...unique-looking creatures sufficiently up close.

Until now.

One thing I've learned is that they're only slow when crossing the road!