Tom's Back

Tom Turkey's back - and he's brought the ladies with him.

These photos are taken right outside my office. I took the last two photos from inside my office. He's gobbling now, too. And he's perfectly happy to have his photo taken with his feathers puffed out, unlike a week or so ago (here is where I wrote about him before). I do think it's for a benefit - but I don't think it's for my benefit. There are three or four hens in the same area, paying close attention to all his prancing and gobbling.

It must be spring.






notice the hen on the other side of the wooden platform....

A Story To Remember

It is my grandmother's birthday today. She would have been 95. She passed away in 2002. We still miss her.

My mother wrote an email early this a.m. to share with our family a story of her parents as she remembered them from long ago. She gave me permission to share what she wrote.

Here it is:

I remember that during World War II my dad worked long hours. Once a month mom and dad would go out for a night on the town. I remember that mom would get all dressed up and would smell so wonderful, using her good perfume. I was always so envious and wanted to go along also but had to stay home with a babysitter and my little brother Tom.

The next day (Sunday) mom would answer my questions about their night out - dinner, dancing (mom loved to dance and dad was a pretty good dancer also), and dad always bought mom a gardenia to wear. The flower was mounted on a cardboard backing in order to facilitate the pinning on your dress process. I usually got to wear the gardenia and dad would dance with me too. It made me feel a little bit better.

I thought my mother was the most beautiful woman in the world when she got all dressed up on those nights that she and my father went out. I believe the Palmer House was one of their favorite places to go. I would fantasize that I some day I would be grown-up like my mother and could go out dancing with my dad.

Tom Turkey

I have but one brief moment - a moment delayed already for a week, and so should not wait a moment longer - but I do think if I can take time to write about Chicken Gal, then I ought to give due time to Tom Turkey - a name less inspired than the Chicken Gal name, but proper all the same...

(it reminds me of when I named a paper machete Dharma head "Tako-Chan" when I lived in Japan - apparently it was like naming him "Johnny Boy" here - though my Japanese friends only laughed and graciously never took offense - none was meant, of course - he was named with affection only)

In any case... back to Tom.

There he was, last week - standing beside my car, at my office complex - at a building away from my own (that darn construction and consequent parking congestion)... It was the first day I was glad to have the construction, for the inconvenience led me to the Other Lot, and it was near the Other Lot where Tom stood.

I know it was a "he" because of that red thing across his nose. I'm no farmer - of no kind! - though I come from farmer stock - from way back - so I suppose it could be in my blood to know that the red thing across his nose (or would that be called a "beak?") meant that he was a "he" and not a she. And I did call him "he" in person (or in turkey, as the case may be).

But no, it was only confirmation after the fact that led me to know that his red nose thing meant he was male.

But it was a good guess, don't you think?

In any case... there I was, going to my car after a long day's work (they've been long these days - can't you tell? it was March since last I wrote here) - and then there he was -

He didn't caw or anything - or gobble, yes gobble is what they do - but it startled me just the same. Really, I wasn't expecting a turkey next to my car when I walked to it.

He fluffed out his fur - feathers, I mean - it just looked like fur, so puffed he became - I didn't know why he puffed like that - I thought perhaps it was to say "hello" - he didn't seem fearful, though he didn't seem to like me either - and yet I was so pleasant! How could he not have been charmed? Perhaps he was charmed a little - he did let me take photo after photo - but only with his feathers down (and like that, they looked like feathers)

We went back and forth across the brick wall for awhile, me asking him please, please fluff your feathers out - and him waiting until I put down my cell phone before he would - each time! - he'd wait, then fluff when the camera was in repose - it was as though he thought I'd take a part of his soul if I caught him on camera in the act of a fluff - and perhaps he was right - perhaps there was something about allowing that moment to be - just to be - without any recordation of it -

Though it would have been nice if I could have caught him in the act, so to speak.

In any case... such was our moment... and my moment with you now, telling about this moment from last week... thanks for listening, or for sharing too (if only in your mind, as you remember your own tales of turkeys - do any of them include a moving one that was not on a table in November?)