I can’t believe what just happened!  So there we were headed outside for a quick restroom break.  As usual Mom opened the door and we came bursting out.  While running to my favorite spot, I glanced over and noticed a lone Wild Turkey on the other side of the fence.  No big deal.  There’s always one or more Turkeys wandering around our yard at any given time.  But apparently this Turkey wasn’t expecting us.

Not sure if it was because she was startled by me bursting out of the door, or perhaps her footing was unsteady because our yard is covered in ice, but the poor Turkey’s escape plan did not go well.  She flew smack into the side of our house, and fell to the ground with a sickening thud!  I started to go over to help, but Mom gave the annoying “Leave It” command followed by “Come.”  Therefore, I had no choice but to abandon the Turkey in her time of need.  Asa, of course, missed all the excitement because he was happily sliding across the ice on his belly.  However when he heard “Come,” he immediately was at Mom’s side too.  After ushering us inside, we all anxiously watched from the window as the Wild Turkey laid motionless in our yard.

Always the optimist, Dad declared her dead.  He didn’t even stop to look at the poor bird, but made that diagnosis based on the loud bang he heard against the house.  Mom wiped away tears as Dad headed outside with a shovel to remove the turkey from our play area.  That’s when the miracle happened!  As Dad approached, the Turkey suddenly jumped up and started running around the yard.  She wasn’t dead!  She only temporarily knocked herself unconscious.  Like a scene from Scooby Doo, slipping and sliding on the ice Dad quickly ran back into the house while being chased by the Turkey.  If he’s learned anything from the Wild Turkeys who call our yard home, it’s never mess with an angry one!

I barked words of encouragement as the four of us watched from the window while the Turkey tried to find an escape route from our fenced in yard.  The snow was too high for us to help by opening the gate.  She’d have to fly.  But could she?  Would she even attempt it after that horrible accident?  But then it happened, mid stride she flapped those big wings of hers and took off flying, landing safely in a nearby tree.  All’s well that ends well!  Now if you’ll please excuse me, I really need to go back outside and finish what I was doing before all that excitement!