turkeys | jmgoyder

Smiling, sighing and starting again!

by jmgoyder

Today, I started again with Husband.

I took Husband back to the nursing lodge and, after the usual teary farewell, I walked from his room down the long hallway and then thought that was getting to be a really stupid, repetitive ritual. So I ran back up the hallway, startling a couple of nurses, and yippeed back into Husband’s room, startling him even more, and pounced on him, wiped the tears away from his cheeks and yelled “One more hug for the road!” I left him laughing his head off. Yes!

Today, I started again with Son.

Me: (washing dishes with Son) Sigh

Son: You sighed again

Me: No I didn’t

Son: Yes you did – you just sighed as if you wanted me to go away

Me: I didn’t sigh and I don’t want you to go away. Sigh

Son: See – you did it again!

Me: (holding breath) Okay, so I’ll try not to sigh

Son: I don’t understand your sighs – you do it all the time.

Me: If I sigh, it usually just means I’m tired.

Son: Tired of me or of Dad?

Me: What answer would you prefer?

Son: The truth

Me: Okay, I’m a bit tired from the busy weekend with Dad and everything else

Son: I’m so sorry about the emus, Mum

Me: It’s okay – let’s not talk about it. Sigh

Son: Mum, can we have a talk later on about stuff?

Me: Why can’t we have a talk now?

Son: Because I’m busy resting – seeya. Oh, do you want more help with the dishes?

Me: No thanks, darling. Sigh

Son: Are you sure? You just sighed again.

Me: Sorry. Sigh

Son: I’m actually just watching the Harry Potter series because I missed most of it in my youth

Me: I think that’s great!

Son: Okay, love you, Mum

Me: Love you too. Sigh

Son: (from his room) I heard that sigh

Me: (thundering down the hallway into his room with a teatowel as a weapon) It was a happy sigh, okay!

Son: (terrified) Okay, okay! Sigh

He’ll be back!

Today, I started again with the dogs-versus-birds dilemma

And I was rewarded by a small miracle – Doc and one of the Bubbles together. I was utterly amazed because Doc has attacked cattle, sheep, other dogs, rabbits, and plenty of birds, over the years. He is a real little killer, literally! So to see these two guys simply curious about each other made all the starting overs today worth it!

Today, I started again with the vegetable garden

No I didn’t – hehe!

Animal Family Wings

23 Comments »

The turkeys grow up

by jmgoyder

Our three turkeys are getting huge but, when I purchased them as chicks, I saw various of their parents so I know they may well grow even huger! I loved them when they were little and cute but now I adore their big robustness. Here is one of the Bubbles with Baby Turkey underneath the two ancient fig trees. They are the only birds who eat the figs – they eat masses of them which is probably why they are growing so fast!

It’s hard to believe they were ever this teensy!

Despite their angry looking faces, they are the friendliest of all our birds. They love to be patted and nearly jump into my lap when I bring bread out. The guinnea fowl and peacocks are much more nervous birds. Even though we have had guinnea fowl for longer than any of the others, I still can’t handfeed them or touch them. The peacocks will take food from my hand but if I try to pat them they get really jumpy so I’ve stopped trying – it doesn’t matter. The turkeys, however, will nibble my clothes for a pat!

I still miss that very first Bubble – the one we lost in the early days of our bird adventure.

Husband is coming home for the day and, apart from the guinnea fowl, the turkeys are his favourite birds. I think he’ll be quite glad to see Son too!

Wings

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Back to birding

by jmgoyder

Well, what an anti-climax my home-coming was this afternoon! I went straight to the bird yards to let the gang out thinking that they would greet me with expressions of relief and joy but, once I’d given them some lettuce, they lost interest in me and, within a minute of our reunion, they were off doing their usual thing – grazing, bathing, preening, cruising.

Both the ‘Bubbles’ were indifferent, the big Bubble particularly so. After they got their share of the lettuce, they just sauntered away. Baby Turkey didn’t even acknowledge me.

And the geese were even more indifferent to my renewed presence.

Even the peacocks had a definite air of ‘so what!’ about them when they saw me.

I feel a little indignant at their nonchalance; Godfrey didn’t even try to bite me and I’d been looking forward to our usual afternoon wrestling match.

What a bunch of bird brains!

Wings

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Proximity cures phobia!

by jmgoyder

Yesterday, my niece, Ashtyn and her extremely bird-phobic mother, Julie, visited. Julie has suffered bird phobia ever since being given a rather wild weiro a couple of decades ago, so this visit took enormous courage! Ashtyn is a little nervous of birds too as you can see below!

But Julie was in a state of suppressed horror. As she has read my blog, she was particularly frightened of Godfrey who was just outside the frame of the picture below. Little did she realise that the evil Baby Turkey was even closer.

Eventually, she began to feel more at home with the birds. In the photo below you can see her biting her lip with determination not to scream!

And Ashtyn’s expression says it all!

For some reason, neither Julie or Ashtyn wanted to come into the emu yard. I’m not quite sure why….

Julie insisted on some soothing music so Son and Grandma obliged.

The unflappable Alpacas, Okami and Uluru, also had a soothing effect on Julie.

It was a visit full of hysterical laughter!

Wings

10 Comments »

Can we still be friends?

by jmgoyder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvdGPD443nE

The song above fits perfectly with the scenario below.

This is the malicious Baby Turkey approaching Emery, one of the sweet, innocent emus. Baby Turkey’s wingdrop move is straight out of the WWE handbook.

And this is the sweet, innocent Emery, singing ‘Can we still be friends’ to the malicious Baby Turkey – a very clever and effective tactic!

Wings

Baby Turkey

by jmgoyder

The little beige turkey, ‘Baby Turkey’, who was the only survivor of the four we bought several weeks ago (fox got two and one got ill), has lost all his timidity and is now the boldest of all the turkeys. He is not as sweet as the Bubbles; actually, he’s not sweet at all and has a terrible temper. But he’s extremely clever and, even though he can fly, he actually likes to climb trees and ladders by hopping up from branch to branch, or rung to rung.

But Baby Turkey’s latest hobby is to perch on top of one of the chook houses and watch the emus in their yard. He doesn’t watch them with interest or awe or admiration – he watches them with extreme malevolence. I don’t know why he hates them so much but he does and the other day when I was taking the emus for a walk, he continually attacked them by flying up to their eye level and trying to claw them. This resulted in all of the Emerys zigzagging here there and everywhere in a panic, and made rounding them up a nightmare.

In the above photo you can see Baby Turkey in the background, aiming one of his evil eyes in the Emerys’ direction while they innocently munch their cabbage. And when I reprimand him by saying, sternly, “Stop that, Baby Turkey” I can see shivers creeping up the rather long spines of the emus, just at the mention of his name.

So we now have three birds who have anger issues: Godfrey the gander, Tina Turner the rooster and, now, Baby Turkey. I will have to put a sign at the front gate – Beware of the Birds.

Wings

16 Comments »

The waterbabies!

by jmgoyder

Emu 1: So this is her idea of a pond is it?

Emu 2: Stop complaining – apparently we need to talk to that Godfrey guy, you know, the big gander. Oh, this chopped cabbage is like heaven; she really does that well.

Pearl: Mr God, sir, those emus want to talk to you.

Godfrey: What now? Can’t you see I’m busy? This water is filthy!

Seli: Sorry, sir, but I think they want to form a working party to sort out the pond situation.

Godfrey: This is getting ridiculous. Since when do emus like to swim? Woody, go and tell them that they may use the kiddy pool for the time being, but no splashing, no pooping and one at a time only.

Woodroffe: Yes sir.

Godfrey: Stop swanning about, gang! This is serious.

Emu 1 to other emus: C’mon, Emerys – this is lovely!

Emu 2: The Godfather said only one at a time.

Emu 1: Okay, just give me a moment. Oh, wow!

Godfrey (honking from a slight distance): Tomorrow’s meeting will commence at 6am sharp. We will form a working party consisting of three geese, one duck, one turkey and one – I repeat, one – emu. In the meantime the emus may continue to use the kiddy pool but not the pond. Agenda items:

bigger ponds
more ponds
cleaner ponds
separate ponds for different species

Phoenix 2: Have you guys heard about this meeting?

Peacock: Don’t worry about it, Goldilocks, it’s just a poultry thing.

Phoenix 2: Oh.

Whitey: You know little Tapper, the duck? He told me that the Godfather wants to have regular meetings from now on. Can you believe it?

Phoenix 2: But why?

Whitey: Well, Tapper thinks it might be all Zaruma’s fault because he keeps secretly pooping in the pond.

Bubble: Godfrey said he only wants one turkey in the working party, so do you want to do it? It would be a good experience for you.

New turkey: I would be honoured.

Bubble: Good boy.

New turkey: I’ve only been here a little while but I really love it.

Bubble: Mmmm.

New turkey: There’s never a dull moment!

Pearl: Woody, would you mind representing me at the meeting today? I have a headache.

Woodroffe: Of course, Pearly, you’re my favourite sister in the world.

Pearl: You do have Diamond.

Woodroffe: Diamond’s a boy – remember? So she’s my brother.

Pearl: Oh, my head is pounding.

Ola: Woody, where’s the meeting?

Woodroffe: The greenhouse.

Ola: Is the woman coming?

Woodroffe: Hell, no – Godfrey would never allow that!

Ola: Well, I think she should be involved.

Woodroffe: I agree but I’m not going to bring it up.

Ola: In that case, I will. I adore her.

Woodroffe: I do too, but please don’t tell Godfrey.

Zaruma: Will you guys shut up. Let’s get this over with.

Ola (whispering to Woody): Little does Zaruma know he’s in big trouble.

Woodroffe: Well it’s his fault for pooping in the pond all the time.

Emu 1: So much fuss about nothing!

Emu 2: I dare you to get into the kiddy pool while they’re in the meeting.

Emu 1: You are on!

Emu 2: No, no – I was just joking. It’s too risky!

Emu 1: I’ll show you how I dunk my head in the water – it’s amazing!

Wings

6 Comments »

Down the rabbit hole

by jmgoyder

Yesterday, in the early evening after all the birds were safely in their yards, I decided to take some photos of the rabbits. Oh yes, haven’t I mentioned them before? We have hundreds of rabbits – well, perhaps not quite hundreds, but lots and lots – so many, in fact, that a friend from Perth asked if I was breeding them. No, I am not breeding them; they are doing that extraordinarily well all by themselves.

In other words, we have a rabbit plague.

They are everywhere! At any time of the day or evening, I can look through any window, or go outside, and I will see not just one or two rabbits, but entire families scampering around, here there and everywhere, in amongst the peacocks and guinneas and geese and ducks and chickens and turkeys. The scene resembles something rather heavenly except it is not heavenly because those rabbits are digging up the foundations of every building on the farm – that is five sheds and this house! I keep expecting the house to suddenly tip over. After all, it’s a very old house.

So last evening I sat outside, camera ready and waited. And waited. And waited. And I didn’t see one rabbit – not even a bunny! It was as if, like Alice in Wonderland, I had fallen down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world – this one devoid of rabbits. I wish.

Anyway, I thought I better take a picture of something, so I took one of the feathers on the lawn. In a previous post I mentioned that, with all the birds molting, it looks a bit like it has been snowing. Then I took a picture of King peacock’s final feather. As I said in another previous post he’s been hanging onto that last symbol of his former glory for ages. Now, having shed that final tail feather he will have to wait several months for them to all grow back. Poor guy seems a bit lost now.

I was still waiting for a rabbit or two to appear so I took another couple of photos of feathers that had blown into a blossom tree. I say a blossom tree because I’ve forgotten what kind of tree this is and Husband isn’t here to enlighten me (I’m ashamed to say that after nearly 20 years of marriage and living here, I still don’t know what many of these trees and flowers are!)

Actually, I’m not comfortable with the little white lie I just told about the feathers in the tree. They were in the tree earlier in the day but had blown onto the ground again, so I put them back in the tree to take the photos. Is that false photography? Interesting concept!

I am not, however, white-lying about the rabbits. The weird thing is that I haven’t seen any today either, so far.

Perhaps I’ve magicked them away somehow. On the other hand, the house does feel a little tilted today!

Or maybe I’m just stuck inside a ‘Julie in Wonderland’ rabbit hole.

When I go in to see Husband today, I will ask him what the blossom tree is called. He will know.

Animal Uncategorized Wings

12 Comments »

Happy 18th birthday!

by jmgoyder

Duckling: What’s going on?

Turkey chick: It’s the kid’s 18th birthday.

Duckling: So?

Turkey chick: Yeah, these humans are very strange. When my dad turned 18 he was magnificent. The kid doesn’t even have his feathers yet. He has to put fake ones on.

Duckling: On his head you mean?

Turkey chick: Yeah, those, and when he puts them on he can’t balance properly so his buddies have to hold him up.

Duckling: So where’s the old chap?

Turkey chick: He’s not very well so the woman and the kid had to take him to hospital.

Duckling: I miss snoozing near his socks.

Turkey chick: So do I! Actually I miss nibbling those socks too.

Duckling: So what will they do for the kid’s birthday?

Turkey chick: I heard the woman say that they’ll pick up the old chap and go to a restaurant.

Duckling: What’s a restaurant?

Turkey chick: It’s a place where humans eat roast duck and turkey.

Duckling: I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but your jokes are awful. They’re not even funny.

Turkey chick: Shut up – here he comes!

Duckling: Why does he like cuddling you and not me?

Turkey chick: He has good taste? You’re harder to pick up because of your big feet? I’m cuter? Probably a number of reasons.

Uncategorized Wings

18 Comments »

The Bubbles grow up

by jmgoyder

Remember how we lost our first turkey, Bubble, then replaced her with four more Bubbles? Well, here is one of them (the cheekiest by far). He is big but he will get much bigger. I know because I saw his parents and they were gigantic and the dad was magnificent.

He is the only one who hops right up on the picnic table where I give the gang their morning treats (bread and lettuce). In fact, once I let them out of the yard, he flies straight to the table and waits patiently. He lets me pat him and tickle him under his chin (it’s interesting to get such a close-up look at where the expression ‘turkey neck’ comes from!)