jake and jenny


When I go outside around 5:30, the thermometer reads in the upper 50s. Some mornings in the low 50s. If there was cloud cover during the night, morning temps are mid 60s. Daytime temps range from the upper 80s to mid 90s. Not bad. Not much rain this year. Only one short hail storm so far. Loud, like the problem one. Kept checking on the roof vent covers.


Have not seen as many wild turkeys this year. One gabbler, one hen, not together, and a few weeks later, a hen with 8 little ones.
Not that I always see wildlife that passes through. I could be off walking, working on another piece of the acre, focusing on a task, and whatnot. And I know deer occasionally come through in the dark.

I spread scratch grain over appox. 100 sq. feet, twice a day, just before the little family comes through (before 7:00 and around 4:00). When my wild turkeys pass through the backyard, they checkout the various spots and peck. Staying maybe 20 minutes.
The other day, late afternoon, the flock got to one spot and stayed for nearly an hour and a half. A first, by far. After an hour or so, the mum started walking away, with two chicks following. The two little ones noticed that their siblings were still feeding, and ran back. Had me smiling and chucking. Simple pleasures. The mum followed them back.

While feeding, every 2 to 6 seconds or so, the mum quickly picks her head up and scans for potential danger. Definitely on guard. The little ones have not yet learned this survival skill. Heads continually stay down scoping for the next seed.


One day mum flew up 3’ of so and flew over her little ones to get to more grain. After a couple seconds, one little one flew straight up a couple feet and dropped down. Then another one did it. First time I saw them using their wings. The following week I noticed three little ones fly onto branches. Not so little anymore. Young turkeys are referred to as jennies and jakes.

Deb. If a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there to see it, a chihuahua 500 miles away will bark at it.

From John Banville, novelist, in the New York Times Book Review. “The act of reading is extraordinary—whole worlds created out of black squiggles on a white background.”

These two old farmers were sitting outside a coffee house, having a great conversation, going on two hours. One of the subjects that came up was inbreeding. After ten minutes or so, one farmer said, ‘Yep, don’t exactly rotate their crops.’

The ball is in your court. Pick it up and go.

June sixty minutes sixty years—2000 minutes
June Triple 18—upper: 1950; core: 1990; legs: 2100

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.
Voltaire


Table of Contents

RVwest article ‘Following a Free Spirit’

RVwest article ‘The Space Between the Places’

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