Yesterday morning I went out without my camera. I was going to Olongapo early in the morning solely to buy some eggs. I had just bought 10 last week and that usually lasts a while unless I get an urge to bake. I’d had to buy those eggs to replace the half dozen eggs I had thrown out because they were just too too old. Of those new 10 eggs I broke 2 on the way home. Then I grabbed one that wasn’t one of the hard boiled ones I’d made so that was 3 eggs down. It wasn’t so hard to use up 7 eggs. Apparently unrefrigerated eggs last longer so my newest batch will remain on the counter. They are not refrigerated in the grocery stores or wet markets. We shall see. So you can see that I was really focusing on “eggs” and not picture taking so left my camera home. Darn!!
Rather than walk along the highway I backtracked a bit and took the path that goes along the drainage canal between Olongapo and Subic Bay. It doesn’t always smell so great, but it is prettier and you never know what you will see. That’s for sure, though I am sure I won’t see anything as X-rated as I did back in China as I was approaching the bridge from Jingan over to the boat yard. A different story for another time.
I’d often seen some white birds off in the distance as I walked this path. Even with my zoom lens I couldn’t make out what they were though I was fairly certain they were not the geese I had seen and fed on other walks. Yesterday I found out what they were; white turkeys! They were out feeding on the edge of the path; 3 large males and the rest female or too small for me to tell. They were just so, so odd. If it had been night time or very misty I might have thought I was making them all up so fantastic was their behavior. They just seemed to be gliding along as if their time dimension had intersected mine rather than that we were all from the same place. Like Twilight Zone turkeys in slow motion. My prior meeting with live turkeys came in 2006 while visiting my friend Martha and her daughter Jess who live in Brookline which borders Boston. Not out in the country. But wild turkeys seem to be taking over the Boston area and one flock had taken up residence near the path that led to the T stop and reservoir. I, of course, thought they were neat. And being fore warned, I was prepared with a weapon to ward them off; my large red, white and blue bandanna that when waved in the face of wild Brookline turkeys makes them leave you alone. I am not making this up, I promise. Google Brookline and wild turkeys and you’ll find lots of funny stories. This excerpt is from NPR: “The turkeys started chasing kids and joggers down the street. Neighbors would laugh watching the lawyer or pediatrician who lived next door being chased by a gobbling mob of birds. When it happens to you, it’s much less amusing.” All of this is leading up to my reaction to this docile, spaced out flock or white turkeys. Make love, not war was their motto. As I stood watching in amazement and prepared to wave my bandanna if necessary, one of the male turkeys, Mr. Tom hopped onto one of the little hens who apparently caught his fancy and was attempting to make more white turkeys. That in itself was startling because so public and unexpected. Hey, I’m from Puritan New England where the native turkeys, the Massachusetts state bird, make war, not love…see Brookline story. Then, knowing nothing about turkey behavior, I put a very human spin on what I saw happen next. The other two toms began circling the mating birds as if to be waiting their turn. I looked at the little hen, who was not looking as if this was her idea of a good time. This big old ugly tom had one big old turkey foot on her mashed down wing and one on her back and she made a sound that I thought said, “Help!” The rest of the hens seemed too “scared” to get involved, so I did. I walked over to the three male turkeys and said, “Stop that!” And they did. They acted more dazed and surprised than mad or frustrated. The hen rejoined the flock and seemed happier there. One of the male turkeys started walking towards me, and I’m thinking he wanted food because he had the same look the geese always have since the one time I did feed them. But I had no camera and I had no food, so I just went on my way for the eggs.
I went back to the path today armed with camera and food. First, right across the road from the Yacht Club was the flock of geese. They only have one thing on their minds and that’s food. I broke up some rice cakes and set off a melee! You have to be quick! Throw out food, take photo, run or they’ll chase you down and grab the food bag from you. Keeping on task to find the turkeys I walked over to the canal path behind the park and go karats where I had seen them yesterday. But No Turkeys! I knew they had to be somewhere so I left the path and walked over to the construction site near the go karts and spied them Nothing like barging in where you’re not invited. I just started taking pictures as fast as I could hoping anything would turn out. The turkeys ignored me as did the big white ducks….lot of white birds here, but soon one of the construction crew came over looking at me as if to say, “hmm, how did you get here? ” I took a few more photos, looked at him and asked if it was ok, he nodded sort of, I took a few more photos, said thanks and left. As for the photos, I think you just really had to be there.
How did the Aflack duck get into the middle of this photo?
Actually it is a goose but he looks like that silly duck.
White turkeys. Too bad they weren’t standing on some green grass rather than light sandy dirt.
Cropped for a closer look
Remember the show Designing Women? One episode Julia goes to the ladies room and returns with her dress tucked into her pantyhose in back. That’s all I could think of when I saw those spindly legs uncovered and the feathers stuck up in the air.
Oh gosh, I just wish you had all been there.