Bird zombies

So, when I go see Nate at work I walk through a show barn to get to the office. The only parking right in front of the office building is for handicapped visitors, and I am neither. There are a variety of animals in the show barn: lamas, pigs, goats, sheep, sheepdogs getting a break from the heat (and their job, if you ask me), chickens, ducks. The birds just roam and a group of ducks hangs out. They were napping today so they were hunkered down with their heads and beaks folded into their wings. Even though they were asleep today they were still quacking and it was that real soft, short quacking, like Donald Duck sleeping. Hilarious.

The most convenient way to the high school I went to was in and out of a park. The entrance and exit passed close by the paddle-boat pond. The bank of the pond usually had ducks hanging out in the grass. One spring day I was driving home with my friend Jessica and the ducks were crossing the street very casually and leisurely. They were holding up hundreds of new drivers that had just been released from a day in school. The best part is that ducks can only walk so fast, but they look like they are trying to run, but its only an awkward waddle. We opened the window and heard that quiet quacking. We were really tickled at their oblivion, I don't know why. But when I see a group of ducks I laugh to myself and think of Jess.

My point is this, ducks are funny, always. They curl up like that to sleep, their only mode of transportation on dry land is a waddle, they soak their little duck heads while their floating, its all very cute. I crack a smile when I see one, the more in the group the funnier.

What I encountered today in the show barn was straight from an uncomfortable dream. Not a nightmare because I think that would be a little dramatic, but one of those dreams that woke you with your heart beating just a little faster than usual and you are relieved that its not real.
Turkeys are always hanging around the show barn, and they are free to roam as they please.
Turkeys give me the willies. I love birds, but all birds have that dead in the eye look, but its more noticeable with big birds. And turkeys have those heads. Blech, who wants to look at that. Hence the post title, I think that is the most apt description of a turkey in terms of how it makes me feel.

So here they are coming at me. The males were threatened by my presence as you can see.


They may look like bird zombies, but they move like the wind as you can see from the blurry picture.

They wanted to see what this gal was up to. She was picking through all the cans on the work bench looking for goodies.
Every time I go to see Nate at work I am delighted by the show barn. (I try not to let the turkeys bother me, their days are numbered after all. About 80% of the food served at the cafeteria comes from the ranch itself, so you know what that means.) He works at such a beautiful place and they do good work and it usually brightens my day.