Dang near had a heart attack!!!
Late afternoon...
Was working on a cute story about scorpions, skunks and rattlesnakes when Sierra the Dog began complaining...low, guttural whimpers.
Usually an indicator that she had to do some business outside.
As I was about to arise from chair at the computer keyboard, phone rang.
"Hello?"
It was my long time friend, Gene.
We visited...caught up...told a joke or two to one another, all the while Sierra the Dog getting more and more antsy.
"Gene...gotta go!"
Don't like letting Sierra out, unsupervised, this time of year with the rattlers coming out to warm themselves and hungry hunt.
"Adios!"
Hung up the phone and ambled to the front door with Sierra, in high excitement, ears perked high and tail a-waggin' like a fan blade.
I stepped out on the front porch noting the soon-to-set sun in the west, turning right, northeast breeze on my face.
Sierra, at Mach 10, followed and went left, then, spun around and went right, almost knocking me down at the knees.
I was just turning the corner of the house as she went by.
Suddenly,
a bark
and in my face, not more than ten feet away, flushed about six, seven, eight...haven't a clue how many...but a bunch...turkeys!
Right there in my front yard!
Big feathers and all! A squawk...lots of heavy wing beats...Sierra chasing, until she hit the boxwire fence...barking.
Scared the living bejezzus outa me...I even ducked when they flushed!
Sierra found her hole in the fence and chased for about 300 yards.
I sat down on the edge of the porch and put my hand inside my shirt over my heart.
Yep, still pumping.
As the northeast wind bent the grass leaves between the toes of my miserable, worn out boots, I thought...as Sierra panted with lolling pink tongue at my boot tips...
"Good to see the turkey back...hadn't seen nary a one for three years."
She smiles.
Now she had something else to chase.





