by Pa Rock
Farmer in Free Fall
Autumn officially arrived in the Ozarks two weeks ago, but in real life summer held on through all of September and the first few days into October. Then the rains came, and now it truly does feel like fall is afoot. Potted mums, scarecrows, skeletons, and jack-o-lanterns are popping up faster than the leaves are falling from the trees, and nature is crawling toward hibernation. (I have seen turtles on the local roadways twice this week, and also passed an armadillo that had been run over yesterday. They all are - and were - getting ready to dig in for the winter.)
It rained heavy on Wednesday with some of my neighbors reporting up to four inches in the rain gauges. The rain brought the serious change in the weather. This morning as I went outside to feed the neighbor's cat, the temperature was 39 degrees F. As soon as it dips down to that magic 32 degrees F., all of the potted outdoor flowers will die, and I will quickly replace them on their hanging posts with the winter bird feeders. Life cycles onward,
I fell Wednesday during the rain. I was coming out of cardiac rehab and had just cautioned a classmate to be careful as we were exiting, and then I demonstrated to her what could happen if you are not careful. I managed to get in several awkward dance moves from the sixties as I headed for the ground, then landed hard - ass over elbows - in the mud. Then I had to crawl to a nearby sign that was rooted in the ground in order to pull myself up - and all the while it was raining. Not my finest moment.
I fall a lot. I am probably destined to spend my final days in a full-body cast lying in a hospital bed in some smelly nursing home with a fly that I can't reach sitting on my nose. My sister days I should get a cane, but I don't plan my falls so the odds that I would have a cane with me when I actually needed it would be slim. It would be easier to carry a whistle - or a gun - to summon help after I fall.
I live in a rural area, and my large yard has many, many trees of various sizes and descriptions. Sticks and branches are always falling from the trees, and a regular chore of mine is to drag all of that brush to various brush piles that I have around the farm. Occasionally a big branch or limb will fall from the trees, making a racket as it heads toward the ground where it will land with a resounding thump. Usually the big ones fall overnight, especially during storms, but sometimes one will crash to the earth while I happen to be outside.
Late yesterday evening my son and I were standing on the back porch talking when we suddenly heard a loud commotion in a nearby tall tree. My first thought was that a large branch had torn loose and was crashing toward earth. We looked skyward at the same time and were amazed to see a large flock of turkey vultures (at least four and twenty) flapping their way out of the high tree branches. That was unusual for a couple of reasons. Turkey vultures (often called turkey buzzards) are normally seen sitting along the sides of roadways dining on dead animals - and usually the birds are in small groups of two or three. Last night's gathering contained at least a couple of dozen, and there were no obvious signs of any dead animals nearby - and certainly nothing big enough to draw that many of the carrion feeders.
The big birds circled around in the windy sky for a few minutes and then returned to the tree that they had just vacated.
After carefully studying the situation, I determined that I was the oldest and biggest creature around, so I wisely turned and went back inside of the house. I like to feed the birds, but there are limits to my generosity!
1 comment:
Loved your story.
Lucky for you in a couple of ways. They were roosting, not having a seat at the dining table. You're also lucky that they were turkey vultures, not black vultures. I'm not sure about your part of the Ozarks but black vultures are making their way into a more northern range, and I see them often at Bennett Spring State Park and Lake Taneycomo. Black vultures are more aggressive than turkey vultures. I've seen a smaller black vulture bully a turkey vulture into giving up his dead trout. Additionally, black vultures are more impatient than turkey vultures. Black vultures have been known to attack vulnerable living creatures, such as a lamb. I'd guess that a food item such as yourself wouldn't be as tough after a few days of lying in the yard so they're not likely to take you down without a little meat tenderizer.
As a fly angler who likes to wade into flowing water looking for trout, I can give my favorable review of what we anglers call wading staffs. Mine fits in a pouch that hangs on my belt so it is much more convenient than a cane. It folds into four sections so its extended length is adequate and its folded length is handy. It would beat dragging yourself through the mud to find a nearby tree. The locals in West Plains would see it and think you had some new kind of gun for open carry. You'd fit right in.
Post a Comment