The Wild Nearby: Turkey Trot / Cavity Nesters

In wildness is the preservation of the world. - Henry David Thoreau.

It was a day in which we had decided we'd stay home, and then changed our minds! My husband woke up with a hankering for a fish dinner at Couch's in McAlevy's Fort. We could go there, then head to Greenwood Furnace for a chilly swim.

It sounded like a fine plan to me, and I'd get an American hoagie and cole slaw out of the deal. So we packed up our daysacks and chairs and coolers and headed out. They've done some tarring and chipping from the corner at McAlevy's Fort, to and beyond the park, but that happened two weeks ago, and the road seems fine.

I hopped out of the car and took a bunch of fun shots of the furnaces, thinking that some things looked different. There are some trees missing here and there that used to stand tall. There were logging trucks heading up the road to the campground; full trucks rumbled by on the road that splits the park. We parked near the blacksmith shop and it was open, so I got to walk inside and look around and nab some literature.

It seemed like a very long time since we'd been there, and when I got home, I had to look it up. Can you believe that September 5th was the last time we went to Greenwood Furnace? Yeah, lots of stuff was going on in September, concluding with my parents' passing. In some ways, last fall feels like a total blur.

All of this goes to say that it felt like a long time that we'd been away, and how wonderful it was to be back! The water was the coldest we've swum in this year, a fair amount colder, and cleaner, than even Whipple Dam. I don't know how the physics of it works, but it seems like the water in the six-acre lake gets COLDER at Greenwood Furnace as summer goes on; we've typically had our chilliest swims there in August.

We got out of the water and went and took turns showering, then headed back to the car to sit in the shade and read. We had cold drinks waiting, and overall, it was a really wonderful way to spend a summer day. Oh, and the signs said that this coming weekend, they'll be celebrating their hundredth anniversary!

Now, none of this story mentions the wildlife in these pictures! As we were walking to the swimming area, I spotted a bird in a nesting box, and I angled myself so I could get some shots. Blurry. Then I walked closer. Took one step back. A little bird - some type of swallow - was looking out at me! You may see that photo in the extras. The sign (this is box 13) says it is for cavity nesting birds, and to let them be.

But the best moments of all were still in store! For as we climbed into our car and began to pull out of the blacksmith shop area, my husband said: "Would you look at that!? TURKEYS!!!" I quickly grabbed my camera and opened the car door and jumped out; tried hard not to scare them; zoomed, super-zoomed, prayed hard that I'd get some shots!

There was a turkey trot parade taking place along the road! A family group had just stepped out of the woods, and they walked along the road for a little while, before heading back into the woods.

The parade started with one big turkey, at least as tall as my waist, then at least 11 little turkeys, and rounded things out with one big one in the end. I actually got about a dozen decent shots. Now, I have seen turkeys out the car window plenty of times, but I have never seen a family of turkeys with so many little ones out for a stroll, so up close and personal! So please enjoy my main shot, which is the turkey trot parade.

I've got two photos, so let's have two songs. One song is for the wild creatures in this blip, so let's listen to the Talking Heads sing Wild Wild Life. The second song is for the 100 years this park has existed as such: Five for Fighting, with 100 Years. This park is one of our favorite places, and it has the best cold-water swimming in our entire area! Hooray for Greenwood Furnace! Happy 100 years!