This morning another squirrel lost its life in a senseless game of traffic chicken. We’ve all seen it. The rogue squirrel who believes he’s faster than the oncoming cars. He waits until the very last moment, daring the driver not to break, as he runs as fast as his frenzied paws will take him to the other side of the road where he no doubt boasts to his squirrel lover about his racing prowess.
But not this morning. On this morning, the sight of a mangled squirrel was worse than usual. He wasn’t just road kill; he was carrion…a mid-morning snack for a turkey vulture.
Depending on where you live, you may not be familiar with turkey vultures. I wasn’t until I saw the most vile looking bird feasting on that poor squirrel. I had to take a moment from my writing to look it up and what I discovered amazed me. There is actually a Turkey Vulture Society. The very word ‘society’ suddenly made me look at this ugly, furry friend eating, breed of buzzard in a new light.
The site claims to “promote scientific studies of the life habits and needs of the turkey vulture.” I realized at that moment that there really is a society, club, hobby or organization for everyone, which gives this romantic writer cause to salute the turkey vulture.
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