Not inside the walls, but out (what did you think I meant?!).
… I had to stop my car. The turkeys were everywhere last week. I heard a Bill Engvall tell a story about turkey hunting with his dad, he said, “The only wild turkey we saw that week came out of a bottle.” I smile every time I see these guys. There were 2 toms STRUTTING their stuff… one was so outraged I had the nerve to interrupt his mid-road display when I was driving out that he merely sauntered, indignantly to the side while I drove past, and then returned to his performance (note: the ladies didn’t seem to impressed … keep trying dude).
Turkeys have blue heads. Who knew!?!!
But lest you think our IBM campus is only filled with turkey, turn to your right … and literally, on the hill opposite, you will usually see this family:
I am still amazed that we don’t see venison on the cafeteria menu 
On the campus, we also have:
- GAGGLES of Canadian geese (surely, these things are no longer endangered and hunting should be allowed again!)
- Turkey vultures (who do a very strange mating dance by holding their wings out and walking around in slow circles … there were 4 or 5 all standing in a row doing their slow dance the other day .. sadly, I was sans camera)
- Hawks … a less frequent sighting, but they’re out there
- Groundhogs … which are way, way bigger than I thought!
- And there’s rumor (though I’ve not seen myself) other exotics like foxes and even bobcats … of course, I think if there really were lots of bobcats, we’d have fewer geese … but maybe I’m missing something here.
It can make for a pretty interesting commute home … from the jungle of upstate NY, to the concrete jungle that’s become home.
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I’m so glad to see you captured this bit of the Somers Wild Kingdom. I often feel as though I’m on an obstacle course when driving around the campus. In the past, I’ve held traffic for baby geese parades, waited for entire gaggles to cross, weaved slowly through deer and even once righted a turtle that had flipped somehow (with my long-handled ice scraper – I know a snapper when I see one)
I’ve also been chased by angry male geese – which is a ridiculous situation I’d recommend avoiding, if you want to maintain any dignity whatsoever.
Also, due to the reflective exterior of the windows, it’s possible to have these animals wander up and pause for a snack right outside your office window. One of OUR former managers (rhymes with butt) even had the nerve to complain to me about it when they moved him to building four.
Living “upstate,” I guess I take it more for granted. Thanks for inspiring the pause to remember and enjoy.
That turkey scares me a little bit. Give me a good ‘ole North Carolina piggy instead. At least they’re too lazy to chase you.
…and thank you for clarifying that mating season is “not inside the walls” of IBM.
I work at Yorktown now. That’s a scary image.
I AM SO TIRED OF THIS FUCKING POST.
HAve a dday