Learning to fly.

Remember Peep?

Don't worry, this isn't where we keep her.  Sometimes I make bad decisions :)

Well, she's now 2 months old. Which is actually pretty mature, considering the life expectancy of a wild turkey is 2 years.  It's true, I googled it :)

Tim built her a nice little turkey shack out back, and the kids have begrudgingly taken their turn feeding and watering her.  We have 3 animals that claim our home as their own, and 3 big kids, so the rotation has been working out perfectly.  However, nobody looks forward to "Peep duty", because the stupid bird walks through her food and water dish almost immediately, dumping them both.

The kids have had a grand old time with her these past 2 months.   Sydney, parading her around on her shoulder, pretending to have a pet parrot, Ellery squealing with delight every time we let her out, and Phoebe running back and forth, and back and forth, with her tongue flapping in the breeze, trying to get to her.  The bird finally wised up and stopped sticking her head outside of the cage.  And lets face it, not too many wild turkeys get to go camping :)

However, she continues to grow.... and she is a wild turkey, afterall.  So, this past Sunday we decided to let her fly.  I was secretly hoping she'd stick around and come back for a visit every now and then...after all, I'm the only mom she knows :)  After sticking around the yard for an hour or so, drinking from the hose,  sitting in the cozy coup.... you know, typical wild turkey behavior, she disappeared into the woods, and we haven't seen her since.  I kind of miss her perpetual peeping.

...and truth be told, any wild turkey that poses in a cozy coup with an 8 year old girl, probably isn't going to make it through her first Thanksgiving:)