Turkey Vultures

Yeah, yeah, I know.  Who the hell loves turkey vultures?  Well, I'm not sure if I really love them, but they certainly forced me to think about that possibility this afternoon.  I was driving a back road on my way to a rendezvous in Milford, PA, when this gang of vultures decided to block my path:

There were even more of them than you see here, as a few others had already moved on to the left of the road.  Aside from the one vulture pecking away at something there on the right, I have no idea what they were doing, but they were in no hurry to clear the road.  After waiting patiently (and snapping some pics), I had to toot my horn at them a few times.  That moved them.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, these birds ride thermals in the sky and use their keen sense of smell to find fresh carcasses. They are a consummate scavenger, cleaning up the countryside one bite of their sharply hooked bill at a time, and never mussing a feather on their bald heads. 

Well, good for them!  I am happy that they are contributing members of society!  And I am happy that I live in a place where turkey vultures can own the road.

Riding thermals in the sky.  Well, if that's not a song lyric, I don't know what is.  Oh, wait.  I'm thinking of Joni's song Woodstock: 

And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation

Well, it's certainly interesting that yesterday's post was about butterflies.  Just sayin'.

I guess falling in love just brings everything full circle.