Gobble Gobble

This is a wild turkey I photographed at Brown County State Park in Indiana.  Not quite the picturesque version we see in most Thanksgiving pictures.  This old boy is the real deal much like the early settlers and the Native American Indians used for food.  

This pre Thanksgiving week has been an interesting mix of November weather.  Yesterday, we set the record high temperature of 71 degrees.  Thrown in for good measure was severe storm watches and then warnings, tornado watches and then warnings.  Eight tornadoes were sighted in Illinois and Wisconsin.

At one point, we were warned there was a tornado sighted at the Kewanee airport (not far from us).  Look as we might, we did not see it although friends in that area had some damage.  

Hail 

At our place on the hill, we had significant hail and wind and thankfully no damages.  We did loose power for over two hours and I noticed Ameren and Corn Belt workers busy into the evening hours in Galva.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving:

According to WQAD's Anthony Peoples':  70% of our Thanksgivings have had no snow, 14% have had flurries or a trace amount, and 16% have had measurable amounts 0.1 inch or more.  If you remember back to Thanksgiving 1968, we had 5 inches of the white stuff.  

This Thanksgiving I thank God for my family and friends.  I'm thankful for living in America and pray we take our many Blessings, this land and it's bounties we have inherited, and share with those who aren't so fortunate.  I ask God to guide my hand to cheerfully help others as He has always helped me.  As the gardener's hand guides the trowel into the earth, may our love of others guide us to be helpful and thankful.

To Pumpkins at Pumpkin Time

Back into your garden-beds! 

Here come the holidays!

And woe to the golden pumpkin-heads

Attracting too much praise.

Hide behind the hoe, the plow,

Cling fast to the vine!

Those who come to praise you now

Will soon sit down to dine.”

By: Grace Cornell Tall

 

Billie Creek early Indiana log cabin.