Vulture culture

TG and I were on our way to church yesterday morning. It had been raining and more was promised. Skies were gray. Summer is on the wane.

I'd brought along my camera as usual because as sure as I don't, there's something I wish I could take a picture of.

No I don't take pictures with my phone, so step off.

Besides, I killed my phone; remember?

So anyway we're tooling along, approaching the spot where we merge onto I-26 Eastbound, when TG points and exclaims:

"Look! Look at the vultures!"

I looked in the direction he was pointing: up to the tippy-top of a very tall gas station sign.

All I saw were four black wings, identically -- and hugely -- outspread and eerily still.

I am ashamed to say that until today when I did some homework in preparation to write this post (but also out of curiosity), I did not know the vultures' pose has a name and serves a purpose.

Hereafter when you see a buzzard sitting stock-still, wings spread wide, think to yourself: "Hmmm. The horaltic pose."

Because that's what it is. The vultures sit thus in order to dry their wings, warm their bodies, and bake off bacteria that has accumulated on their feathers from rummaging around in the carcasses of dead animals.

"Those are fake!" I blurted, remembering the fake ducks floating in the lake at Broyhill Walking Park in Hickory a few weeks ago.

I did not tell you about the decoys -- the purpose of which I do not know -- or take pictures of them, because who wants to read about or see photos of fake ducks floating in a man-made pond?

But TG insisted: "No! Those are real vultures!"

(Turkey vultures, to be specific. The kind with red heads as opposed to black. At least I think so. Shooting against a dun sky made them silhouettes so I can't be sure, but turkey vultures are generally more prevalent.)

I craned my neck and looked again and I saw one of the ugly leathery heads move. By then we were past the buzzard-laden sign.

"Go back! I want to take a picture!" I said, and TG obeyed. We did a three-sixty in a parking lot and headed back for the gas station.

Grateful it wasn't raining, I jumped out and started snapping away as the pair of homely vultures preened and strutted on their stage seventy-five feet in space.

I had been so engaged for three or four minutes, the vultures cooperating fully, when I heard someone yell:

"Hey!"

The voice came from my left. A young lady wearing a polo-type shirt in the same green as the buzzard-perch sign had come out of the C-store and was hurrying me-ward, toting a big broom. She was not exactly smiling.

"What are you taking pictures of?" she demanded.

I pointed up. "The birds!" I said. "Is that OKAY?"

Thinking the whole time to myself: Good grief! Is this a free country or what?

(My faithful readers will remember a few weeks back when another lady -- without a broom but I could sure picture her on with one -- enjoined me NOT to take pictures of an abandoned building once owned by her family.)

But this lady, despite her gruff opening salvo, turned out to be much nicer than that other lady. Her eyes followed the invisible trajectory of my index finger up, into the air, to the top of the tall sign.

And she saw the massive black birds.

"Oh wow!" She said she'd never noticed anything like that before.

Turns out my new acquaintance's abrupt salutation was owing to the fact that they'd had a woman show up the day before and start taking pictures of the marquee that advertises their gas prices.

"And she was bein' rude," said my friend.

I don't know from gas station espionage and I said as much.

"I just like to take pictures of everything," I said.

The very nice lady, still wielding a broom but no longer pointing it at me, began to ask about the types of pictures I take.

We chatted for a few minutes and she asked for my card. She would like a photo session with her six-month-old son, who I bet is a real cutiepie.

Then we went to church and had a pleasant Sunday.

That is all!

Happy Monday!

Comments

[Mari]

I see those turkey vultures around here sometimes and they creep me out. Glad the lady was nicer than the previous one - and you got a photo deal out of it!

[Donna (Texas)]

It's just getting harder and harder to take snaps of Everything these days!!
I say, Free Country????? as well......
Love the shots!
hughugs

[irene]

Great spotting by TG, and wonderful pictures. I've never seen a vultcher. You seem to be meeting people with issues. Only in America?

[Glenda]

Great pics, and how appropriate that vultures are sitting on top of a gas station sign! ..........G.