Peaceful coexistence

Our arrival at the park late this afternoon coincided with the walkers who bring molasses-laced corn kernels for the deer...and in this case the turkeys too. It was a funny sight to see as the couple walked toward us on the trail, surrounded by a dozen or more turkeys and a small herd of deer. Late-arriving critters were racing through the woods and down the trail in their eagerness to get a share of the tasty tidbits. We wondered if the animals were going to follow the people right to their car, but finally they turned around and headed back down the trail. The deer and turkeys in the picture hung around, gobbling up the last few kernels dropped by their benefactors. There wasn't any squabbling; they each ate as much as they could, but seemed to operate on the principle of share-and-share-alike, although the deer was keeping a wary eye on the big birds.

Frigid temperatures and lots of wind-driven snow today. After the little thaw from mid-day Saturday to mid-day Sunday, we plunged back into the deep freeze. I heard on the radio that the temperature this evening, with the wind-chill factor figured in, was below zero degrees...Fahrenheit. That's cold!