It always happens when I am alone for the evening with my critters. Sound asleep when I hear a tink... tink... chirp. Shuffe shuffle shuffle. My sleeping partner Pepper Roni (my protector) was awakened by these noises as well. My older dog Ceasar lifted his head & went back to sleep. The noise kept on, Pepper ran outside. I grab my mission impossible tool... & head for the door.
It is dark except for the soar lights on the deck. What I was hoping was a nothing... was a something. We startled a big bird... a younger flying turkey that tried to roost on either the edge of the roof or our deck umbrella. The umbrella did not hold the weight of the turkey so it slid off right into the jaws of my flying 114lb.s of protection. Pepper only got enough to cause another flight into a plant, then off again to the other side of the deck... feathers are falling, pots & plants are being disrupted. Screeching, growling & my yelling for Pepper to stop filled the night air. Once again the wounded turkey attempts a flight getaway only to be pulled onto the deck by my flying Pepper Roni.
I could not save the turkey. Pepper is still very fast & very skilled at the art of protection. The turkey died quickly which is the only thing that I was thankful for in this event. There are feathers everywhere. It is 3:30 am. Adrenaline is in the air. I find a shovel & remove the bird from the deck so that Pepper does not decide to perform an autopsy on the turkey to make sure it is dead & add more feathers to the decore of the deck.
We go back to bed after everything is sort of taken care of. It has started to rain. There is no sleeping after this. She is wired, I am wide awake. As we assume the attempt at sleep once again, it is not her laying beside me, oh no... she is ON me. laying face towards the door, ready to pounce at the slightest noise. She is heavy. She is not letting anything get close to me. She is not closing her eyes & her body is wound up tight. She is "on duty". I thank her for protecting me, an hour goes by as I try to calm her by petting her to sleep. She stayed up till 6:am, I know because I watched her.
Who knows why the turkey thought this new roosting place was a good idea, they usually just fly up in the trees above the kennel. This one was probably younger, not used to the rules. I still feel bad that it had a violent death. Now we will never know the turkey's story. I do feel very loved, very protected, very much aware of how much my Pepper Roni just dove into action & the protective actions after it all.
