Peevish Pen

Ruminations on reading, writing, genealogy and family history, rural living, retirement, aging—and sometimes cats.

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Location: Rural Virginia, United States

I'm an elderly retired teacher who writes. Among my books are Ferradiddledumday (Appalachian version of the Rumpelstiltskin story), Stuck (middle grade paranormal novel), Patches on the Same Quilt (novel set in Franklin County, VA), Them That Go (an Appalachian novel), Miracle of the Concrete Jesus & Other Stories, and several Kindle ebooks.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Buzzard Business

The leisured buzzard floats upon the breeze,
Riding a crescent cloud for endless hours . . . 


When I returned home from Rocky Mount about noon on Friday, I saw a flock of black buzzards across the road. 


I wondered what they were doing, so I walked over to take a look. Odds were good they were eating something, but what?


I didn't go all the way into their midst. I just went close enough to see if they might be chowing down on a critter I might know. It looked like they might have a possum corpse—or possibly a raccoon. I didn't go close enough to see for sure, but it looked like the remains of a wild critter. 


When they saw me, some took flight. They're lovely and graceful in flight, ugly when you see them close up.


But they soon returned to finish their repast. Buzzards—or vultures to city folk—perform a necessary service by cleaning up carrion. Otherwise, it would rot.

This flock did what it had to do and then moved on. 

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2 Comments:

Blogger Greener Pastures--A City Girl Goes Country said...

That's how I found my old cat Hobbes, who had died. Once I saw the buzzards circling, I knew before I even got out there.

11:24 PM  
Blogger CountryDew said...

We always check when we see them circling, too, especially if they are near the cows.

2:28 PM  

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