Wild-turkey watching

We have been feeding the wild turkeys whose tracks we saw deeper in our woods. We chose a spot far enough from the house for comfort but close enough for observation (I am guessing we too are being watched).
Typically, we first get three turkeys that scratch the ground for a while, followed later by a lone turkey we named Ulric. After a bit of Internet digging, we realized that our lone turkey is a male (the other three also) and renamed him from Beatrice to Ulric. Not that he comes when called. Every day, he spends a few hours grazing. Yesterday, we opened the oven door which released a lot of hot air and caused our fire alarm to go off (yay, it works). The turkey continued eating, unfazed. I was able to take a few pictures without them running away (unlike deer who hate camera lens - survival skills? I figure as soon as they can't see our eyes, it means a shot will ring.)
I am enjoying the company, to my surprise. They are not invasive nor noisy. Pretty cool.

Old Friend

One of the other good things about my government job is that it is located within walking distance to where the Bookmobile hunkers down for a few hours on Tuesday. This means that I still have access to all the books from the Main Library. "Bookmobile" is a permanent appointment on my Outlook. I go on my lunch hour because it closes at 12:00. It is a 15-minute walk on a busy street with lunch-hour traffic - dusty, noisy and a forced walk so I can have a few minutes more choosing books.
I turn on to a side street and head into a strip mall. I start humming Chris de Burgh's "Old Friend" song and see the bus. It always brings a smile to my face. Therein lies a chance at happiness, treasures galore, non-stop surprises, and friendly staff. During the week, I reserve books I hear or read about. They lay waiting the next time I go. I bring back books and browse the elegant wooden bookcases. There is a selection of magazines, children's books, CDs and DVDs, French books, and a miscellanea of fiction and non-fiction (how big is this bus, anyway?). There is also a checkout counter. The whole thing is as elegant and functional as a boat. I love boating, on lakes, on the sea and on the ground. It's all good.

Not Zen

I learned something about myself the other day.
I had put aside a day for my mom. I had agreed to drive her around, run errands with her, drop her off for lunch with friends and pick her up later. In the meantime, I was going to get my hair cut, lunch with friends and, after I dropped her off, visit another friend.
First thing anybody but me would notice - I am overbooked if I try and follow that schedule. But that is what I do: I pack lots of things in one day.
So... back to my story. I was waiting at the bank for my mom to do her banking. She was standing in line and I was sitting by the door, bored. So I decided to phone some friends on my nifty cell phone. That's when I had my epiphany: I can't stand to be bored! Now, the fact that I never noticed this before smacks of low self-awareness. Somehow, I have made myself believe I am zen. I don't go around like a chicken with its head cut off. But... that's because of circumstances beyond my control. I often carpool so I don't have the luxury of wheels. I live too far from work so I don't bike in - no wheels. I am cheap so I don't do much or spend much. I live far from where I live so I don't tend to hang around town where temptation lurks at every corner.
I am not much of a consumer in Ottawa. But when I head for Montreal, I feel on vacation and spend and swirl until there's no tomorrow! And act like a headless chicken.
First step is acknowledging the weakness - I am a sucker for distraction. Second step is to do something about it. I will strive for mindfulness. We'll see if that leads anywhere.