Old Fools Journal: A Gift From the Sky

It has been a long time since I have seen my desk this clear. Never mind that there is a pile of paper immediately to the right that needs attention (mostly trash). I am presenting this to show the writing instrument that I am currently using. It is made from a feather from a Turkey Vulture, colored rubber bands and the innards of a ball point pen. It is resting in a antique inkwell. If it is not antique it is at least very old.
The feather was left in my garden by a vulture flying over, I believe, as I have never seen one land here. They don't land during the day unless there is something dead and we don't keep many dead things lying about. They have poor night vision so they roost in trees at night and this one may very well have roosted in one of our trees. The Turkey Vulture is a large (up to six foot wingspan) magnificent bird and one of the most efficient birds in flight. It flies with absolute minimum effort. It can land to eat a dead field mouse and return to the air with a net gain of energy. It lowers it's body temperature at night to conserve energy and in the morning spreads it's wings to dry and regain body temperature. It can tolerate many times more botulism than other birds that will eat about anything (like pigeons) and be comfortable. It has a sense of smell attuned to the decay of death, that is, it can smell the gases produce by a corpse form thousands of feet away very shortly after death.
Don't think badly of them because they eat dead decaying things. Humans do that as well. Everything we eat is is dead, except for oysters, and we hang meat to age (decay) so it will be tender. We are not so different.

They do not just fly for business either. I have seen them flying thousands of feet in the air not looking for something dead but flying for the pure joy of flying. I have in my life seen only one other bird that is their equal at soaring without flapping a wing and that is the albatross and maybe the pelican. I personally have seen albatrosses follow a ship for weeks without moving a wing (that I saw) or landing. I have in the last ten years had many close encounters with Turkey Vultures. They pay no attention to noisy airplanes and will only get out of your way when they are within inches of death, yours and theirs. With a flick of a wing they are then gone leaving you with a near heart attack. Bastards. As you can see I have a love, hate relationship.

I am honored by this gift and I would not think badly of them if I died in my garden and they came and ate me.