Happy Turkey Day???

Well wonders never cease! I finally became used to looking out my apartment windows last winter and seeing groups of deer wandering about looking for food, but I never would have guessed that I'd peer out my window one October afternoon only to find a pack of 5 TURKEYS strutting about my shared backyard! Is this common in New Jersey? This is going on my 5th year in Princeton and it is the first I've ever personally seen some wild turkeys walking around as if they owned the place. I mean, how cool is that? I remember learning in 8th grade American History (with good old Mr. Seaholm) that Ben Franklin loved the turkey and wanted it to be our national bird. In a letter to his daughter, Ben said he found the Eagle to be a bird quite lacking in character whereas "the Turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on." Hear, hear, Ben! Well put. Enjoy the pix!