G's Own Private Buzzard

Buzzard--a most common scavenger bird often seen soaring over farms and increasingly over cities in the South and other parts of the country. It may also be called a Turkey Vulture.

They are often sighted in the tops of trees and structures hunching their backs and holding out their wings to sun or dry their feathers. 

An especially interesting specimen was sighted today in G's yard on the limb of a large cedar tree.

 The closer G came...the more foreboding it looked.  

But wait...there is something familiar about this particular buzzard...

I do believe it is a rare and special nonibuzzardisevanses.
G feels so privileged to have this bird land in her tree!

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord.  Psalm 127:3

Snoopy being a buzzard
(by C. Schulz)

Hunting Safari G's Style

G is not into killing creatures...so hunting is not her thing. But when there are little boys to entertain, there are some compromises that will work and with no bloodshed.  The game is simple but it works...Hunting Safari G-Style. 

Cut out/print off lots of pictures of game or predator animals and other creatures....hippos, buffalo, tigers, panthers, snakes, sharks, etc. etc. ad infinitum.

Mount the pics on squares of foam board, poster board, whatever is available and sturdy. All the better if you can attach skewer sticks to the back so the pics will stand up when you stick them in the ground...or you can just place them around wherever. 

Make sure you have a supply of "hunting weapons" readily available...sticks, bows and arrows, play guns...let them find their own. 

In this case, the weapons of choice were a stick and a "multi-purpose" rifle made from wood by Uncle Mike.

Without help from the "hunters," place the animal pics around the yard (or around the inside of the house--works there, too). Then let the hunters gather their weapons and you lead the hunting safari. 

Your hunters will know what to do when they encounter each creature...and you can talk it up as you go. (Watch out...here comes a charging buffalo!  Oh, no...it's a boa constrictor!") 

 Analyzing prints....

 Yep...its a huge deer.

The end of this wolf...or is it a coyote?

Fierce double buffalo!

Captured--two foxes at one time!
Its a good idea to gather up each pic as you go on the safari and "bag it"--saves re-walking the trail after your crowd is gone.
Of course, as soon as you find all of the animals, the next thing you will hear is....lets do it again!

 

Extra points for good form. 

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord.  Psalm 127:3