Why Did the Turkey Cross the Road?

It's a good thing that I'm not as high strung as Kevin is.  He's already stated plainly that he will not, repeat WILL NOT, be in the car with any of our teenage drivers.  I agreed wholeheartedly and felt a bit at peace knowing that he knows his limits. 

Unfortunately, that leaves me as the designated drivers education subsitute teacher.  And suprisingly, I'm fairly calm and I don't clutch the handles or gasp too terribly often.  The few excursions I've had with Rachel have been pretty good.

I don't understand why, but she's not all that pumped about driving.  She was a month shy of her 16th birthday before she got her permit...which was 5 months too late in my book.  And she's always saying "nah" when I say "hey, why don't you drive?"

So when she asked to go to Kathryn's today and I whined that I was tired, she pulled a fast one on me.  "If I can go to Kathryn's, I'll dryyyyy-ive."  Fine, whatever.

Now, Kathryn lives on a farm off of country roads.  Fairly empty, but I'm a bit cautious about how country road drivers can fly down the middle of the road on the upside of a hill, unbenownst to me.  So that's what my mind was focused on as we rolled up and down the country road.

Then I saw the turkey.  Just strolling across the street.  He was on the other side, headed toward our lane.  It took a moment to register, because, yes, I know this is a country road, but I would have expected to see a cow or a horse on the road first.  It's not everyday you see a wild turkey just strolling about.

"Rachel, slow down."

She didn't.

"Rachel!  Slow down!"

She taps the brakes and slows a wee bit.

"SLOW DOWN!  THAT IS A..."

"I see it!  I'm slowing down!  Stop yelling at me!"

Meanwhile the turkey has made its meandering way to our lane.  And I wasn't sure if she was thinking he would just take to flight like sparrows or blackbirds do but in my book, she was about to hit the dern bird.

She slams the brakes and I can almost hear the teenage indignation that a) the turkey didn't move out of her way and b) mom was right after all.

The turkey strolls off the road and I sigh.  And then I realize she's at a dead stop on the down slope of a hill on a country road.

"Get moving!  Drive!  You can't just stop the car on the road!"  I'm sure I didn't sound nice and pleasant then.

"All right!  Stop yelling!  Was that a turkey?"

Fact:  teenage drivers with their permits will come to a dead stop regardless of traffic if a turkey is on the road.  God help us all when she crosses paths with the turtles on the road.