Them Thar're Buzzards!

Today I saw buzzards ... honest to god ugly ass buzzards.

No, they weren’t circling over me as I lay dying ... they were hovering over the unfortunate squirrel flattened on the road.

"Sharondarella, where in the world did you encounter BUZZARDS?"

I am so glad you asked! I was in Woodbridge doing work related gas guzzling in my SUV when I turned a corner in a residential area and saw these enormous black shapes.

I stared and stared, and finally had to remove my sunglasses because I could not make myself comprehend just what I was looking at. They were the size of my dog, black as pitch, with long legs, hunchy shoulders and WINGS! And let’s not forget the frightening red, wrinkly faces. I know now where the makeup artists got their inspiration for Freddie on Nightmare on Elm Street.

When I got too close, one of the ugly beasts picked up the squirrel and attempted to carry it in his craw as he gallumphed across the street. Unfortunately he dropped his squirrel, but he kept going to get out of the way of my oncoming vehicle. I slowed down because I sure as hell didn’t want to hit THAT, but I was still moving, so it was good that he’d moved. I slowed even further to watch the ungainly birds hop around on their knarly feet, rolling their beady eyes at me and shrugging their shoulders.

I watched them in my rear view mirror because I didn’t want them following and because I was still in shock ... I thought buzzards only appeared in Westerns, not slightly to the South of Northern Virginia ... This was an experience I don't need to repeat anytime soon!