turkeys - pass it on

[Guest guest]

This is from another site that I to. I think everyone here would

enjoy this so I put this out for you guys to read :

Be Well.

Shari

 

About 18 months ago, right around Easter, I walked into my kitchen early one

morning, made a cup of coffee, sat down at the table to enjoy the quiet

before my son woke up, and then got a weird feeling that I was not alone.

Staring at me through a large window that looked out on the deck was a wild

turkey.

I lived in a rural area but my house was actually in a little subdivision,

on about an acre of land surrounded by woods. I went out on the deck and the

turkey retreated to the railing, watching me the whole time. She (I decided

it was a she because she was pretty small) made a sort of honking/squawking

sound at me, but stayed pretty close. I wondered where the rest of her group

was -- I assumed wild turkeys stayed together in flocks -- but I figured she

had wandered in from the woods and would soon be gone. But later that day I

noticed she was strolling around my yard. Over the course of the next couple

of weeks she would show up in the early morning, check out the kitchen

window, sit on the deck, wander around, and generally hang out with me, my

dogs,

my cats, my son, and my husband. She was companionable, staying close by if I

worked in the garden or sat out on the deck. At night she would sit on the

peak of the roof of my house or high up in a tree. Well, that darn turkey

hung around for six months, and was on my deck the day we moved out of the

house. A year later, I still miss that silly bird. We were moving only about

five miles, to a secluded house on about eight acres of land, and in a moment

of insanity I really considered catching the turkey and transporting her to

our new property. But I listened to the voice of reason -- my husband -- and

realized it would be wrong to mess around with nature. I left her behind.

 

I started a new job a few months ago and my route to work takes me past a

turkey farm. I always noticed the farm's sign but never really thought about

what was actually going on there. Then one day I idly turned my head as I

drove by, and noticed all the little bobbing heads in the screened windows of

the barn. I was horrified and thought immediately of my little wild turkey and

how intelligent and sensitive she seemed to be. I was really haunted by the

image of those turkeys in the barn's window. And now, every morning when I

drive by, I pointedly look away so I don't have to see those little birds. I

can't help thinking about the turkey who came to visit me and stayed for six

months.

 

I hate the commercial that Whole Foods is running now to advertise their

" delicious " turkeys. I hate the fact that people eat these delightful animals,

and that it's so much a part of the cultural heritage and history of our

country. I simply cannot understand how people can look at such a beautiful

and

vital creature and think of a lump of flesh in a roasting pan. I love the

spirit behind Thanksgiving, and I enjoy cooking and serving my own colorful,

creative vegetarian meal, but I am so sad about the killing of the turkeys. I

try to do my part to talk -- gently -- about some of the issues with my

nonvegetarian friends and family, and I realize that every little bit helps.

But

I'll never forget that morning when I walked into my kitchen and noticed that

scrawny little face staring at me through my window.

 

I'm sorry for the long ramble. I'm going to check out the Farm Sanctuary

program.