They're Here!!!

The turkeys have landed!

More pics tomorrow, I promise.

Waiting for Turkeys...

We're all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Blossom and Tinkerbell... tick tock, tick tock. Should be anytime now. To distract myself, I'm posting some pictures for you.

The feast that awaits Blossom, Tinkerbell, and the chickens and ducks.

Hazel and Otis

The other night, Carlos drew a face for the first time. Can you make out the eyes, nose, mouth, and hair? (The hair is just that oval on the forhead.) Too cute.

Countdown to Thanksgiving - 7 Days Left!

Well, today is the big day - our turkeys are arriving! I'll be sure to post lots of photos later this afternoon after we get them settled or first thing tomorrow morning. For today's installment of my Thanksgiving countdown, I thought I'd tell you a bit about our new turkeys' life so far...

Rescued after a Northwest Airlines cargo disaster that claimed the lives of more than 9,000 turkeys, 11 poults found refuge at Farm Sanctuary's California shelter in August of 2006 (including our turkeys, Blossom and Tinkerbell). The fragile babies were victims of improper and neglectful transport (sadly, not out of the ordinary in the poultry industry) on a harrowing flight from Detroit to San Francisco. Destined for a massive breeding facility, the peeps who perished in flight likely overheated, dehydrated, and then suffocated - an all-too-common fate for birds ordered from hatcheries and shipped via postal mail and as cargo aboard airlines to breeders and producers throughout the country.

Upon their arrival at the sanctuary, they spent their first days exploring the surroundings of their new home with wide eyes, picking at the straw bales, and scratching at the floor. Their curiosity was in full force when they first arrived, as they attempted to hop on top of the bales, only to realize that they were still too young and small for these athletic maneuvers. They ate and drank heartily and spent their first night huddled together cozily in our hospital. By their curious and active demeanor, one would never assume the harrowing events that led them to the shelter.

Blossom and Tinkerbell have spent the last two-plus years with their turkey pals and dedicated caretakers at the sanctuary, getting all of the love and care they so deserve. Now they are ready to begin a new chapter of their lives here at our house, and we can't wait to meet them!

Duck Pics of the Day

Today's featured animal is... { drum roll please }
Polly Wolly Doodle!

Polly is a funny guy. He's very gawky - he reminds me of the duck from the movie, Babe.

He has the softest feathers (although we don't get to enjoy petting them too often, since he doesn't really like to be held), and they always look so pristine.

Polly had a rough time when we first brought him home - our original two ducks were very mean to him. But now he's totally part of the pack.

Countdown to Thanksgiving - 8 Days Left!

This is the first of an eight-day series leading up to Thanksgiving; I'll be posting interesting facts and anecdotes daily about turkeys and turkey rescue, as well as the occasional Thanksgiving menu suggestion. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into the world of our beautiful turkey friends. :-)


Today's turkey factoids (and the photo above) are courtesy of Farm Sanctuary.

Do turkeys make good companions?
Anyone who has spent time with turkeys will tell you that they are very friendly, social, and sensitive animals with desires and needs all their own - just like more common family companions, such as cats and dogs.

Is it true that turkeys are dumb?
There is a tendency for people who eat turkeys, or other animals, to perceive "food animals" as unworthy or undeserving of respect and compassion. One way for people to rationalize their choice to eat animals is to dismiss these beings as dumb. There is even a rumor that turkeys are so dumb that they will look up in the rain and drown. This claim is ridiculous and false. Farm Sanctuary has cared for turkeys for more than 20 years, and when it rains, the turkeys go inside their barn. No one who works at Farm Sanctuary has ever seen a turkey drown in the rain.

And finally, today's Thanksgiving recipe suggestion is Fat Free Vegan's Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake. I've made this incredible pie twice and it is truly divine - a perfect blend of creamy cheesecakey goodness and rich pumpkin. Yum!

New Stuff

Garnet, Afghan blue tourmaline, California green tourmaline, and recycled sterling silver pendant

Druzy quartz & recycled sterling silver ring
{ custom order; sold }

The latest incarnation of the ring I posted the other day
(I added six tiny little flush-set moissanites around the sides.)
Do you like it better with the little stones or without?

Chicken Pic of the Day

Confession time... I often can't tell apart our three white chickens. It was easier during the summertime when they were dry - for some reason Cally's tail feathers always looked dirtier and more raggedy than the other two, but these days during the rainy season, they all look pretty ragged. So I will just venture a wild guess and say this is Abby, but truly, who knows... maybe I should make them some little ID bracelets. :-)