Thanksgiving Memories Oh, the crackling morning fire in that wonderful blue stove, the first snowfall of the season, chilly winds, up before dawn to utilize this perfect camouflage for the pursuit of the large breasted organic turkey that had stuffed its crawl with acorns throughout the plentiful fall harvest waiting to become our Thanksgiving dinner. Now it was time for the hunt. The sixteen gauge single shot shotgun lay dormant in the corner throughout the year just waiting for the glorious predawn adventure down the road, past the barn and over the cattle gate to crutch behind the old oak tree in the corner of the pasture. The turkeys would come every morning to fill up on acorns and the cautious old Tom would lay back until all was clear. I had to be patient and still for the turkey could see any movement from two hundred yards out. Come along big Tom, I could only think, for any sound would send this turkey into Christmas season. I could hear eight hens coming off their roost in the big white pine just beyond the meadow fence. I scouted them out the evening before and knew just where they would be approaching from. They lined up as usual one at a time pecking through the snow cover marching towards the oak tree. Then big Tom came off the roost and into the meadow with his long beard about touching the ground. He was in charge of these girls but he let them lead the way. But big Tom kept a coming, fifty yards, forty, thirty; I wanted him at twenty yards before I moved a muscle. He got within the canopy of the old oak and click; I cocked the gun, up his head shot from the ground. Boom, the smoke roiled from the barrel the feathers flew and hens headed towards the woods in mass and big Tom was now to be the center piece of the Thanksgiving celebration. Corey watched me clean and pluck the bird and declared the acorns to be hers for she wasn’t about to eat any meat no matter what day it was. Julie wanted the wish bone and Sean, of course, wanted the pumpkin pie. The drum sticks were tough as usual so Santa had the leg meat added to his bowl. Now the breast meat was a reddish brown in color and as tender and as tasty as could be possible; a wonderful holiday memory. Happy Thanksgiving, Love Dad Last Thanksgiving Corey asked the family to share their Thanksgiving Memories, so I created this hunter/gatherer tale. After much dialogue about the truthfulness of the tale, Corey revealed that she left the two white turkey that I was raising for the holidays free a week before one was to be slaughtered for Thanksgiving dinner. Wonderful Memories.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 16:22:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015