The Bejarana's

Another year is almost done!  Thanksgiving is here and it is time to eat!  For a big guy like me, this is always a fun time of year, well maybe not for the turkey?  Do we ever stop and think about the poor creature millions of us consumer every November 24th?

Here is what eNature has to say about the Wild Turkey:

Although the Wild Turkey was well known to American Indians and widely used by them as food, certain tribes considered these birds stupid and cowardly and did not eat them for fear of acquiring these characteristics. By the end of the 19th century, the Wild Turkey had been hunted almost to extinction in much of its original range. Now, with protection, restocking programs, and the return of the mature forests favored by turkeys, this species is making a marked comeback. It is now common in areas where it was totally absent a few decades ago. Turkeys are swift runners and quite wary. They often roost over water because of the added protection that this location offers. They are polygamous, and the male gobbles and struts with tail fanned to attract and hold his harem.

The Turkey is only one of only two domesticated birds that originated in the New World.  The Muscovy Duck is the other.

In 2006, the USDA estimated that there were 262 million Turkey’s raised in the US and about 1/6th of them were consumed on November 24th.  Each year PETA and several vegetarian organizations speak out against this American tradition and this year is no different.  Here is a link to the GoVeg.com site’s Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Turkeys.  While I support the rights of Americans to protest, this is one message I will NOT take to heart.  Instead, I plan on taking the turkey to stomach again this year!  Not being cruel, just exercising my rights as an American citizen to EAT what I want.  Darn I drifted political again…sorry.

On this Thanksgiving Day, Kay and I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ed & Kay Bejarana