Thanksgiving with the Turkeys…and company.

I know I’m a week late, but when you’re talking baby animals, better late than never. (Full disclosure: there are only two baby animals. The rest are adults.) I refer, of course, to Poplar Spring’s Thanksgiving with the Turkeys, that annual celebration of cruelty-free food and interspecies companionship. The weather was perfect, the food plentiful, and the animals (mostly) happy to see us. Because I am a lazy vegan, I made cornbread. Other people made insanely intricate dishes, rigging up crock pots and even a microwave, but Red and I mostly went for the cold stuff. Even after we split up and scavenged different tables, we still weren’t able to taste everything. And desserts? Please. I had no room left. Except for the rich chocolate-mint pie. If you made that or know who did, please please please send me the recipe. I’ll bake you biscotti as a thank-you.

The goats and sheep were pretty meh about human company. The pasture was closed this year—maybe they were given too many treats last year? Too many nosy humans? Either way, they seemed happy to keep to themselves.

Eh, I guess you can scratch my ears.

Several enterprising roosters went after the food before it was put down for them. Way to look out for #1, guys.

There was nothing on that table I wouldn't have eaten myself.

The turkeys were in fine form, strutting and preening. Opal, as usual, accepted all the love and pets people were willing to give her. I doubt she was without company all day.

Top: Opal holding court. Bottom: small human, large turkey.

This handsome fellow is Morty. He and his brother Izzie have lived at Poplar Spring since they were a day old (he’s about eight weeks here). They crashed the potluck and, as you can see, Morty made the most of his opportunity. Invisible Voices has chronicled Morty’s and Izzie’s lives at Poplar Spring, and the videos are enough to make you die of cute. If you’d like anyone in any of these photos identified, she’s the one to do it. I feel bad not knowing all their names, but I’m sure they probably don’t mind. You should just go look at her photos anyway, since she takes really good ones. We were using Red’s camera (aka our good one) but…yeah, hers are way better.

Om nom nom.

A sika deer came to join the party. We saw two or three—either they were born inside the sanctuary fence, or they hopped over. If they were born there, I suppose they’ll jump the fence when they’re big enough and/or so inclined. Being a deer in a farm animal sanctuary seems like a pretty sweet life to me.

Camouflage.

I found myself weirdly fascinated by geese feet.

There was a swan.

Before we left, I walked out to the far pasture where the mules and horses and a few cows were hanging out. I made friends with Darcy, a sweet blind horse. A woman about my age was trying to feed him an apple, but she was so nervous she asked me to do it. I showed her how, and in three bites the apple was no more. Red didn’t come with me, so there are no photos, but I loved meeting Darcy and nuzzling his soft nose. His friend Tally wears a bell so Darcy knows where he is and can get his bearings.

Red took many more photos—check them out here. I can’t wait until next year’s celebration!