The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

Periwinkle sat by the Teleportation Tunnel thinking about her sweet boyfriend, Stinky.  She started thinking back to all the fun times they have had and how they developed traditions over the years.  One of their favorites, visiting Walter and the Black Cats, had just passed and now they were on to another traditional adventure today.

With a rumble and a WOOOSH, Stinky flew out of the Tunnel and right into Periwinkle's waiting paws.  Giggling, whisker kissing and paw patting went on for quite a while.  The two tabbies were so crazy about each other and they cherished every minute they had together.  

Finally, Stinky asked what they were going to do that day (although he had a pretty good idea) and Periwinkle said they were going to another turkey farm to help save the turkeys!  Hopping into the Teleportation Tunnel, they headed out for today's Adventure.

When they arrived at their destination, they were a little confused by what they saw!!

They decided that this group had their own ideas on how to stay safe so they went on to see the others.  They had their bag of disguises with them to distribute to those who wanted them.

They quickly found the others and distributed disguises...

One of the turkeys came up to them and thanked them for his disguise and asked if they would like to learn more about turkeys.  Always interested in new things, both Periwinkle and Stinky said "Yes Please" in unison. 

Mr. Turkey went on to share these facts with them:

1. Only male turkeys gobble
Turkeys make a variety of different sounds such as “purrs,” “yelps,” and “kee-kees,” but the famous “gobble” call is only done by males during mating season. As a result, male turkeys are called “gobblers” while females are called “hens.”

2. Wild turkeys can fly. It’s a common myth that turkeys can’t fly (most likely because they feed on the ground), but wild turkeys have been known to fly up to 55 mph in short bursts.

3. Wild turkeys sleep in trees. Turkeys spend most of their time on the ground, but when it’s time to sleep, they fly up into trees. This is because turkeys can’t see well at night, and to protect themselves from predators, they roost at dusk and fly down at dawn.

4. They can change colors. Well, their heads do at least! You can tell a turkey’s emotions by the color of their heads. Colors can change from red to blue to white, depending on how excited or calm they are. The more intense the colors are, the more intense their emotions.

5. Their poop determines if they’re male or female (Both Periwinkle and Stinky said "EWWWWW" when they heard this.One certain way to find out if a turkey is male or female is by checking their droppings. A male’s poop will be shaped like the letter J, while the female’s is more spiral-shaped.

6. Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey to the bald eagle. While Benjamin Franklin did not advocate for the turkey as our National Bird, he did prefer them to bald eagles. In a letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin called the bald eagle “a bird of bad moral character” because they steal from other birds. He called the turkey a “much more respectable bird,” “a bird of courage,” and “a true original native of America.”

7. Turkeys can see better than humans. Among the more surprising facts about turkeys is that they have three-times better vision than humans. They can also see in color, and their eyesight covers 270 degrees.

8. Presidential pardons for turkeys started in 1989. It’s widely believed that the first presidential pardon for turkeys started when Abraham Lincoln’s son pleaded that the bird intended for Christmas dinner had a right to live just like any other creature, but it wasn’t until 1989 during George H.W. Bush’s administration that the official pardoning ceremony started.

The tabbies thanked Mr. Turkey for that great information and said they knew their followers would enjoy learning more about turkeys.

Soon it was time for them to head back to Periwinkle's house.  The turkeys thanked them again and, since it was Toon Tuesday, they shared some of their favorite cartoons!

As they waved goodbye, they saw one more turkey with a sign which made them laugh!

When they arrived at Periwinkle's house, her Mom drove them to the beach since Stinky wanted to see what it looked like since mean old Hurricane Nicole had visited.  Periwinkle surprised him with a picnic lunch and they laughed as they put on their own disguises.

Before Stinky left, they made a card for their friends since they wouldn't be at Periwinkle's house before Thanksgiving.

With a whisker kiss and a WOOSH, Stinky headed home in the Teleportation Tunnel.  Periwinkle fondly looked at her disguise and thought about how Thankful she was to have such a handsome and special boyfriend.