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Turkey hunting season is more popular each year in Idaho. If it weren't for North Dakota, Idaho would have very few wild turkeys. As it is, Fish and Game here in Idaho has made a deal with the state of ND to import wild turkey and they do well in the foothills of the mountains. One fellow I work with goes hunting every year.

WE ALMOST HAD WILD TURKEY ONE THANKSGIVING IN STANTON!
The way I remember it, the day before thanksgiving one year, I was outside in the yard about dusk when a large bird flew into one of the trees on the east side of our yard in Stanton, not far from the basketball hoop. I couldn't figure out what a bird of that size might have been doing at that hour of the night -- so I crept a little closer to the tree. Just about the time I thought I might be able to see what type of bird that was, the thing fell out of the tree and landed at my feet. I saw then that it was actually a wild turkey.

Before long Ken and probably Dan and our Dad found out what had happened and we stood around looking at each other then back down at the bird. By that time, we could see little tiny x's forming up on his eyeballs as we got down a little closer. About the same time the wheels began to turn in Ken's mind -- thinking that Thanksgiving was -- like the next day so since we had a wild turkey here, why not cook it for Thanksgiving!! Fat chance of that with the chef that typically managed our kitchen.

Regardless of what we knew would be certainly forbidden, Ken had the courage to announce that we were suddenly owners of a wild turkey -- which by that time we had verified had actually been mortally wounded by hunters -- had had enough stamina to make it from the woods up to the tree in our yard -- and since Thanksgiving was the next day -- we should clean the turkey and have it for Thanksgiving dinner. That was not the best idea. It met with considerable resistance from our kitchen staff.

Eventually, we found it best to just use one of the hunting knives we had in the garage to butcher the turkey rather than to spend our time talking -- even though full authorization for incorporating this special addition to the menu had not been received -- and prospects did not look good.

Once the bird had been cleaned, we could see nothing unhealthy about it. It wasn't like it had been dead for a day or two. Ken primarily felt that it deserved to be cooked and added to the menu. Full refusal from the kitchen staff seemed to prevail but eventually, probably by doing most of the work without sanction were were able to sneak a wild turkey into an oven-- but we could not find a way to use one of moms sacrosanct roasting pans for such a questionable bird.

That Thanksgiving, we were able to enjoy wild turkey along with our regular Thanksgiving meal Even though there had been a lot of discussion about the wisdom of incorporating something that arrived in the dark, fell out of the tree, we all enoyed the wild turkey!

UNCLE WALTER WILL JOIN US THIS YEAR IN BOISE
A half hour ago, I got off the phone with Uncle Walter. He called to tell me that he plans to come to Boise to join us for Thanksgiving. He'll come Nov. 20 and leave Nov 24.

In a telephone conversation last week, I had detected how alone he'd be feeling this year for Thanksgiving with no nuclear family in the northwest. He told me that his whole family will be together in NM for Christmas. I just invited him to come to Boise for Thanksgiving and tonight he called to accept the invitation. Andy, Molly, Pat, Greg, Laura will be with us here. Dinner for us will be at the Nelsons this year. Damon and Kay Lynn will be in CA. When they return Sat after Thanksgiving, there will be a few leftovers no doubt.

TomTom