The Turkey Who Lived, the story of Azul as told by the girl who loved her most,
© 2004-2009 by Dee. All rights reserved.
She was a blue so light she was almost gray. Jim got her at Miller Feed Shop in Albuquerque’s north valley after first buying and then losing a white baby turkey to a hawk. That turkey, we were later told, would have eventually grown so big that its weight would have broken its legs.
But Azul was a lean heritage turkey. She was made to roam fields. And roam she did. She had an easy relationship with our dogs, who seemed to know that she was as much a part of the family as they were. And she was docile with the girls, which put me at ease. A man I once worked with told me that you should never have turkeys around small children, as the turkeys would see the kids’ shiny eyes and peck them out.
Azul became famous ’round these parts. We lived within walking distance to the elementary school, and my daughters’ teachers regularly took their classes on field trips to our house. Twenty or so excited kids would stand at the fence around the bird pen to see Azul and the other turkeys, along with our chickens and Roosevelt the duck. We even had two bunnies, Diamond-in-the-Rough and Snowball, which if we could catch (they burrowed tunnels from the pen out to the yard) we’d let the students pet.
But Azul’s fame derived mostly because she survived an attack so severe that her innards were exposed. She had flown into the neighbors’ yard, not knowing that their dogs were unfriendly. Immediately a Bassett Hound and German Shepherd cornered and jumped her. The daughter was inside alone but had the wherewithal to call the police. She then went outside and chased the dogs away from Azul until Animal Control arrived and took the wounded turkey to the village offices.
Normally, with injuries that grave, Azul would have been put to sleep. But when the mayor of the village saw our daughter, who with Jim had pulled in seconds behind Animal Control, crying her eyes out when she saw how gory Azul looked, the mayor ordered Frosty, the head dog catcher, to rush the turkey to a local veterinarian. This mayor, who was also a sometimes-actor in Western films, then told Jim that the village would pick up the cost.
Lo and behold, Azul pulled through. She went on to live a relatively long life, giving birth to and raising three or four poults, a combined 20 to 30 turkeys.
Just a couple of weeks ago, however, Azul went missing. We looked high and low for her. She was always the leader of her flock, until this past year. We were down to four turkeys, one being Azul. The two males had plucked out large patches of her feathers. We let her stay outside the pen, being as how she roosted high in the trees to sleep.
One night we heard a commotion and chased off whatever it was that had come around. The next day Azul was gone. There were no feathers, no sign that she’d been taken or hurt. We searched for her for several days, thinking she might have laid eggs underneath brush and was hidden, safe and sound.
We still like to think she just flew high up into the trees where we can’t see her. But she was old for a turkey, and in our hearts we know that she’s gone for good.
Here is the story that Dee wrote about Azul back in 2004, just a few weeks after Azul was attacked by the dogs. Dee was 8 years old, and Azul was just over a year. I’ve corrected typos for ease of reading.
The Turkey Who Lived
One fall day, my dad, M., and me were shopping at K-Mart. We got a lot of stuff. Finally we were headed for home. When we turned on Mockingbird Lane, we saw the Animal Control leaving the road. My dad had a feeling something was wrong!
When we pulled up at our green gate, my dad saw a note left from the Animal Control which read “Your turkey has been attacked by some dogs next door. Sincerely, Frosty.”
My dad told us and I cried, but then I said, “I’ll kill those dogs!”
We met up with them [Animal Control] just in time. Before my dad got out of the car, he said Azul might be dead or dying. While my dad talked I could not tell if Azul was dead or alive, so I got out of the van and went to my turkey and cried when I saw her.
“We will put her to sleep,” the man said. “No!” the mayor said, “you will take her to the vet.”
So they did. The vet stitched her up. We had to put red medicine on her for a week. Now she is better, as if it never happened.
Azul and her flock on red Ravine
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- Wild Turkeys Of Rioteague Island
- The Great Wild Turkey Experiment Is Failing
- Introducing (Drumroll) The Amazing Turkeys Wallenda
- Just Like A Warm, Fuzzy Lick (Almost)
- Happy Turkeys Day
- Turkeys Are Exhibitionists (And Other Things I’ve Learned From My Feathered Friends)
- Reflections On The Other National Bird
- Giving Thanks
- That Time Of Year Again — Turklets
Postscript: Even though she’s no longer with our flock, we are grateful this Thanksgiving holiday for having had Azul in our lives. She taught us that turkeys were not just some dumb bird you eat once a year. They’re regal and sociable. They’re funny, and most of all, they’re tough.
We’re also thankful today for our family (including the furry, feathered, and scaly), friends, our readers, for nature, writing, art, and all that inspires us.
Happy Thanksgiving, QM and Liz, and both your families!
yb, maybe the noise you all heard that night was Azul’s ascension into turkey heaven. That’s why you can’t find her yet.
Something tells me that you shouldn’t count the old bird out…yet.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family and to QM and her family (Happy T-Day, Liz) and to all the red Raviners in the world.
Time for some scalloped oysters.
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What a beautiful painting of a blue turkey – very sweet story too. Thanks, and have a beautiful Thanksgiving day.
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Bob, your scalloped oysters are a Thanksgiving Day hit, I think, given how many hits we’ve had on that post over the past week. Little did we know, there must be a whole portion of the population who eats scalloped oysters at Thanksgiving. Either that or you’ve started a trend. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving to you, Bob. I’m grateful for your friendship.
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lil, back at you, and tell Dr. L that we’re so grateful to you both for keeping us healthy and aligned. 8)
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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by red Ravine, red Ravine. red Ravine said: yb: This Thanksgiving, we say goodbye to our favorite pet turkey, Azul, who survived an attack by dogs years ago: http://bit.ly/4s7rsF […]
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yb, I will email my cousins and tell them that their Mom’s recipe has attracted a lot of attention. Who knew that scalloped oysters would be so popular?
Love the blue turkey. She does look blue in the photos. And I liked the simple, direct story that your daughter wrote. Writing must be an art form you all have developed in the kids. Good work.
Well, must prepare myself for the outside world and a Thanksgiving buffet.
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ybonesy, what a wonderful post! I love the drawing and the story of Azul. Be sure to tell Dee thanks for letting us post her work from a few years ago. Poor Azul. She’s been the star of red Ravine for almost 3 years. I miss her already. She really was a beautiful turkey!
Happy Thanksgiving, ybonesy, Miss Roma. I’m so grateful to have you in my life. And for this crazy endeavor we took up a few years ago, red Ravine.
Also grateful to all of our readers and those who have been our guests, family, strangers, friends, strangers who are now friends. All of it.
We are watching the Macy’s parade. Snoopy’s going by as we speak. And Tom Turkey, a float from the 1970’s, went by a few clicks ago. We are still thawing our turkey (don’t let any of your turkeys know). Won’t be long now though.
I’m going to call my family in a bit here. BTW, Liz talked to oliverowl this morning. Liz’s sister raised turkeys this year. They are having a 27 pound hand-raised and fed turkey this afternoon out in Wyoming. She’s your kind of people!
Liz’s Mom said she didn’t bond with any of the turkeys they raised, so she’s okay with dinner! For me, I’d have such a hard time having them for pets, then eating them. I guess I’m not much of a farmer. Happy Thanksgiving All!
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Bob, thanks for stopping by! I’m so glad you are in my life, my friend. Happy Thanksgiving to you. And those scalloped oysters are really a hit! (The banana pudding and scratch biscuits do pretty well this time of year, too.) Have a wonderful day and Thanksgiving buffet.
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Ybonesy – that’s one happy looking blue Azul in Dee’s painting, which is so lovingly and skilfuly painted. Also, Dee’s story is clear and shows just how much writing is a skill practiced and much encouraged in your family.
I am going to miss reading about Azul and hope, unleess she returns to you all soon, that she is safe in Turkey Heaven pecking and searching, enjoying the perpetual good weather.
Happy Thanksgiving to you . G
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ybonesy, can’t believe it but we just discovered that we don’t have a baster! Have to run to the dollar store and pick one up. Turkey is in the oven. Talked to some of the family; still have some phone calls to make. Oh, Captain Underpants float is flying by. We taped the parade while we were cooking. 8) (Happy Thanksgiving, G.)
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Happy Thanksgiving to Ybonesy and QuoinMonkey and all who visit Red Ravine!
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I love the story of your blue turkey! I am sending it along to Mia and Zoe who visited you and often told friends about all your animals, including turkeys — maybe they will remember having seen Azul.
How heart-warming to know there are people in public administration who have enough heart to try to save a beloved animal!
I hope Azul is having an exciting Thanksgiving in Turkey Heaven with new friends and no cranberry sauce!
Love and blessings to you all!
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That picture is so wonderful & I must say, this story brought tears to my eyes. How sweet to remember such a beautiful bird! D
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Lovely story, lovely painting. Thanks for sharing on this day of thanks.
Lisa
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Wow, is anyone else out there as exhausted as I am? The food was the best ever. I will be dreaming of it for days. I wish I could have eaten twice as much, just to hold me over.
Gaby and leslie, how great to hear from you, and Annelise, diddy, Lisa. QM, did you find a baster?
Enjoyed Beyonce’s special tonight, and wish I could stay up for Sir Paul, but I think the most I’m up for is reading in bed.
Hey, I should mention that Jim and Dee both think that Azul is still alive but sitting on eggs in some hidden location. It’s a feeling they have. I’m going to join their camp and believe it’s true.
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ybonesy, we went to the dollar store for a baster. It was open until 3pm. We also got a little Cass-Clay egg nog. Hmmm. It was great. Our turkey came out really well.
BTW, we were both exhausted yesterday. I like to think of the Holidays as partly a time to rest and take a little space from the ratrace. Guess I’m not into the shopping and hoopla that happens this time of year.
I hope Jim and Dee are right — that Azul is still alive. Maybe she is. And will show up again someday. She’s made it through a lot already. She’s one tough old bird.
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