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I Could Have Gone To Safeway, But No-oh!

By
Real Estate Agent with RLAH@properties AB95346

Every Tuesday before Thanksgiving, after the office meeting and brokers' tour, I head out Colesville Road to Fulton Maryland to Maple Lawn Farm to get my turkey. 

The birds lucky enough to grow up at Maple Lawn lead pretty good lives.  Their avian condo units are quite spacious.  They get to scratch around the ground looking for worms. and the food (other than the worms) is pretty good, too.

But not that wonderful.  These guys appear to be the sole survivors of a recent massacre.

And I walked out with a 20 pound bird who, until just hours before, was alive and clucking.  Talk about fresh! 

So on Thursday, in the wee hours of the morning, this bird goes into my oven and hours later I will serve it to my mom, my vegetarian sisters, one of whom will eat it, and a couple of token carnivores who are joining us.

Martha Brown
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403 - Annapolis, MD
Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent

Yikes...not sure I could go to a turkey farm and buy one. Something about seeing them walking around and then handed over all plucked and in a bag. Thats toooooo fresh for me. LOL

Nov 24, 2009 02:41 PM
Steve Shatsky
Dallas, TX

Hi Pat... Hopefully yours is like the ones on the left of your post and not the one on the right!  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Nov 24, 2009 02:58 PM
Liz Moras Migic
Chilliwack, BC
Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor

I think the hardest day of the year to be a vegetarian is Thanksgiving! :-)

Nov 24, 2009 03:29 PM
Sun City Grand Homes Surprise AZ Real Estate Leolinda Bowers Designated Broker Leolinda Realty
Leolinda Realty - Surprise, AZ
Sun City Grand in Surprise Arizona

My previous employer would give employees a fresh turkey every Thanksgiving.  I always gave it away because of the same thought, it was walking around a few hours before. 

Have a great Thanksgiving Day with your family.

Nov 24, 2009 03:44 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Pat,

I hope you have a great thanksgiving, although the bird will not.

Nov 24, 2009 03:51 PM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

That's like going to a restaurant and being shown the live lobster before they drop it screaming into boiling water.  Oh, Pat!

Nov 24, 2009 03:52 PM
Paula Swayne
Dunnigan, Realtors, Sacramento (916) 425-9715 - Sacramento, CA
Realtor-Land Park, East Sac & Curtis Park -Dunniga

Hi Pat!
While I know fresh is best, I don't think I could eat the turkey that I had seen alive! Sorry!

Nov 24, 2009 03:54 PM
TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN
Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

20 pounds is a good sized bird. Looks like you are going to have plenty of left-overs...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours ☺☺☺

Nov 24, 2009 08:27 PM
Marcia Hawken
WILLIAM RAVEIS - Naples, FL
Naples Luxury Specialist

I don't know who I would blindfold, the turkey, or ME when it was killed.  Enjoy.  I know it will be tasty!

Nov 24, 2009 08:44 PM
Andrea Swiedler
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - New Milford, CT
Realtor, Southern Litchfield County CT

20 pounder huh? Wow, that is a lot of turkey. Good for you! Fresh is best... what can I say! Hmm... I bet between the skinny bitches and all that food you should have some good leftovers...

Nov 24, 2009 09:45 PM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

I'm glad you are enjoying your Thanksgiving - preparing a lovely meal for your family.....

Nov 24, 2009 09:52 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Token carnivores? (LMAO) You are friggin' AWESOME! Enjoy the holiday with your loved ones (LOL). ;-)

Nov 24, 2009 10:49 PM
Gerry Michaels
Glasswork Media Arts - Gettysburg, PA
GettysburgGerry Social Meida

That is a great idea, I live close enough to try this out next year, thanks for the info and have a great thanksgiving

Nov 25, 2009 12:03 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Pat:  I bet your turkey tastes better than any of ours.  As for me, I couldn't do it.  I couldn't drive to a farm when I saw the sole survivors and still eat turkey on Thanksgiving.  I'm be a Thanksgiving vegetarian.  My Mom was a farmer's daughter, not me.  I'm a city girl.

Nov 25, 2009 02:31 AM
Claude Cross
Homes By Cross, Inc. - Charlotte, NC
Charlotte NC Homes For Sale

Pat - Im amused by some of the comments here. Who knew turkeys didn't come from grocery stores. We have many turkey farms here in North Carolina. I fried a fresh bird last year and it was wonderful. I haven't had time to get e fresh one this year, so it looks like we will settle on a grocery store bird. Happy Thanksgiving

Nov 25, 2009 04:06 AM
Carol Hamilton
Prudential Ambassador - Omaha, NE
Prudential, Real Estate, Omaha, NE

Pat, that turkey sounds like it will be fantastic!  Enjoy your cooking and your holiday.

Nov 25, 2009 05:06 AM
Jim Frimmer
HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA
Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

I know we all have to eat, and that food comes from somewhere, but I just cannot fathom going out and picking out a live animal and 30 minutes later walk out of the place with a dead animal in my arms. I would never have made it in the Wild Wild West unless I had a ranch hand to do all the killing.

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours!

Nov 25, 2009 09:56 AM
Jane Cross
Homes By Cross serving Charlotte NC Real Estate Needs - Charlotte, NC

Pat, My sister and I were in charge of plucking after my Mom would drop them in to boiling water for a few minutes to soften it up...the fun part was watching the bird dance, after it's head had been lobbed off with an ax at the chopping block behind the grainery barn. Hence the saying, dancing like a chicken with its head cut off! We had the true farm...pigs, chicken, sheep, cattle, horses, ducks and turkeys! Enjoy your bird! Oooo...the memories!

Nov 25, 2009 11:05 AM
Janice MacMillan
ERA Joyner Realty - Valdosta, GA
Associate Broker

Twenty pounts?!?! I don't think my dinky little oven would even hold a 20 pound turkey. LOL Have a wonderful Thanksgiving day and enjoy your family.

Nov 25, 2009 11:36 AM
Tom Braatz Waukesha County Real Estate 262-377-1459
Coldwell Banker - Oconomowoc, WI
Waukesha County Realtor Real Estate agent. SOLD!

Pat

Good sized bird; have a  great and Happy Thanksgiving.

Nov 25, 2009 01:49 PM