What image does the word “gobble” prompt in your mind?
Do you imagine a person eating without showing manners and skipping most of the chewing?
Or do you picture a bird from a children’s book and begin to imitate his sound?
This example of a relative of the latter was captured in a public garden. I wonder what she was eating that day. Were seeds on the menu? Or was she heading off to pick some berries? Insects and worms also need to be aware of where she pecks her beak. She’s not a fussy eater — a fact farmers and home gardeners alike sigh about.
Illinois is part of the natural range of the wild turkey. By 1851, the area near fictitious Elm Ridge was settled enough that the bird was becoming scarce. But I would expect farmers did enjoy a few which made it to the dinner table.
Polly Black, seamstress, selected her meat at the butcher shop. Hunting, even on the land of a friend, was an activity which she left to others. Check out the sweet historical romance, Stitching a Dream, to meet her friends — American and Deutsch. Here’s a link to find the book: https://amzn.to/3VwoeFh
