Ziggy Meets His Match at Shaker Village ...

So it's THIS guy, Fat Tom Turkey!

Here's a quick video of the beginning just before this encounter,  which includes the lady that can be heard here  ...

We didn't get a full video of him because Ziggy went nuts!

He was okay with him until he waddled over to me. 

So here's what happened ...

So Fat Tom Turkey decided he wanted to puff up and park himself the middle of the gravel-covered service road so that he could be admired by everyone, like a peacock! 😂

You'll notice a lady saying "You got to go" on video (meant for the turkey, not us).

She started yelling at him, then tried to chase him, but quickly stopped, realizing Fat Tom is afraid of nothing.  😂

He never became aggressive -  he just refused to move!

She finally said "Somebody throw something at him!"

At this point, I thought to myself "B----, you throw something at that beautiful turkey, and I throw something at YOU"  😂... but alas, I did not say that. 

I simply talked softly to him, saying stuff like "Oh, you're very beautiful!  Come and let me see?"  - and he waddled over out of the road!

Poor, gentle thing just wanted to be admired and some attention. 🥹

Just goes to show you how much more effective a kind word is than aggression, right?

Aggression begets aggression.

However, Ziggy was not having it. 

Like I said, he was okay with Tom, until he waddled over to me - then he started going nuts! 

Mark was holding Ziggy back, but he would bark and the turkey would gobble back - they had like a whole conversation! 😂

Well, I do need to say that first, some guy with camo on, clearly a hunter, came over and said "Do you need some help getting him away?"

I said, "No, I'm good, he just wants some attention, he's all puffed up because he wants to be admired, not threatened. Notice he's not aggressive, just curious.  My dog will be okay, he just thought the turkey might hurt me, but I'm showing him it's okay, but thank you."

The guy says "Yeah, come Thanksgiving time, buddy, all of this gonna end."

Me:  "Oh nooooo! 😂He's too beautiful and gentle, he's like a pet here!"

Fat Tom was scared of nothing anyway!

He was just curious and wanting to be fussed over, which we did, and then he waddled over to some other admirers who fussed over him, and he turned in a slow circle and strutted, so we walked away -  crisis averted! 

Now, I realize that this guy thought he was being a gentleman and was trying to help me, and the woman was trying to help drivers and walkers in the gravel-covered park service road, but I'm thinking they need to go hang out with Kristi Noem.

Because it's not an actual road, it's a park service path, used mostly as a walkway for visitors - so what, if it's a few minutes of inconvenience - life isn't all about US and animals serving OUR needs!

And perhaps we should all take a moment and admire the beauty of nature - isn't that why we're there?

I know, I'm a big fat hypocrite because I eat turkey at Thanksgiving, but there's no way I could kill my own pets, and worse, eat them -that's monstrous!

Well, all's well that ends well - and long live Fat Tom Turkey!