The Quack Shack

[Trimurtisan]

Once you get a pair that’s all you’ll want to wear! When it’s hot out it’s nice way to cool off and clean your shoes at the same time

I wore them in the kitchens, and at the end of the night we'd run them through the dish washer. It was amazing how much it cut down on the kitchen funk smell in the car and house. I wouldn't mind getting a pair now to work around here with. Maybe even a pair to just leave in the car for going to other poultry places.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good idea about having a separate pair when going to other poultry places since you can’t stay away from them. Hey how about your turkeys how are they doing?

 

[Trimurtisan]

Morning Everyone

Good morning.

Yes, about 3 times a year we do thanksgiving food to hand out, a soup kitchen, normally about 15-10 homeless people that go to that church will eat their. Our county is surprisingly packed with homeless people, most of which were veterans.

That's a nice thing of you to do. Regardless of the stats and demographics it's nice to help someone out when you can. Most people have time that can be donated if nothing else. My immediate area doesn't have an abundance of homeless folks, but most parts of Orlando do. If you're going to be homeless, a warm place is a good place to start.

When I lived and worked downtown Orlando, I was faced with many adventures with homeless people. Some good some bad, and then extremes of both sides. There was a young man named Pat that I befriended. I was 21 and he was 19. Pat was a big fella from Pittsburgh. He stood at 6'7" and close to 300#. This is part of my cooking career, so if there was a homeless person willing to work, I would pay them with a hot meal. Most of the times it would be helping with trash, cleaning floors, or something to help close the place down. That's how I met Pat, and Pat would work with a smile and show his appreciation for a good meal.

I'd see Pat time to time as I would hang out downtown a lot myself on my time off. He was always respectful and nice to the people he would panhandle. He always took no for an answer and the first time. You could see the shame in his eye to ask for a handout afterwards. He was just a kid, we both where, but he knew that's not where he belonged.

After a couple of months of him helping 3-4 times a week and talking for many hours we became friends. I never knew the full on reason why he was homeless, but he did tell me the reason he had not gone back home was he was scared of what his family would do/think.

Later in the year it was starting to get cold, and I asked Pat to move in. He was reluctant at first. Pat was a black guy who cam from a very racist family. Even though he wasn't, he was still conflicted by what he knew and what he believed.
"Nah man, it just ain't right."
"What's not right about it?"
"You know what my family would say if they knew I lived with a white dude in FL?"
"What would your family say if you lived under a bridge in FL?"
Long story shorter, Pat moved in. Turns out even a FL winter outside is to cold for a Pittsburgh guy to sleep out in.

He ended up getting on a bus to go home a couple of weeks before Christmas. He was terrified of his mom, but finally had enough of being homeless.

That's just one story of one extreme, but it is one of the better ones.

 

[Trimurtisan]

Patti, you asked how the turkeys are doing. They're still a bit skittish of me, so I didn't want to get too close to take pictures but here they are. They're okay with the Ducks being around them, but I think they're a little cautious of the chickens. The pictures were zoomed in and cropped, sorry if they're not that greatest equality.

 

[Trimurtisan]

This is Bella. She's the Bernese Mountain Dog we will be watching come this April, and potentially fostering later. She's a super sweet girl and very good with kids and small animals. She just likes a warm place to lay in the yard

 

[Miss Lydia]

Turkeys look right at home and love Bella. Thanks for sharing that story about Pat!

 

[Duck_life]

I wish I was in a warm yard like Bella. My Bella (Muscovy) Is standing like a statue in the snow

 

[Miss Lydia]

They look just like yard statues rain and snow I call it yard art! Poor things!

 

[Duck_life]

They look just like yard statues rain and snow I call it yard art! Poor things!

They rather stand out their in the cold than go shelter in the garage or under the porch.

 

[Trimurtisan]

Turkeys look right at home and love Bella. Thanks for sharing that story about Pat!

Bella's pretty cool. Her paws are giant. From pad tip to pad tip is almost as long as my wrist to finger tip. I've never seen her with a full coat but I bet it's massive.

The turkeys seem happy just hanging out in the back. I did get to see then eat a lot of fresh greens this morning. Still didn't go far, but filled up on vegetation. When I took the pictures they still had some feed in their dish. I spooked them walking up, but they didn't go spastic, just lots of gobbling.

I never heard from or of Pat again. I always hoped life got better whatever it was he was running from.