Great News about Michael-Jackson-the-Turkey's Dad!

His human dad, that is.

The man who owns Michael-Jackson-the-Turkey lives in a nearby village. We became friends not long after I moved to Portugal mainly because we both love animals and I often saw him when I was out walking. Besides, anyone who names their pet turkey Michael Jackson because his wing feathers are so long he appears to moonwalk is definitely someone I want to be friends with.

(His wife is the one who gave me the goose eggs last spring, if you remember. They walk their pet sheep on a rope occasionally, so you may remember those photos, too. Especially from the time we thought it would be cool to introduce our two animals and their sheep scared Kiitos into hiding behind my legs when she stomped her hoof at him.)

Anyway, we happened to detour through their village for a change of scenery this evening and I’m so glad we did. I’ve been worried about this neighbor because he’s been waiting for 12 years for a kidney to become available so he could have a transplant and I’ve been nervous he would run out of time before that happened.

Tonight as we walked by their little farm, I saw him out working along side his wife and called out “Boa tarde!” (good evening) to them both. He straightened up, saw me and grinned.

“I got my kidney transplant!” he shouted over the wall. “Four months ago!”

I was thrilled for him. His face already looks healthier and better, and not just because he was smiling. We chatted for awhile before he returned to his gardening.

They say things take a long time here in Portugal, but they eventually do happen. I couldn’t be happier it turned out this way for him.