Turkey the Turtle Takes a Trip

"Hello and good day to you, Mr. Fox,"
Turkey said on his way to the mailbox.

Mr. Fox replied, "Hello and good day to you too,"
as Turkey noticed an envelope all in blue.

Turkey ripped open the letter to see
what it could be. It read...

"Oh boy! This is the letter I’ve been waiting for,"
Turkey shouted as he rushed back to his front door.

To prepare for his trip, there is much to be done.
But making a checklist is step number one.

Turkey sat in his chair, turned on the light,
picked up his pencil, and began to write.

I'll need a bowtie, to shine my shell,
a pair of red shoes, and a new swimsuit as well.

Plus, I'll need sunblock and my blue baseball hat.
Hmmm, now I wonder where my sandals are at?

In case it gets cold, I'll need a warm jacket.
And just for fun, I'll bring my tennis racket.

I'll pack plenty of socks and some extra underwear.
And I must not forget the stuff I need for my hair!

Last but not least, an airplane ticket is what I'll need, along with a few good books to read.

I think that's all I have to do.
Oh, wait-I need someone to take care of you!

With his plans laid out and checklist complete,
Turkey went to go shopping down on Main Street.

The first place Turkey stopped was a store called Lou's so he could get a new bowtie and a pair of shoes.

Then Turkey headed next door to buy a
new swimsuit at the sporting goods store.

For a treat, he got his shell shined at Jack's
where he always uses the best turtle wax.

The last thing Turkey did was call his friend Kay, and he told her about the family reunion in May.

"I'm wondering if you could you give me a ride to the airport, and can you also feed my pet goldfish Mort?"

"I would be happy to" was Kay's reply. "Just tell me exactly when you plan to fly."

After a month had passed since receiving the invite, now it was time to get ready for his flight.

Turkey got out his suitcase and started to pack. In went his socks, underwear, and bowtie that was black.

Next he packed the sunblock, his swimsuit and dress shoes. Then his hat, sandals, and a book about kangaroos.

To get through airport security, Turkey needs to pack wise. Especially making sure his shampoo and soap are travel size.

Finally, Turkey neatly folded and packed away his jacket, leaving just enough room for his favorite tennis racket.

Wanting to make sure nothing was missed,
Turkey double—checked his packing list.

With his bags, airplane tickets, and ID ready to go,
all Turkey had to do was wait for Kay to show.

Kay arrived to pick up Turkey exactly at four.
And off to the airport they went with a roar!

Arriving early because they had taken the quickest way, Turkey grabbed his suitcase and said goodbye to Kay.

Inside the airport, Turkey found the gate on the sign. Then he went to go wait in the security line.

Because it was taking so long for his turn, Turkey started to feel a wee bit concerned.

Then, finally...

NEXT!

Yelled the security man.

Up stepped Turkey with his ticket and ID in hand.

After checking to make sure that the documents
were right, the security man said...

"Everything looks good—have a safe flight."

Next, Turkey had to go through the security X-ray.
He took off his shell and put all metal items in a tray.

Turkey's suitcase went into the bag inspector.

While Turkey got to walk through a metal detector.

Gathering up all his items, Turkey headed off to the gate.
There he sat down, got out his book, and began to wait.

"It’s time to board," a flight attendant started to say. "Please have your airplane ticket ready at the doorway."

After stowing his luggage in the overhead bin,
Turkey put on his seat belt and sat back with a grin.

He was feeling nervous and excited all mixed into one, but Turkey knew that this trip was going to be fun.

All was ready once everyone took their seat,
and the safety instructions were finally complete.

As the airplane taxied onto the runway, the pilot announced "Prepare for take off" over the PA.

Looking out the window, Turkey thought, wow, what a sight! You can see everything from this height.

Over there is Main Street and beyond that, Turkey's school. And look just to the right, there's the neighborhood pool.

As the airplane went higher and higher into the sky, Turkey couldn't believe how much fun it is to fly.

To help pass the time on the flight, Turkey got out his kangaroo book and read with delight.

Checking his watch Turkey noticed it was almost noon. And just then the pilot announced they would be landing soon.

Turkey double-checked that his seat belt was tight, his tray table was closed, and his seat back was upright.

Exiting the airplane and happy the flight went well, Turkey now needed to get a taxi to the hotel.

Turkey checked in and went to unpack his suitcase, putting on his bowtie and splashing a little water on his face.

Walking through the door, Turkey saw his mom, dad, and big brother Drew. Then came his grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and cousins, too.

As Turkey said hello to his family, a feeling inside him grew and grew and grew...

It's the feeling of being around the ones who love you.

The End.

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Turkey the Turtle Takes a Trip
Pictures and Words by Nathan Waak
Edited by Beth Adamo

Dedicated to Angela

Copyright ©2018 by Nathan Waak

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.