Gerald the turkey and why you should flock downtown this weekend

My friend Cathy has been keeping us all entertained with updates on her neighbor, Gerald the Turkey, who wandered into Appleton’s bustling northside about a year ago and, understandably, never wanted to leave.

One of the most hospitable people I know, Cathy owns and keeps stocked and comfortable Appleton’s first Little Library, complete with a bench and shade tree. So, it came as no surprise to any of us that she, a very recent empty nester, has been mother-henning Gerald since she first spotted him strolling down her street.

We followed along on Gerald’s adorable adventures, playing peek-a-boo with the mailman, racing cars and napping on sunny front lawns. Cathy’s cheerful updates gave us all a reason to smile.

Gerald never meant to hurt anyone, but the truth is that city life is not very accommodating to a fearless gobbler and, because he is game for anything (though hopefully not anybody), he Dennis-the-Menaced himself into some awkward situations. (He stared down a siren-screaming ambulance and refused to budge in one dicey instance). Eventually, Cathy’s updates took a turn.

“Does anyone have a weighted fishing net?” she posted, hoping to relocate her four-foot-tall, 25-pound pal before he got hurt.

With help from the Appleton Police Department, Gerald finally relocated to a more hospitable, hopefully fowl-er area of Wisconsin near Black Creek.

Cathy, who is also a talented artist, commemorated the successful transplant with a doodle. Then, even better, she transformed her doodle into a mug and, because she owns one of the coolest shops in town, you can now buy a Gerald Mug at Blue Moon Emporium.

So, here’s the thing. We’ve had a rough week here in Appleton and most of our downtown vendors and surrounding restaurants lost power during what could have been a very busy weekend for them. So, I encourage everyone to get out this weekend and support your local businesses.

Head to the Farmer’s Market, lunch with friends, shop local, buy yourself a Gerald Mug.

Is this the cutest community or what?

With permission, I took these pictures from Cathy’s Facebook newsfeed so you can all enjoy her charming updates…