THANKSGIVING CRAFT Let's talk turkey, then make one

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
In all probability, turkey wasn't the main dish served at the Thanksgiving celebration in the Plymouth, Mass., colony in 1621. Venison, provided by the American Indians attending the fete, was the entree, and turkey was served as a side dish.
Somehow, giving a stuffed deer center stage on our Thanksgiving tables doesn't resonate well with the American public today.
But turkey, which has grown to symbolize the holiday, is more popular now than ever before. According to the National Turkey Federation, farmers raised 274 million turkeys last year. Forty-six million were eaten by Americans on Thanksgiving day, which means that about 690 million pounds of turkey were consumed during the holiday. According to surveys, 97 percent of us say we will eat turkey Thursday. Politicians could really salivate over those poll numbers.
Fine feathered facts
So, let's talk turkey. The following is a bit of turkey trivia, most of which was supplied by the University of Illinois Extension at www.urbanext.-uiuc.edu/turkey/facts.html on the Web for use as dinner conversation. Be advised, some of these "facts" have been slightly embellished:
UThe heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds. That's about the size of a large dog or a medium-size child.
UToms (male turkeys) gobble, hence the "gobbler" nickname. Hens (females) do not. They make a clicking noise but are not called "clickers".
UWild turkeys can run 20 mph and fly short distances up to 55 mph.
UTurkeys are low in fat and high in protein, making them even more popular in the current low-carb diet craze.
UAstronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey from foil packets for their first meal on the moon.
UThe long red fleshy area hanging from a turkey's forehead is called a snood.
UTurkey's have pretty darn good eyesight. They can see a movement almost a hundred yards away, thereby frustrating hunters waiting to ambush them.
UTurkeys spend the night in trees and seem to prefer oak trees.
UTurkey hunters spend the day in trees in structures called "blinds" so the turkeys can't see them. I assume they prefer sturdy trees, but the specific species of tree is unknown.
UTurkeys see in color and have very good hearing (also frustrating to hunters). But turkeys don't see well in the dark.
Now that you are armed with some turkey trivia, you can make this pleasant little turkey to adorn your Thanksgiving table centerpiece.
Supplies you will need:
U1 tennis ball.
U1 1/2-inch light brown pompom.
U15-mm wiggle eyes.
U1 orange and 1 red chenille stem.
UDark brown paint and brush.
UCraft feathers.
UCraft stick.
ULow-temp glue gun.
UScissors.
Children should ask an adult to cut a slit in the tennis ball, just slightly smaller than the width of your craft stick.
Paint both the ball and craft stick brown and set aside to dry.
Place the stick inside the ball.
Cut a 2-inch section off the orange stem. Bend the piece at the center and twist the ends together. Trim the chenille into a point for a beak.
Cut a 2-inch section of the red stem and twist and glue one end around the top of the beak. Bend the center of the stem to resemble the snood of the turkey.
Glue the beak and eyes onto the pompom and glue the head to the upper portion of the ball.
Glue feathers in assorted colors to the back side of the ball for a tail and more to each side for wings.