I’ve mentioned the donkeys and llamas before, of course. I see them every day, and we hobnob regularly during feeding time.
But I admit that of the other wildlife on the ranch, I am most intrigued by the peacock family. When I’m working up at the larger lodge at dusk, I often see the hen and the three adolescents when they visit their favorite tree by the deck. The adult male, I see less often.
Yesterday afternoon, however, as I was sitting at my computer doing some work in the trailer, I glanced out the window beside me, and there His Flashiness stood. He had strolled up through the trees, and was just standing a couple of yards beyond the propane tank for the trailer.
His Flashiness, the peacock
It being off season, he is, of course, without the full signature tail fan. But he still cuts an impressive figure with that startling blue to his neck and chest.
Relatively speaking, he stood there quite some time. And then he moved off.
A few minutes later, a couple of the wild turkeys came strutting along the same area. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a family of five of them. I think there are two males and three hens, but I’m not entirely sure. There is at least one adult male though, for I saw him fanning his tail feathers the day I drove into town. In any case, the pair passed by the trailer and then shortly after that the remaining three came trotting along the same pathway the lead pair had taken through the trees.
It didn’t occur to me at the time, but I wish I’d gotten some video of it, for (urban child that I am) I was fascinated to see that turkeys really do trot. They can move rather quickly, in fact. I’m sure in the coming months of my stay here I shall have other opportunities to catch them on the move. I also hope to catch on camera better images of the deer that flit through the property.
Oh, and there was a blue jay up by one of the lodges Friday morning as I prepared it for this weekend’s retreaters.
What a fascinating world of creatures God has given us. We can get so removed from these gifts living always in cities.
