The One Eyed Peacock

Yesterday afternoon I’m sitting at my desk finishing up some emails at the end of a busy day. I’ve got our local radio station, WFLO, playing in the background. Every Friday around 5 pm, they announce the lost and found pets. The announcer is droning on, going over the list of missing dogs and cats. Then I hear him fumble around a bit. “There’s ah…a one eyed peacock missing from the Farmville area…anyone with information please call….”

I sit up and listen. A one-eyed peacock? Did I just hear that right?

As if on cue, the announcer repeats it now in a stronger voice, as if to emphasize this is no joke. “If you’ve seen this bird, please call…”

How in the world can you NOT spot a one-eyed peacock wandering around downtown Farmville, the major town in the area replete with Wal-Mart, Centra Southside Hospital, dozens of restaurants and Longwood University?

Then I start laughing even harder. I think I know someone who knows the owner of this bird. Our little church choir has a tradition that on someone’s birthday, we go out after practice for ice cream at Merck’s. One lady brings peacock feathers for the birthday boy or girl to adorn the birthday hat so we can get good and silly. There’s someone who works in her office who raises peacocks…and I think she lives in Farmville.

So, not only is it quite plausible that there is indeed a loose peacock running around by the Lowe’s in Farmville, but it’s possible I could get in touch with his owner.

This is what happens when you move into a small rural town!

Quick story: Hubby and I were on vacation one year and we stopped to visit a home owned by Audubon, the famous illustrator. After the house tour, we sat at a picnic table near the parking lot to eat our lunch. They had lots of exotic birds wandering about…various plumed chickens, turkeys, etc….and peacocks. One stunning white peacock came nosing over. He seemed to be begging. Hubby asked me, “What do peacocks eat?” I had no idea. We had some seedless grapes in the cooler, so Hubby threw one to the peacock. That was it. It was like peacock candy. The white peacock was eating green grapes out of hubby’s hand. It was surreal. He followed us back to the car, but alas, another group of picnickers attracted him, and off went our new found friend.

PS: Big thank you to Liz from the Prince Edward County Cooperative Extension Office for her kind telephone call on Thursday. Liz is a fan of this blog and called to just say hello. What can I say except that for a writer to hear a bit of praise is like throwing a grape to a peacock. Thank you dear Liz and hope you can stop by this spring to visit Seven Oaks!