3 British Peacocks, 2 Turtle Doves and a Hedge Hog in a cut down TREEEEE.....

Well, two out of three isn't bad.
Seriously. It is crazy. I'm bewildered by some of the free roaming animals here. It doesn't bug me at all, I find it really interesting and sort of exciting actually. I need to find a spot where I can get pictures of these mini-deer and of course, the giant moose that are confused thinking they are deer. Then there's the male pheasant that hangs out around here, usually chillin with the male peacocks. This whole peacock thing is just odd to me. ALL the dudes hang out together and all the hens tend to stick near each other, but when they hang out, they ALWAYS fight. I mean for real. There are at least 3 different hens with chicks and if more than one set happens to be in the yard at once, they are bitching and fighting with each other. Ugh. Chick drama...

So I've wondered, but as of this morning, it is official. I have spoiled the peacocks. I really thought it was just their normal routine to make their way through our yard in the mornings looking for morsels of bread I might have tossed out or some fresh bugs etc... There is one male, unfortunately no matter how hard I try you cannot tell them apart so I can't name them and it drives me insane, that I think is the same one and I call him "nosey" b/c he is just that. He's always looking in the windows! Tell me it wouldn't scare the crap out of you to walk in the bathroom and there is a big ass peacock standing there staring at you...especially when it is on the 2nd story!
So this morning, the boys are having breakfast and I am standing against the counter watching them and visiting with them. I notice that the hens have made their way in the yard for their morning inspection. THey make their way up on the patio and nose around, pecking about here and there. Not paying attention I look again and there the three of them stand. Staring at me through the door. Just...staring. Waiting. "Bitch...where's the damn bread at???? We're hungry!". So, of course, i went over and got them the rock hard remains of our french bread and tossed it out. They stayed out for about an hour devouring it. JUst as happy as their little peacock selves could be and went on their merry way.
Now, is it going to end up being some creepy thing and I have peacocks at every window in the mornings, staring, waiting... Stephen King, I think I've got your next book idea!
Spoiled peacocks. Leave it to me.

So then let me add still yet another animal. I had no idea that hedgehogs ran wild here. I saw a few odd "things" dead on the road that looked very much like a hedgehog but nah.... Those things were a hot commodity in the states here a few years back. At least until I think everyone figured out they were nocturnal so not much fun to watch and overall pretty boring. I'm sure if not for the numerous predators in Texas, there would be an over-abundance of wild hedgehogs there as well.
Anyway, I asked Mike and he said they were indeed plentiful around here. I guess they come around more as it cools off. You notice the road kills changes rapidly here. It went from nothing to tons of pheasant and now hedge hog. I'm afraid to know what will be next on the list. I'm not morbid at all.
Anyway. Night before last I went downstairs to close up shop and have a last smoke for the evening. (Hush...I guilt myself enough for it thanks though). I shut the garage door and a disgusting nasty cat was in there. Scared the hell out of me too. Blech! Seriously those things need to be kept inside or chained up or something. Yeah they do gross me out more than anything, but... have you ever seen (speaking of) that Stephen King movie with the cats? They freak me out too to be honest. I never understand people being afraid of horses, I mean how much sweeter of an animal is there? Cats though... how are people NOT freaked out by them? All staring and licking their chops, just waiting for the right opportunity to gang up on humans and try to take over. Creepy damn things.
ANYWAY, I then stepped out the back and there was a bag for the recycle bin just out the door. I heard rustling and thought it was another damn cat, so armed with a broom I got out, but...there is nothing there? Yeah, see? Creepy! I hear it some more and suddenly around the corner comes this fat little hedge hog. Completely oblivous to me being there. So I ran in to get my phone because seriously, how damn exciting is it to have a WILD hedge hog come up on your patio at midnight??? However, that did not work because it was too dark to SEE where to take the picture at.

Well...yes, of COURSE I ran up three stories to get my camera, that little fat fart was fast! Let me tell you they might appear slow, but they are not. They are the cheetah of the little critter world apparently! I thought I lost him, but armed with my huge camera, a flashlight and traipsing around at midnight in my foggy pitch black soaking wet backyard in my socks...I found him again!
He was not too happy with me for shining a light on him, much less the camera flash but most certainly not when I tried to get him to move so I could get a better shot of him. Geez, if only he knew it was his modeling debut, he was being shot by a pro and he'd be seen worldwide. Silly animal!
Well...he was finally so scared he had all his little pricklies up and his eyes shut tight, so I thought I'd be nice and leave him be...not to mention it was pretty damn cold out there in my jammies and wet socks. ha!
The words of my cousin so very long ago to me, as she caught me cutting up worms came to mind and I heard her voice once again saying something like, "Aimee, how would YOU like it if some giant was shining a big light in your sensitive eyes and nudging you with their foot and shooting off that bright flash at YOU? You wouldn't, you'd be scared..."
Ha! Yeah I was like 5 or so when she gave me the speech about the poor sectioned off worms. However, it stuck with me and is where I learned...empathy. Oh quit freakin laughing and the rest of you that's what you get for taking a drink when you read my humorous antics, now wipe off the computer screen before you blow it up.

P.S. I think I should work on finding a new word to begin paragraphs with. This whole blogging thing has led me to realize how badly I need to go back to 5th grade language class.