Peeks the Goat Herding Peacock

I am happy to report that our peacock, Peeks, is secretly a genius. Maybe it hasn't been a secret, but we've been too stupid to notice until a few weeks ago. He has always tried to fight with the goats by antagonizing them through the fence, and at times he has flown around chasing them -- both behaviors which piss us off since he's acting like a bully. However, we recently observed that when the goats and Sheepy are out and about, Peeks doesn't just randomly chase them... he herds them.

That's right, our peacock is like the piglet in Babe. I first recognized the behavior when I realized that Peeks was bunching the goats together then chasing them away from the chicken hens. I don't know if he thinks he's protecting his harem (yes, he's always trying to woo the chickens by shaking his fanned out tail feathers), his territory, or is helping us, but there is certainly a method to his madness.

While we don't have an exact video of him rounding up and moving out with the goats, here's a glimpse of how he works:

And here's Tumnus coming to say hi!

Hi Tum Tum!

And here is Sparrow's eye.

And here is Sparrow decorated for the Memorial Day Parade.

And here are two marvelous dogs I met at the festival following the parade.


I'm glad Michelle Obama is promoting the idea of growing your own produce in a little backyard garden. If everyone did that, not only would America be healthier, but people would be saving money. Here's just a glimpse of our chard harvest from a few weeks back. It made a delicious side dish and is full of blood-building goodness.


And here is a very strange video. While sitting out on the deck, petting Comanche and Black, Black became very... friendly with Cheech. See for yourself.

Black has been losing weight and slowing down for nearly a decade now, but this past week or so he's been less annoying than usual and has been spending a lot of his time curled up and napping. I know that he's 16 and has lived a long, good life, but I really hope that he isn't preparing to leave us yet. Life without that black communist would be terrible.

Mackenzie's Momma -- Poor Chee Chee! I love the dejected groan he emits at the end of the clip. And I totally understand not wanting to get rid of a special blanket. Years ago, I tried to stuff mine in a ziplock then put it in the garage, but felt guilty and pulled it out, so now I have a dusty old rag of a baby blanket hidden away in my room. I don't know what I'll ever do with it, but for now it can stick around!

the other amanda -- Let me know when you get the chance to watch it! I know you'll enjoy Keller's scenes. ;)