12-12-12

  After a long battle the last Peacock we had died today. He went all these years without a name. I knew he was worse yesterday evening when he let Megan catch him, I had enough of a hard time catching him myself usually. We gave him bread, cat food, scratch, regular feed, whatever he wanted yesterday.. he wasn't interested in much though. I've kept the truck parked out these last few nights, he wanted to stay in the carport where it parks. We set him up last night on his roost and again he came down. He was alive when I left this morning in the carport. Came home and he was standing in the driveway looking at the creek, so I took him a cup of water. I cut a slice of bread and Megan took it to him, he had moved over to the cattle trailer, one of his favorite spots. Megan came back in with the bread and shook her head with tears in her eyes. I buried him back here near the Garlic garden, but he preferred the Green Bean Garden. He did like my swing though that is back here, so that is where I put him. Looks like I'll be in the gardens alone next year. He followed and guarded one garden and his brother the other.

  This winter I need to build Megan her duck pen, they need the room, then a Peacock pen. January or February maybe we will be ready to find a pair or trio. Maybe later on rework the old aviary, but it needs a lot of work. They will not ever be replaced, followed me like dogs, I hatched them in an incubator and we bonded. But perhaps the next, though not the same, will be just as unique as these were. I found a breeder fairly close by but they seem to be more with Pied, Cameo, and Black Shoulder... say they have White, but I'd have to look at the eyes to see if it is actually White or albino. I'm just as happy with the India Blue and the Emerald Spaudings. It takes 3 years for the male to grow his tail, or reproduce and 2 for the female to be reproductive. They usually won't stay somewhere unless they grow up there. I may cheat and buy adults and clean up an incubator and hatch a few.

  On a positive note though I tore into the mower and it appears it just jumped time. Maybe tomorrow I'll try and get it back into time or figure out if the valves have burnt. I don't see a reason to get rid of it, it'll probably outlast me if I quit trying to mow the fields with it and use the tractor and bush hog instead. :) Depends on how cold it gets and what comes up between now and then. I still have a yeast infection in my throat but even when it clears I find too cold or hot just seems to close it off. I got a lot of plans, plenty to do, mentally I'm right there... just gotta get the physically to agree with it. At some point I'd like to finish at least one of the cars I started before I tore my shoulder out. It's not like we'd ever drive it much if any but since I've had all the parts bought for a few years now it would be nice to use them. I also sent my first successful text! Took me a while but I done it. We watched a bike build off and I voted for Paul Jr. He built a nicer bike but also I think he is a much nicer guy than the other three. I'm still figuring on what I'll grow next year and which grains I'll try and do, time to learn something new.