Meeting Frankie's Royal Cousins

Back in April, Tom jumped on a Craig's List offer for free firewood. He had to cut it himself, but he didn't mind  when he spotted peacocks roaming through the couple's yard and neighborhood. 

He got a kick out of the eldest male who spent hours admiring his own reflection in Tom's hubcaps, full fan.

"You need to go out there with your camera," he told me.

So I did.

I first spotted the females, so beautiful in a subtle way, don't you agree?

Something around the face reminded me of Frankie...

Then I spotted him, the King, running from the paparazzi.

He led me to his sons, the princes, regally pacing a neighbor's porch roof, proclaiming their royalty with loud calls that sounded strangely similar to the maawwwing of a Siamese cat in heat.

King skittered back across the street and through the woods and up to his own throne.

My best sweet talk failed to coax him into a full fan for me - obviously he wasn't in the mood and just wanted to be left alone to rule his kingdom in peace...

So I left.

But I went back a few days later, determined to capture that full fan.

You again? he said. (Not out loud of course. But I could see it in his eyes.)

He tried to ignore me, but I kept snapping anyway, captivated by his gorgeous feathers. 

Full fan or not, they were breathtaking. Such rich color and diverse patterns!

The black and white feathers reminded me of Frankie, of course.

Harassment, er, I mean, persistence pays off...

I suspect this is some kind of avian insult, but I still think it's pretty cool.

I guess he felt kind of sorry for me...

"Okay, show's over, lady. Go home," he told me. 

(I could read it in his tail feathers.)

I snapped a few more...

But I finally took the hint that his Majesty was tiring of my paparazzi antics. 

(That, plus I didn't feel like crawling through bushes.)

"I'm a peacock, you gotta let me fly!" ~ Mark Wahlberg in "The Other Guys"