Why did the peacock cross the road?

..... To get to the other side, of course.

This afternoon as I was putting groceries away after a trip into town, I noticed that both Mickey and Gatsby were out on the side porch with their heads and whiskers peeking through the slats of the porch railing.  Before I could get out there to see what was in the yard (and muttering "Now what?!" as I walked towards the door), our inside cat Sweet Pea jumped up to the kitchen window, wide-eyed and staring out of the glass towards the lawn near the pecan trees.

I was hoping that the neighbor's cows hadn't gotten out again..... last time that happened, they were all over the front yard and heading towards the picket fence, which they could have easily trampled.  I got out on the porch, and there wasn't a cow in sight..... but there was a peacock.  Gorgeous, full-grown, full-feathered, glorious peacock, which belongs to our neighbors down the road. This is the same peacock that we can hear day-in and day-out as he calls out for a mate.  I don't think he's found one yet..... otherwise, why would he have walked all the way up our hill and around our yard.  That's a long walk for a peacock, and I'm guessing that all those beautiful tail-feathers must be a heavy burden to drag around.

Earlier today on our morning walk, S and I happened to see that peacock up on the roof of the neighbor's house.  I had no idea that a peacock could fly that high, but S owned peacocks years ago and she said they also used to sleep on the roof of her house.  I guess the higher he goes, the safer the peacock feels, and he doesn't have to worry about predators in the night.

During the day, however, any predator around can probably find that peacock easily... his loud mating call wouldn't be missed for miles around. Makes me wonder.. if a peahen is indeed around in the woods somewhere, will she come out of there and follow the sounds of this peacock?  And if the neighbor's peacock mates with a peahen from the woods......... would we call the hatchlings "pea-babies" until we knew if they were males or females?