Roadside Magic

Yesterday, while driving down a county road that is fairly isolated, I was thinking about something - I don't know what - but from the corner of my eye I spied the brilliant blue color of a male peacock.  I thought it my be fabric caught on a fence or flowers, but when I glanced over to get a better view - my truck continuing down the road - I saw a male peacock dash through the posts of a fence and disappear in the underbrush.  A peacock! Peacocks are not common around here, and I thought I might be imagining things.  I quickly turned my truck around, parked on the side of the road, and jumped out with my camera in hand.  Then I went on the search.

I searched and searched, looking on both sides of the road, but I just couldn't find that brilliant blue/green color any more.  I began to think I had imagined it.  But then, I saw some rustling in the grass about 25 feet away from me.  It was a female peacock.

Patiently I waited, hoping the peacock would come out of the tall grass and reveal herself.  After about 2-3 minutes, she did.  Not only did she reveal herself, but so did 6 little chicks and the male peacock I spied earlier.  However, I couldn't get to them because there was a steep ravine separating me and them.  So, I had to run (literally run) down the road from where I was, around my parked truck, and up the other side of the ravine.  Believe me, I'm not the running time.

But I was able to clearly see them.  I was breathless and they were scurrying away quite quickly, but I saw them.  I kept a safe distance but snapped away and the mother peacock and her babies went one way, while the male peacock which darted behind some old boat trailers.  I just stood there, watching until they scurried out of sight, the mother peacock glancing back at me frequently to make sure I wouldn't follow.  And I didn't.

That very experience is one of the reasons why I love hopping into my truck and go for a ride.  It doesn't always happen, but there are times when I stumble across a fantastic moment.  It's magic.  It's roadside magic.