Maybe it won't be funny to anyone else, maybe you had to experience it, but for the last hour, the kids and I have been trying to capture 4 peacocks. And a turkey. The turkey basically just followed us into the chicken house, so that doesn't really count..... Anyway, the plan had been to let the peacocks out in "their" side of the garden during the day and put them back into the chicken house. That worked for exactly one day. Day two, after an hour or more, I gave up and just decided they would either survive up in the stinkin' (literally and figuratively) cedar trees or they wouldn't. Well, last weekend we lost one. I don't know if he ended up as something's dinner or if he just wanted to be free. Or it could be that he just couldn't take being the 5th wheel anymore. We had 3 males and 2 females....now we have 2 pairs. What does that trump?

So, now the peacocks keep jumping from the cedar trees from their side of the garden to the garden side of the garden. Problem is, the cedar trees are super thick on that side and it is so hard to get them back over on their side. I decided to keep them from escaping, I would just keep them in the chicken house with no priveleges for a month or so. That way, hopefully, they will be more used to me and won't run off this summer when I will let them free range.

The fun part starts with the fact that it is a swamp in our garden area. Mike rototilled this fall, which is a good thing, but it makes for boggy conditions. Andrew got stuck in the mud - twice - clear up to the top of his mud boots, which hit him at the knee. I had to pull him out, he stood on one foot, while I pulled the other boot out of the mud. Then I got stuck and fell over. Pretty.

We got three of the little buggers rounded up fairly quickly - read about 20 minutes - but that last one took forever. He is a smart little guy and just kept running back into the cedars. I am quite sure that we were a sight to behold. Alexa kept making these "caw" ing noises and flapping around. Andrew, well, he did his Andrew thing and beat a stick in the trees and occasionally made a scream. I yelled out directions of where the peacock was and what we should do.

We were triumphant and the peacocks are all in the chicken house....fowl house?....foul house?? We have now tracked mud all over the deck, garage, and maybe a little into the house. Not to mention bringing in a bunch of those little oval sticker things that do not let go. Then I started making lunch....grilled cheese and tomato soup....and dumped the can of soup into the skillet instead of the pan.....the fun never ends!!!

Andrew is in his room now continuing the chase...but this time trying to get Licorice, the bunny, out of his room. She is a chewer and has already chewed through his Nintendo DS charger in many places. I tell the kids to keep their doors closed when Licorice is out, but they don't listen.......

This is just some of the fun that all you city people miss. Life in the country....you just can't beat it.