Inez and Elaine

Growing up, my Mamaw always had peacocks... she had lots of different kinds of critters around between her love of nature and Papaw's cravings to taste all creatures great and small! The peacocks were kept in the chicken coop out behind her "round house" kitchen, and we would go out and see them on each visit down to Alice.

Mamaw loved those peacocks and was fiercely protective of them. On our visits, she would always let me pick a couple of their beautiful feathers off the ground to take home with me. It was a treasure that I always looked forward to, and a memory I keep dear to me to this day.

Not so long ago, Andy and I were in the Hill Country for some reason, and we passed a little shop beside the road. Standing out beside the sign for the shop was a tin, painted peacock, feathered tail spread wide for all to see. I yelled at Andy to pull over - I HAD to have that peacock for my yard!! But, the shop was closed. After seeing that, it became my mission to find that type of peacock again....

Last May, we were on our way to my cousins' , and in Burnet, we found it! Almost an identical peacock to the one in the Hill Country, and Andy pulled in so that I could get my treasure. It rode on its back the entire weekend, and when we got to my cousin's I shared the memory of Mamaw and my quest to find the tin peacock. I named "her" Inez, after my Mamaw (although the peacock in my yard is male, since they are the ones who spread their tails!! He'll never know Inez is a girl's name... :)

Just the other day, we were back at my cousin's for a reunion. We had a great visit, and once the visit was over, my cousin told me to wait - she had something for me. You guessed it, a peacock! A beautiful ornament for my Christmas tree that is already in its place of honor. It was just the kind of thing that my cousin does; listens and acts on what she learns with love.

The new peacock shares her name: Elaine !

Come over, and I'll introduce them both to you!!