Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/121369
Sarasota News Leader April 12, 2013 Back at Crowley's: From the perspective of an owl, hopping through the grass and looking way up at this breathtaking opulence, it was his magnificent gams that really wowed me! In virtually all the medieval descriptions of a peacock, attention is drawn to "his ugly feet." Many accounts claim he grows his "tail" feathers simply to detract attention from his feet. Powerful and boasting a sharp, hard spur, his legs and their enormous taloned feet are designed for foraging, digging, defending his lek and harem and attacking rivals. Page 82 by the wealthy Croesuses on Longboat Key, where feral peacocks rule the roost and quite often the streets. Truth is, the color of the car and its price tag are of no importance to the peacock. Any shiny car with sparkling clean hubcaps will do! And when a peacock does attack his reflection, perceiving it to be his rival, he whooshes up with legs extended and talons splayed — and mightily crashes into that arrogant intruder, slashing him with his spur. Well, just picture soccer great Pelé performing a bicycle kick while wearing ice-skates and you will get an idea of how much damage a In his native country, his rival is another peapeacock can do to a car. I felt relieved that cock seeking to woo away one of his peahens. Mr. Bored's lovely Jaguar was dust-coated and But that is India and this is Sarasota. Around mud-spattered after the trip. here, the principal rival to a peacock is his reflection in a shiny just-washed, black lux- As you know, the peacock's tail is not a true ury car. Well, that is the myth promulgated tail. It is simply covert (meaning "covering") A peacock's leg spurs are easily visible. File photo