Are the peacocks coming or going?

I have to laugh because I received an invitation entitled, "The Peacocks Are Coming!" which involves NBC Miami (the peacock network) and Prince Media, who are putting on a Coconut Grove Peacock Tour in the spring. In the meantime we have people secretly removing the peafowl from our Grove streets and shipping them to the Redland, because a few neighbors don't like them.

While the Sandy Acre Avocado & Mango farm is being accused of stealing the peacocks, it appears that a few local officials are the culprits. I have emails in to those involved and I am awaiting their response. It's amazing how no one was informed, yet a tv network (the Discovery Channel) and a trapper, named Jeff, were all on in the activity, which went on for months.

NBC Miami jokes about me knowing about every sneeze that happens in the Grove in an article here, yet I and others had no clue about the peacocks being shipped to the Redland, including NBC Miami who is sponsoring the Peacock Tour. According to their online poll, people are furious about this sneaky hijacking of peacocks.

The Peacock Tour involves large painted peacocks (picture the roosters in Little Havana and the cows in New York City) and other art, music and culture. The painted peacocks will go on a parade around town and will then go up for auction. And hopefully brighten up Grove streets for years to come.

And hopefully this nonsense of the disappearing real peacocks will stop. The Peacocks belong in the Grove, not the Redland and any neighbor that doesn't like living on the street with Peacocks, that were there first, can easily move, I know a few good realtors who can find you a nice quiet street in the Grove. Maybe they'll come after the dogs and cats next, are they annoying you too? Let's ship all the birds that chirp and dogs that bark to the Redland. And that cat that wanders around the neighborhood should go too, right? Wrong.

Anyway, on Saturday, September 12, there is a Peacock Meeting (for the Peacock Tour), not to protest the malcontents who have removed the peacocks. Anyone who may want to participate in the spring event is encouraged to attend. It's at the Arts and Minds Center (3138 Commodore Plaza) at 10 am. For info: 305-775-0113.

I caught the above photo yesterday morning, near Micanopy, so it looks like a few are still wandering around the area. People are on the watch now and we are prepared to catch the culprits red handed next time they try to seal the remaining birds.