I'm not the only hobo creature in my Mom's life.

I've been trying to email with my Mom more often. What I would really like is for her to keep a blog of her own. She is quite funny and I think you would like to read about her daily life in Montana. But she is very busy and I also like having her to myself.

When I was in college, she wrote me pretty often and I kept all the letters. I think I am going to dig them out of storage and reread them. I'm sure it will embarrass her, but maybe I'll post a few of her thoughts here.

What I like most about Mom's emails are the bits of randomness in the midst of paragraphs about other things. A few days ago, she completely buried the lead. In the midst of a paragraph about going to a convention, and before a comment on the weather, she says "We have a peacock who has moved in up by the greenhouse. I have not had much interaction with him but BN has been feeding him."

And then the email ends shortly after that. I had to wait a few days to hear more about the peacock. Who just finds a peacock in their yard? People from Montana, that's who.

Apparently Mom has yet to see this peacock but BN is feeding and watering the bird. I demand a photo of said fowl once Mom returns from her convention.

Symbolically, peacocks mean different things across cultures and religions, but I believe it is universal to find luck, patience and renewal in their presence.

Except for those times when they are being TOTAL jackasses. Case in point, this peacock. We took my nieces and nephew to the Portland Zoo a few years back and had a sort of run-in with this creature.

You can see TG standing behind the plumage, in an orange jacket. The kids had made friends with another little girl while we were riding the train. Said little girl and her mother were going to accompany us to our last stop in the Africa section of the zoo and on the way, this fowl got aggressive and scared the bajeezus out of the new friend. She freaked out and cried and we ended up getting separated.

In the search for that peacock picture, I also came across this doozy.

Look at my babyface! And how young the kids are. This photo was taken in June of 2006 on the same visit to the zoo.

But back to the peacock.

I think the idea of a peacock showing up at your house and deciding to stay is a sign of good things to come. My Mom deserves good things.