A few weeks back, my family and I took a trip down south. We spent time in the town my husband grew up in and saw some of the local sights including Houmas House Estate and Gardens. We had a wonderful lunch and then toured around the grounds. I warned everyone in advance that I would likely be wandering off with my camera and I was thrilled that no one objected.

The weather was much different than what we’d been experiencing in Colorado, and I relished the warm breeze on my face and the sun hitting my cheeks. The giant limbs of the oak trees provided the perfect amount of dappled shade.

As I strolled along, lost in my camera viewfinder, I was stopped in my tracks by the most alarming cry. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought that a very large cat was calling from the other side of the bushes from where I was standing. Fortunately, I had heard the call of peacocks before, so I knew to be on the lookout for something more substantial.

I was pleased to see that the peacock was not shy and didn’t seem to mind people being somewhat near. After capturing a few shots, I moved on to see what else the garden had to offer. I laughed to myself when I rounded a corner and saw an enclosed area containing a type of bird that I had just written a previous post about: turkeys.

Everywhere I turned, I saw something interesting and beautiful. I could have spent the whole day there looking at all the statues and watching the wildlife.

In the distance, I could see my daughter gesturing and walking quickly towards me. She said, “Hurry- you’re going to want to see this!” I followed to where she was pointing and saw the most breathtaking sight – a white peacock with its feathers fully on display. I was nervous that it would close them before I could get close enough to take any photos, but this particular bird was not shy. In fact, it proudly showed off for my lens and turned all different directions, modeling for my camera. I feel lucky that I managed to see such a spectacular display.

I wasn’t expecting such a dramatic show and I’m hoping to be able to go back and spend even more time on the estate in the future.

Always up for a stroll – Angie