Introducing, the Peacock Family of Naramata!

Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies, for example.

-John Ruskin

"Pearl and Company" watercolour, 11x14, November 2010

A few years ago, a pair full grown peacocks showed up in Naramata. No one knew where they came from, and many residents didn't care. The peacocks made themselves at home in Naramata and were a common sight for those out taking walks around the village.

Teenage boy peacock with moulting white feathers

And then there were two babies that grew up to be two males. From the last photos I took of them, they had grown into teenagers, losing their white baby feathers and beginning to grow their long peacock tales. So then the village peacocks were four.

Pearl the Mama Peahen

And then this spring, three more baby peacocks were born. But someone had had enough of the peacock poop and called a trapper, and the female and the three babies were taken to a petting zoo in Keremeos. This part is a painful story for some village goers who really loved the peacocks. I loved the peacocks too, as Naramata is a magical little place and it just seemed fitting that peacocks should roam the village. But maybe not an army of peacocks. I can understand the panic of some villagers who were suffering damage to their vehicles because the peacocks had a penchant for roosting on the tops of cars. (You try to fly into a tree with such a heavy tail!)

The babies and their big bro.

Anyway, regardless of where anyone stands on the peacock issue, the peacocks are now imbedded in the history of this little village. I decided to create a painting celebrating the Peacock family of Naramata as it was last intact. As some villagers had named the female peahen "Pearl" the title of this painting is "Pearl and Company" and will have it's first public viewing at the Naramata Artisan's Faire at the Heritage Inn on December 5th.

See you there!

xx Melanie