Peacocks and other creatures

Last week we were in St. Augustine and visited the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. We were hesitant, suspecting hype and fluff, but I was pleasantly surprised. The exhibits -- on things like ship construction, navigation, the indigenous populations, and guns -- were generally calibrated at a pretty basic level, but I learned things. We heard a particularly entertaining story -- sources unknown -- that no, Ponce de Leon wasn't so gullible as to think there was an actual fountain of youth, but painting him as such was beneficial to some of his rivals. There are a lot of peacocks in the park and they are pretty used to humans in proximity. One, in pursuit of a mate, came to within about five feet of me. Here are a couple of pictures (of other birds) that show the tail fan better: The peacocks I saw would display their finery and then sweep back and forth in about a 180-degree arc while aimed at the hens they were trying to attract. I'd never thought to wonder what the backside…