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PROUD AS A . . . —Peafowl reside in the area and the colorful creatures will sometimes venture out into the parks and streets. They’re bold and exotic.

PROUD AS A . . . —Peafowl reside in the area and the colorful creatures will sometimes venture out into the parks and streets. They’re bold and exotic.

There are beautiful creatures of any species that are figuratively said to “stop traffic” with their fantastically showy appearance.

Then again, there are beautiful creatures that literally do stop traffic—even on a road as risky as Mulholland Highway in rural Agoura.

They are called peacocks.

Boldly or foolishly, the peacock will even dare to tempt fate along this stretch of Mulholland on a Sunday, a day notorious for attracting sports car drivers and motorcyclists not keen on observing posted speed limits.

O, to be a peacock! O, to be gorgeous, imperious and fearless, strutting down the center divider of Mulholland Highway near Strauss Ranch while less-thanangelic looking Hell’s Angels dudes politely wait for the peafowl procession to clear out.

Peafowl have a long history in the vicinity of Strauss Ranch, bringing a touch of exotica to the former amusement park site, now a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

During lean times, the peafowl have found caring friends to provide nourishment and shelter in the Silver Riviera community across the road from the park. The colorful peacocks and drabber peahens may be found strolling the community’s streets as if they owned the place.

That superiority gene must come with being so blue—such a gemlike shade of iridescent blue as to make sapphires weep in envy. And those mesmerizing eyelike markings on the male’s sumptuous flowing train, in glimmering shades of azure and turquoise, aquamarine and gold . . . one has to forgive the glitzy peacock if it has attitude to spare.

Not everyone is enamored of these large birds, which don’t fly much, but when they do often alight on rooftops or porch railings. The gift of song was not given to these pretties. One field guide describes the peacock’s voice as “harsh and disagree- able.” That sums it up well, though I might add “ earsplitting volume.”

When I first moved to Seminole Springs, which is walking distance from Strauss Ranch, peacocks were entrenched in the community— but not on my particular property. Perhaps it was this crucial fact that made me enjoy their presence so much; I could stroll a few streets over to observe these stately creatures but didn’t have to suffer their aural and other trespasses at my place.

They’ve been gone for many years now. I miss the Seminole peacocks.

They brought to this mountain girded community a thrilling, lustrous sparkle, gaudy grandeur and outrageous reveille that’s been unequaled ever since.

Glasser is a writer fascinated by the flora and fauna surrounding her home in the

Santa Monica Mountains.

Email her at the address ranchomulholla@gmail.com.


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