Ahhh… Spring has sprung. The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing…. The Guineas are finding their “mates”. Well, that is at least what has been happening this week on New Norm Farm.
Some of you may already know, but those of you who do not, here on the farm we have three guineafowls; their names – Larry, Curly & Moe, our three stooges.
If you are not aware of what a guineafowl is, by Wikipedia definition they are a family of birds in the Gailiformes order; this family of insect- and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resemble partridges, but with featherless heads. However, if you have children, chances are you have seen Ice Age. In this movie there is a scene with dodo birds; this is what I picture when I hear guineafowl. I was beginning to believe that these birds just looked like these dodo birds on Ice Age & in reality actually are actually very smart. I mean, they spend the majority of their day pecking at the ground and swacking obniously at random things, but all in all are pretty self-substainable & do not really need much, until Monday….
Monday, we noticed that Moe was not running with the others, in fact he would not venture much farther past the old tree stump in the yard. Even when feeding time and Larry & Curly calling to him to “come check out this piece of grass on the ground”. (Yes, again, the majority of their day is spent starring at the ground) So, we started to wonder… Why will he not leave that area? What is it that has him so captivated? Is he hurt? What could it be….
And then we saw her….
Moe was in love. He had found his sole-mate; his other half; the love of his life; the wind beneath his wings…. Yes, there she was. The most lovely guineafowl he had ever seen. Right there…the the fender of my brother-in-laws trailblazer; the most gorgeous guineafowl Moe had ever laid eyes on. She looked
right at him & he knew, I will never leave this beautiful creature alone. Ever. He was love stricken with his own reflection. (Going back to the Ice Age scene)
So, these days you can find Moe next to any of our vehicles admiring his “love”. She only leave him on cloudy, rainy days and for a few hours at night. But, as the saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, so each morning he anxiously waits to see his lady.
I must admit it is hours of entertainment to watch poor Moe because each time I see him I think one, Ice Age & dodo bird and two, of Snow White and the Seven Drawfs and the magic mirror scene, only here on the farm it goes a bit different…
“Fender, Fender, whose the fowlest of them all?”
By: Kassy Varnell
