Runaway Brides!!!!

Hopalong Hollow Gazette NEWS ALERT!!!!

        It seems our chosen ladies were not as prepared to face matrimony as we had hoped. Either that, or they got a taste of our "boys" BAD manners and said to themselves" Hey! I'm outta here!"  Regardless, of the reasons,  
They have flown the coop!
 Hit the Road!
 Beat a path out the Front Door!

It was distressing enough when I found Bachelorett number 1  missing from the 2nd story loft of the barn...where I had, I thought, blocked all available exits with chicken wire.

GONE! KAPUT! NOWHERE TO BE SEEN!

 But, then, in the morning, as I cleaned the barn, Bachelorett  number 2 squeezed through a teeny opening in the gate before I could say, "HEYWAITAMINUTESISTER!

Down the hill she vamoosed  when she was spied by a  Peabody boy, who proceeded to chase her up a tree. I stared on uselessly. You cannot catch a Peafowl in a  tree, trust me. They played cat and mouse in the treetops for about 20 minutes as I watched from below, then she flew to the ground and crossed the creek heading for the  meadow with grasses and wildflowers nearly waist high.

 "I'll head her off at the pass!" I screeched as I waded through the creek in flip flops, limping along with a brace on my injured knee. I was worried that she would go for the neighbors trees, on the other side of our fence and then into the woods or worse still, across the road and into the woods. I hoped to get ahead of her and turn her back towards the barn. It's really difficult to see a ANYTHING whilst struggling amid thick, tall foliage and worrying about snakes at the same time. Soon,, BOTH Peabody boys appear to be searching for her as well, and NOW I am seeing  3 peafowl heads 
 BOB-BING-UP-AND-DOWN 
 in the grasses, I don't know who's is who's.Suddenly, the pups catch wind of all these goings on, and decide to join this jolly good party! Now I have 2 rambunctious boys BOUNDING with Glee this way and that through the tall meadow grass  and making a complete muddle of my plan. I loose sight of the female, I hear a flutter of wings, leaves rustle, twigs crack and, she is gone into a vast forest of branches  on the other side of the fence. I try in vain to spot her, but she is gone.Well. that's that. I will probably never see her again.
 Hours later, I am sitting at my art table in front of the window overlooking the road. I notice a truck slowing down and assume a naughty Peabody boy has gotten over the fence and is strutting in the street. He is, and I dash outside to lure him back to our place. Lo and behold, who is with him but MISS Peabody!  With much  ado and lots of coaxing, threatening and trickery, I manage to get them both back onto our property.

 She promptly flies up to the roof.
Can you see this daffy damsel?

And there she sits all night long. Good grief! Where will it all end? Who knows? Courtship is a lot of trouble when girl is playing hard to get.

Of course, now she hates me for chasing her about, and thinks I am the wicked mother in law. I just can't win.