I have had several people mention Napoleon lately so I’ll bring you up to date on him. After crying his heart out every night for a female to come to him he finally became silent and gave up. The time had passed.

Shortly after, he began losing his beautiful feathers and spent most of his time every day picking and grooming…….leaving them wherever he happened to be. It was so terribly hot and humid he stayed where there was shade and perhaps a little breeze. He would scratch up the dirt and lay down in it……then rolling from side to side he shaped it into a nice little bed. Sometimes I would be in the yard and see his tail feathers sticking out from under a bush.

Our heat was in the high 90’s for much of July and August. The rains quit after we had so much before. It was hard on outside animals and they did the best they could. The cats didn’t eat much of anything. They lost weight until they were the proverbial “rag of bone and hank of hair.” They preferred to stick it out in the garage……I don’t know why because the garage was hotter than it was outside. They seemed to know how to cope so I let them choose their options

I wasn‘t out much either and though I looked for Napoleon he wasn‘t around as he usually was. Sometimes he didn’t even come for his bedtime treats. Usually before dark at the last rays of sunlight he would come to the front porch and look in the window. That was my cue to get his snack. I looked and worried about him like an old hen with one chick.

He kept losing feathers and finally got down to one long eye feather. I was tempted to step on it while he was walking, thinking it would come out. Then I was afraid it might hurt him so day by day I watched as that one feather drug along behind him. It was so funny looking I managed to get a picture and one morning he showed up……the last feather was gone.

I don’t know why he sleeps in Becky’s tree while it is mating season. The minute it’s over he never goes back. He hasn’t slept in the big oak out front here, either. He must have found a better tree because he always goes the same way until he is out of sight when it’s bedtime. He is a sweetheart and still comes to the porch when he wants food….. and follows me around if I’m outside.

Well, I’ll put the picture on for you and then I must get busy here. I’ll give you updates when he starts growing his feathers back or he’s had an adventure. In June he officially became 6-yrs old.

Essentially Esther