Peas and Quiet

A day at the office always starts out loud.  Dozens of employees clock in, mill around, and chat -- using their "outdoor" voices.  I'm a quiet person, so this drives me nuts.  In fact, the noise seems to stay in my head for a while after they leave.

The other day, I went to the holding area of our yard, where we keep plants until they're taken to job sites and planted  There's little traffic noise, since it's far from the road.  There are some trees nearby, so I can hear birds chirping.  The birds make it seem quieter, if that's possible.

Of course, if you're visiting the aviary at a zoo, it can be quite loud.  There's a higher population density of birds, and some aviaries are enclosed in buildings.  You're liable to hear parrots squawk or peacocks cry.  (Years ago, the Philadelphia Zoo had peacocks roaming the grounds.  I don't know if they still do.)

I started pondering peacocks.  I've eaten chicken and quail eggs.  I wonder if peacock eggs are edible.  Of course not!  Peacock eggs don't exist!  Peahen eggs, on the other hand...