h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There is a large yellow bucket in our companies storeroom. On it is printed the legend 'Peacock Salt'.
Today's question is,
Do you think this is salt *for* peacocks
Or salt *made from* peacocks?

Kind of like baby oil . . .


az

*arrgh*

Indeed. In more than one way. Although babies at least have a chance of turning into something worthwhile.
Whereas peacocks. Pointless bl**dy things that make a lot of noise for no reason.

But they look so pretty Icky

yes, yes they do.
BUT have you ever tried getting to sleep in earshot of a peacock?

If not, try this. Ever used a blade of grass to make a whistle? By putting it between your thumbs and blowing? Well, they sound like that. All night. And morning. And day.

Don't exaggerate darling

They just sound a little noisier at night, that is all!

Silly little

*hands Icky some ear plugs*



I thought that should have been the obvious answer.... tut tut tut

heh

And how, exactly, am i supposed to hear my alarm clock/wake up call with earplugs in?

Quite simple really. Dad has trained mums cat quite well....just before his alarm goes off, Ally comes and claws at his face to wake him up Actually. It starts off as a gentle tap and gets harder until he wakes up

"and gets harder until he wakes up"


Ahem.

But i don;t have a cat! So I can;t use that?
Actually, what I'm not telling you is that this experience of peacocks is one of the negative aspects of re-enactment. Camping in the grounds of a castle or manor house is all very lovely, except, as mentioned, that peacocks seem to require no sleep.
Either that or they have a rota posted somewhere! Maybe they have a meeting each morning to decide who gets to keep the humans awake?

I can't believe she said that!!!

Really? Oh I can. I think this is what is known as 'normal' for VV

Oh dear!!

"They just sound a little noisier at night, that is all!"

Having been around peacocks (and peahens, for that matter) I can safely say that "a little noisier at night" is a rather misleading statement. They "make a horrible racket all day long which gets noisier at night" is more accurate.

I would also say that describing the noise they make as the same as like a grass whistle doesn't do it justice. In fact, the sound is more like a cross between a blood-curdling shriek and a grass whistle, intermittantly for hours on end. People have probably heard peacocks in the background sounds of films, but assumed it was monkeys being murdilated every few seconds.

I don't have a soundcard at work so couldn't test this out, but this might give you an idea: http://www.naturesongs.com/domemyst.html

Again, can't test it out: http://www.stjohndivine.org/act/virtualtour/multimedia/call.wav

I have no idea what is on here, but : http://www.stjohndivine.org/act/virtualtour/multimedia.html

Aaack - they sound like a cross between demented pidgeons and, yes, monkeys being murdalized.



az

(what happens if you give them the salt?)

While I am thinking about it, a freind in Connecticut had two (eventually one, when some locals stole the female for Xmas dinner) Guinea fowl. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Guineas/BRKGuineas.html

The male fell in love with their car and slept in the rafters of the garage above it. Whenever you went near the car, it would shriek and run at you. If you actually got into the car, it would go bonkers, screaming and running about. You had to watch you didn't run him over. After the car was gone, he would pace about, scream, and then sit with his feathers hanging down. When the car came back, he would repeat the screaming and running about. Once you had exited the car and made it into the house (avoiding being pecked as he ran at you between car and door), he would perch on the car and make clucking sounds.