Every now and then you come across something that astonishes you beyond expectation. Maybe you have been to a place countless times, you know what’s there and you never tire of it. But suddenly, one time, you see something there you never saw before. It’s a little like watching a movie for the umpteenth time and hearing a line or seeing a look in someone’s eye for the first time, as if it wasn’t there all along, though you know it was.

Only those who watch the same movie over and over again will understand this idea precisely. I know people who won’t watch a movie again. “Oh, I saw that,” they say. But if it’s a good movie with a good story line, good imagery and good transitions from one scene to another, how is watching it again unlike listening again to a song you like  – hearing its composition, having its sounds evoke specific or changing imagery in your mind, marveling at the singer’s voice or the composer’s ability to transition smoothly and beautifully from one part to the next – and appreciating it each time in a new way and liking it again?

Yesterday I went to Yoder’s, my favorite grocery store, for the first time since coronavirus changed our lives. I don’t go there often under normal circumstances. It’s a 45-minute drive and they don’t have everything I need or want. But I love the way this store is not trying to be anything but itself, and it is perfectly comfortable with that. It’s not a chain, it’s not glitzy. They have shoo-fly pie, spelt flour, F.R.O.G. jam (Fig.Raspberry.Orange.Ginger.) and other oddities not found everywhere. They have this saying on the wall in the bathroom. Let us hope some people read it, and some of those take it to heart.

Yoder’s also has a petting zoo. I have been delighted many times with the way the children love seeing and feeding the goats …

… the vibrant colors of some of the waterfowl they have …

… and the wonderful memories that flood my mind whenever I think of the place.

But yesterday I saw a walking snowflake at Yoder’s and it took my breath away. You might have seen blue and green peacocks (also called peafowl) somewhere in your travels (ah, the pre-corona days when we traveled!). The colors of these feathers seem unreal, painted on.

But a white peacock? And in his full, front-facing, spread-feather glory no less? This is a sight you don’t see every day!

This bird is not albino, in case you wondered. If you could get close enough, you’d see blue eyes. He is a genetic variation of the Indian peafowl, hailing from India and Sri Lanka, and could live to be 20 years old. They are found not only in captivity but also in the wild – even the white ones!

This beautiful bird reminded me yesterday that you never know what awaits you around the next bend. I certainly did not plan that Melba and I happened upon it during our visit – I know it’s pure luck to catch this moment in time. We had made the trip in part to celebrate her birthday. The store is fun, the weather was perfect and the chocolate ice cream we had after splitting a Reuben was the best she’s had in a long time, she said. But this surprising, remarkable creature made the day unforgettable.

Kinda makes you wonder what tomorrow will bring!