Dear Armstrong mates, As the chief of Houston's animal control program, I once got a call from a citizen who complained about the peacocks which surrounded a very fancy restaurant in Houston. The restaurant also had a pond with a lot of ducks. The complainant asked me about the city ordinances regarding poultry. I explained that there was an ordinance against having poultry if they became a public nuisance. The man assured me they were. He explained about their loud noises the peacocks made, the odor the ducks made, and the fact that the peacocks flew out of their compound and roosted in the trees over his driveway. I sent two officers to investigate. He showed my officers his new Mercedes Convertible, covered with peacock droppings. Several citations were issued! This action prompted a personal call to me from one "Marvin Zindler," Channel 13's investigative reporter, who was a friend of the restaurant owner. If you haven't heard of Marvin Zindler, then you need to see the movie, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." In the movie, Marvin's character was played by Dom Delouise. Marvin threatened to have me fired if I didn't cancel the citations which my officers had issued. Unfortunately, the milquetoast health director, sided with Marvin and insisted that the citations be voided. So, I did what my boss asked me to do, and tore up the citations. The next week an older gentleman was passing the restaurant when a peacock flew across in front of his car. The man hit the brakes and his car went down a steep embankment where the old fellow had a heart attack, was picked up by the fire departments EMTs, and taken to the hospital. The man survived, and the peacock survived. That was the day I decided to permanently retire. Today I am happily retired with a city pension to supplement my Air Force retirement, Marvin is still broadcasting, and the health director has been replaced. -- Sincerely, Bob Armstrong in Houston, TX picture "I have fished through fishless days that I remember happily and without regret." Roderick Haig-Brown ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robert E. Armstrong, DVM, MS, member Dog Writers Association of America, author of the veterinary mystery/thrillers, CANIS - paperback, ISBN 0-595-29795-1 or eBook, ISBN 0-595-75078-8 and INDEX OF SUSPICION - ISBN: 0-595-20485-6 Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble Visit my home page at http://home.houston.rr.com/rarmstrong9/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~