datepicker: how to get 'hide' and 'show' to work

datepicker: how to get 'hide' and 'show' to work

Using 1.8.4, I cannot find any way of showing/hiding the datepicker on command. The datepicker is built on a SPAN element.

I tried:

timelinedatepicker.datepicker(options); // build the picker
timelinedatepicker.datepicker('hide');

The picker is shown, even if it should be hidden.

Tried the other around:

timelinedatepicker.datepicker('hide');
timelinedatepicker.datepicker('option', options);

And the picker never shows, even when I call
timelinedatepicker.datepicker('show");

Thanks

Fred