Hi there!
I am the other half of totally flocked, and yes, we are!
I have had just about everything as a pet, with exception of reptiles — not something I want to cuddle with. I stuck with bunnies, hamsters, guinea pigs. There were ponies, horses and goats — okay, one goat: he was unique; he was an angora, like the kind you get your sweater made out of.
Of course we had dogs and a few barn cats. One cat did live at the house for a while. My dad was not a fan of the cats.
My brother got a few fertilized chicken eggs one year. He had built a incubator. We ended up with three hens and a rooster. I was wondering why months later, my sisters and brother were ribbing me on how good the chicken tasted at dinner. Yes, my dad…well, I think you get the picture. Hey, I was only like 5 — when my dad said the chickens bought the farm, I really didn’t know what that meant.
So now, birds? Well, I had a few cockatiels growing up, too. I always wanted a bird: I wanted a big bird, you know with all the colors of the rainbow, like the ones the pirates had. Yes, I wanted to be a pirate, (minus the wooden leg). I wanted a parrot, big and bold, and an eye patch. Nope, my mom put the cabash on that. Hrmph! Foiled by the parental unit.
One year, in my semi adult life, I was living in an apartment and I got a sweet little Lutino Cockatiel. His name was Danny — I was told he named himself by the lady I got him from. He was so sweet and trusting. He went everywhere with me. I loved that little guy. He was only 10 when he died. My friend was taking care of him while I was away. Her dog knocked his cage down and he was killed. My heart sank. I was so sad for the loss of my buddy in such a horrible manner.
Years went by, and then I got a little Peach-Faced Lovebird named Buzz. Oh, he was a funny one, and loud! He would get on the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and try to find the birdie behind the mirror. I had him for quite a while. He was a fun adventurer, curious, playful and extremely smart little guy. He was a cutie.
I had a dog, too. When I was 18, I got a min pin (minature pincher), JJ. She was also the love of my life. She was so good with other animals. Well-socialized, a thief at times, she would steal your slice of pizza when your back was turned. She was fast. You could find her when she did something bad, ’cause she would be hiding in her crate, with the goods. She lived until she was 16.
But back to birds: I babysat a Blue Front Amazon for a year for my ex. The bird’s name was Marlo; she was a unique little bundle of feathers. Extremely friendly with me, but loud. She could out-sing you on a good day. She would sing, non-stop chatter and scream when you left the room. Then she would climb down her cage and come find you. Oh my, she was like having a three year old that was “mommy, mommy, mommy” all the time!
I also helped my ex raise a little Umbrella Cockatoo. She was just weeks old. We hand fed this little monster. She grew up big and strong, with strong lungs! Destructive! My ex left a basket of Swatch watches on her dresser: Beretta the U2, got a hold of the basket…crunch. Hope you didn’t want those. Hey, what time is it?
Once I was animal free, I decided, ‘hmm, not so bad.’ Don’t have to hurry home from work. Can go on vacation with out a sitter, or dog friendly hotel. (Boarding kennel, no way.) I had moved into an apartment that did not allow dogs or cats. (Even though there was a spitfire of a semi wild kitten that lived in everybody’s apartment. All the tenants had cat food, even though no one owned the cat. You could look across to the other building, there she would be, sitting in someones bedroom window. Next thing you know, she has climbed the tree outside your 2nd story balcony and is at your sliding glass door wanting to come in and nap. It was quite comical. If you ran out of cat food, you could ask your neighbor.)
One day, I was chatting with my girlfriend of the time. She was going to nursing school. A classmate had some birds he had to re-home because he had too many in his apartment and the super at his complex told him he had to get rid of some. She asked if I wanted a bird. I said, no way — I am used to having no one to answer to, I can come and go as I please, on and on. She said, ‘oh, but she is so sweet, only 2 years old, comes with a huge California Cage, I’ll help you with her.’ Uh-huh. Did I mention I was immediately left alone — no help — big huge cage — with a Blue and Gold I had never met — taking up my dining room…the entire dining room. Did I mention, I too was in an apartment? A small apartment.
So I met Rosie, my Blue and Gold Macaw, a.k.a. Bluebird, a.k.a Hi Bird. There she was staring at me. I was staring back at her. Then I got a loud resounding, “Hello.” There it was, that big bold bird, I so badly wanted as a child. I wanted to be a pirate, with an eye patch…
Meet my baby.
That was fourteen years ago. The apartment and the girlfriend are long gone. But the huge cage — and, more importantly, the big Blue and Gold occupant — is still with me. And I would have it any other way.
This is a quick introduction, but don’t be fooled. There’s more to come with the addition of Danyel’s Senegal, SweetPea, and our new project bird, a Timneh African Grey, called Loki.
All I need is that eye patch.
brdflock
njaflocked
