Birds of a feather...
These past few days I have been house sitting one dog and four birds. The dog is no trouble at all. She doesn't even need to be walked so she's really low maintenance for a dog which is unusual. The birds, on the other hand, need a lot more attention. It's not only the feeding and changing the water; there's also the changing of newspapers and the individualized nuts each day. This one eats pistachios, the next one eats peanuts, the next almonds. They shriek loudly in anticipation of these treats. They talk. Well, two of the birds talk. I was sitting outside one day, and there was a very insistent "Let me out" coming from inside the bird room. The same bird also repeats the name of the dog who has died and the name of one of the owners. The macaw says the same name, and a very polite "Hello." I've been trying to teach the two birds to say my name which happens to be the name of the other owner. Neither one seems to have picked it up yet, but maybe one day they will. I sing to the birds in the morning Each one has an individualized verse. I whistle to them in the afternoon. I talk to them in the evening. In the wee small hours of the morning (about 4 a.m.) I hear what I think is the birds, but it's the local mockingbird, copying them. It is most distracting when I'm trying to sleep! Good night all you birdy-birds...
