A bird in the hand

My first radio personality job was at a little mom and pop station in a small northern California town. Nestled in the Cascade Mountains, it was a nice place to live and work. The owners had a gray and white male cockatiel with a yellow crest. When I was on the air, I would have him sitting on my shoulder. He would chatter and sometimes scream as they are inclined to do at times. If I was on the air and my listeners didn't hear him, the listeners would call in to make sure that he was okay.

Five or six years later, 18 year olds first grade teacher called me from school one day to tell me that he had improved greatly in his work and she wanted to reward him with a hand raised baby parakeet. I said sure and he had his first real pet. She was a sweet heart and we named her Jasmine. She was a beautiful blue.

Over the years, we added Snow White, "Snowy" as Jasmine's friend. Jasmine was the "alpha parakeet" and Snowy's personality didn't really show up until after Jasmine passed away. Snowy was very friendly and as Jasmine had, loved to sit on my shoulder as I went about my day. I loved to wash dishes with one of them on my shoulder.

Snowy died because of asphyxia. We lived in a lower flat and the upper was occupied by a heavy smoker...the smoke poured into our place and killed her. We moved.

Then we got Kiwi. She wasn't hand tame and didn't ride on my shoulder. I tried to work with her, but parakeets' bites draw blood and were very painful. Plus, I had two little kids and they needed my time more than Kiwi. Well, Kiwi passes away. She wasn't very old. Snowy lived for over five years.

Well after Kiwi, I swore off birds. Enough is enough. I mean I love them, but it is just too heart breaking. It has been a year and a half since Kiwi died.

Yesterday, I read the "Pet" section in one of the local shoppers. There was an add for a cockatiel with a cage for a nominal amount of money...$20. Well, I thought and agonized and thought some more...and then picked up the telephone and left a message.

Hannah called me and asked if I was still interested in him last night. We chatted and agreed that I would take him. I told the kids and last night we made him toys with buttons, beads, leather strings and wire. Number One Daughter took the homemade toys to show Hannah.

His name is Joey. He was a resident of an animal shelter 1 1/2 years ago and Hannah rescued him. She has eight cats, so she just couldn't give Joey the interaction and time outside of his cage that he craved.

We have two cats, but they are very afraid of birds. That is because when they were kittens, I let our parakeets peck their noses and pull their whiskers. To this day, our oldest cat Salsa rolls over in the "submit" pose of showing her neck to birds and only wants to befriend them. Snowy used to ride on Salsa's back. That thought brings a big smile to my face.

This morning, G, Number One Daughter and Little Big Boy and I picked him up. The first thing that he did when we walked in the door was whistle like a man does when he sees a pretty woman. Well that just melted all of our hearts and we have been whistling back at him like that all day.

Number One Daughter drew a picture of a cockatiel and colored it the same colors as he is. She cut the bird out, too. She said that it is not a picture of Joey; it is a picture of his friend, so that he doesn't have to be alone. I asked her what it's name was and she replied, "Mrs. Joey." Mr. Joey watched very intently as we taped his paper bride to the wall next to his cage. He seems to like her. Later Number One Daughter drew and cut out another picture of a red bird; I'm certain that it is a cardinal, so the flock of friends is growing. She has longed for another bird since Kiwi passed away, so Joey is a special treat for her, too.

An hour and a half after we brought him home, G opened Joey's cage and shortly there after, Joey flew to G's head. He has done this several times. He is sitting on my shoulder right now as I type. He talks, too. He says, "Pretty boy." But he will only say it to G. Yes, it was love at first sight. LOL.

I have taken him out of his cage several times to hold him and even hand fed him sunflower seeds, which are his favorite. He has a lot of personality, so it is an investment that has brought me great pleasure already. There is something about having a bird that I find every soothing.

He is already happy and has adjusted well to our home. We are all happy to have him hear. Yes, I mean it the way that it is spelled. Some people call cockatiels noisy, but to me, their verbalizations are music to my ears.