Our Lives Growing Up With Parakeets:

My wife and I each grew up with parakeets. I can remember as early as 7 years of age when my parents and I lived in Houston, Texas, I had a parakeet. Jeanne said that her mother had a parakeet at various times in Jeanne's younger years.

Jeanne would regale me with stories another of their parakeets, also named "Buddy" that used to run across the breakfast table and eat the egg yolk off her father's plate after her father had gotten up from the table.

Then there was their parakeet, named "Timmy," which would ride on the back of Jeanne's box turtle, "Samson!" The parakeet would climb down the rope from its cage to the floor and "splash" in the dog's water dish. Then there was the time that "Timmy"chewed the whiskers off the dog's muzzle. The dog would place its paw on Timmy's tail and the bird's legs would be going like crazy, but the bird couldn't get away!

There was an earlier Parakeet. also named "Timmy," that "Wolf Wistled" at her grandmother who had come to visit from Ohio and was walking by the bird's cage. Acting "incensed and humiliated," Grandmother Rennecker told Jeanne's father, "Bud, do you know that your bird just 'Wolf Whistled' at me?" But deep down, Jeanne thinks that her grandmother was actually amused at the bird's antics. This "Timmy" used to run up and down the ironing board while Jeanne's mother was ironing clothes. At other times, "Timmy" would run up and down the drain board. That was some bird!

Jeanne and I often talk about our lives growing up with Parakeets. We are both bird people to the "Nth degree" and wouldn't have it any other way! As Jeanne is so fond of saying, "Other people have families. We have "FEATHERS!" When Jeanne was working as a Staff Nurse at Wilford Hall Medical Center, she would wear a badge that said,"Some of my best friends have feathers!" All too often, when Jeanne came home from work the next morning, she would take off her nurse's uniform and shoes, and out would come a bunch of bird feathers!

TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX," CLICK HERE!

The Story of Our "Buddy"

In my second book, Led by the Spirit, I talk about the little dark gray Parakeet that Jeanne bought for $9 at a local Wal-Mart store. Jeanne thought that the bird, which she named "Buddy," was a male. I took one look at that bird and told Jeanne that "Buddy" was a girl! Now, how could I possibly know that? I knew by the way "Buddy" acted around me. Jeanne used to call it "the male-female thing!" How I loved that little dark-gray bird!

As a "rule." the male or cock, has a blue "cere" above its beak, and the female or hen has a brown, beige, white or pink "cere." This is hardly a "fast or unalterable" rule! For example, there are female Parakeets who have a blue cere, and male Parakeets who have a pink or beige cere. The more reliable method is to check the bones on the underside, near the bird's "vent." If the bones are blunt and wide spread, the bird is usually a female, because the bones have to spread apart for the eggs to pass. But if the bones are "sharper and narrower, in most cases the bird is a male. Even these guide lines are not 100% proof of the gender. Jeanne and I have been guessing the gender of one of our gray Engish Budgies for over six months. "DNA Testing" is available, but it is rather costly.   I suppose the only way we will be able to tell for certan is if or when the bird lays eggs!

Before Jeanne and I went on our honeymoon, we took Jeanne's "Buddy" over to Jeanne's parents' home to keep their Parakeet company. By some strange coincedence, Jeanne's mother's bird was also named "Buddy." Our "Buddy" laid two eggs while she was at Jeanne's parent' home, and that event settled the issue of the gender of Jeanne's "Buddy" forever!

The average life expectancy of a Parakeet is about 3 to 5 years. Jeanne's "Buddy" was 10 years of age when we bought her a mate, a beautiful "Clear Wing," which is a bird which has opaque white wings. "Jinxie I," had a cobalt blue chest and a white tail and wings. Shortly after we bought "Jinxie I" from bird breeders in New Braunfels, Texas, "Buddy" laid 8 eggs, which is unusual for a 10 year old bird! We saved four of the eight eggs, which when they hatched, produced a cobalt-blue and white male, whom we named "Bud" after Jeanne's dad. Then there were 2 albino white females, the first of which we named "Lucy" after my mother, and the second albino white female was named "Marie" after Jeanne's mother. The next four eggs did not hatch. And then, there was egg number eight! When this bird finally got its feathers in, it looked nothing like "Buddy," "Jinxie I" or any of the other three babies. "Wren I" was a green and yellow Parakeet who had a mind of his own.

Even as Jeanne had let her "Buddy" roam all over her cage: top and sides and down the rope to the floor, we also allowed Buddy's babies to do the same. "Buddy" travelled "head-first" down the side of her cage and taught all four of her babies to do the same thing. As we bought new birds, "Buddy" and her babies taught our new birds to go down the side of their cage. We now have the "fifth generation" from the original "Buddy" and each and every one of her great-great grandbabies" goes "head-first" down the side of the cage.

We frequently had to look for "Wren I" because he had this penchant for taking off from his cage and hiding. After looking all over the house one day, we heard his "cheep "and looked above our heads to find him on the curtain rod in the living room where he was calmly surveying his domain!

"Buddy" was our companion for many years and died at the ripe old age of 12 years. Neither Jeanne nor I could ever have imagined that a Parakeet could live that long. She was very much loved and is so very much missed. Her memory will live with the two of us forever and will live on in her prodigy...Not a bad life and legacy for a $9 dark gray Parakeet.

   TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX," OF CHAPTER 1. AND TO READ "MR. JINXIE 1's" STORY,
                                                    CLICK HERE!

Parakeets are about six to eight inches long, from beak to tail and weigh from 1 ounce to about 2 1/2 ounces. The tradional parakeet is green, yellow or green and yellow, but breeding has produced blues, whites ("albinos" from the blue line) purples, lavenders,and the like. "True albinos" have no pigmentation, so their eyes appear to be "red," but what you are really seeing are the red blood cells from their retinas. Buddy's two daughters, "Marie" and "Lucy" were true albinos. Buddy's great-great granddaughter, "Ann Marie," is also a true albino.

Being novices at first, when Buddy's two daughters were hatched, we did not pay much attention to the fact that these two birds, which were "naked," which means devoid of feathers, "pink" and "blind," did not have any indication of "eyes." But when "Ann Marie" was hatched, we were concerned that she did not appear to have eyes. We were very much worried that she might be "blind!" Her two brothers had "black" spots where their eyes would be when their eyes finally opened,after a week to ten days, but there was no indication with "Ann Marie." We frantically called a bird breeder friend of ours and asked her about what we should expect. Our friend told us that "Ann Marie" was an albino and would not show any indication of eys until her eyes opened.

The Story of Our "Little Bits"

Permit me to go back a couple of years. There is a "Bird Show" twice a year, every "Fall" and every "Spring." The "Fall Bird Show" took place about 2 weeks after Hurricane "Katrina" hit the Gulf Coast of Texas, Louisianna, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Fully one-third of the vendor tables were vacant, and there was no  "English Budgie" to be found anywhere in the "Fall Bird Show!"

Since Jeanne had to work that particular Saturday, 24 September 2005, shortly after "Hurricane Katrina,"  she asked me to go to the bird show and buy a green and yellow female "English Budgerigar", also known as an "English Budgie" After searching dligently for an English Budgie, and finding none, I was not going home "empty-handed!" I bought this cute, tiny, green and yellow, female parakeet. The bird breeder said that the bird was only three months old and would not be able to mate until she was at least 9 months old. I named her "Little Bits."

When Jeanne awoke later that Saturday afternoon, (Jeanne is a Registered Nurse who works the Night Shift at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland A.F.B. just outside of San Antonio, Texas)  she asked me where the green and yellow female "English Budgie" was. I told her that there were no English Budgies at the bird show.

"Then, you didn't buy a bird." she said.

"Well, that is not entirely true!" I replied.

"What did you buy?" was her next response.

"Well..." And then, I showed Jeanne the cute, tiny, green and yellow, female parakeet, which I named "Little Bits." I told Jeanne that the bird breeder, who sold "Little Bits" to me, said that she was only three months old. Taking this information purely on faith, we let "Little Bits" mingle with our flock. That was a BIG Mistake...

To our surprise and general disgruntlement, she mated with "B-Bird" and laid 4 eggs. The first egg hatched, after the normal 18 day incubation period, and we were the owners of "Amani Lynn," a male "sky-blue"parakeet who was named after his maternal grandmother, "Amani Onjanue." The second one of her babies hatched much too soon and died shortly after it hatched. We named it "Adam." Then the third egg hatched, we were blessed with "Jeanne Marie," named after Jeanne. The fourth and last egg hatched, and out came this tiny, pink, naked and blind bird, which we named "Ann Marie." Since the albino gene is "recessive," both the hen and the cock have to have the "recessive" gene. We already knew that "B-Bird" was the fourth generation from our "Buddy," through her daughter, "Marie," to grandson, "Candi," to great-grandson, "Big-Bird" or "B-Bird" for short. Therefore, "Little Bits" had to have the "recessive" albino gene as well, although we knew absolutely nothing about her genealogy.

"Little Bits" was spunky. There is no other word to describe her. She was fiercely independent. self-assured, and an absolute "scream!" Her favorite past-time was to "slam dunk" her green and purple plastic ball into her water cup. She was all of perhaps 5/8 of an ounce, and having lost her tail feathers, she was only about 4 inches long, but she never let her size get in the way. Having lost her tail feathers, she really looked funny, and Jeanne and I called her "Fuzz-Butt!"Jeanne and I would spend hours playing with her. When she got "frustrated" with us, especially if we "double teamed her, she would "tug" at the corner of her blue tri-angular house. She would peck at us, but always "in fun." She loved to play and was an integral part of our family.

"Little Bits's Property Laws"

Bill Cosby did a comedy act in which he described the members of his family, especially his children. He described his 4 year old daughter who thought that everthing was hers: This is pretty close to how it went with "Little Bits,"

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my claws, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a week ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm doing something, everything involved is mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
8. If I think it's mine, it's mine.
9. If it's near me, it's mine.
10. If I can even see it, any where in the room, it's mine! 

 She gave us three beautiful babies, which we still have and love, especially "Ann Marie," our albino. Like other animals, birds forget their parents and siblings, so it is no small wonder that her older brother, which we thought was a female and  named, "Jeanne Maries," thinks that "Anne Marie" is HIS mate, and being in adjacent cages, "Jeanne Marie" goes "ballistic" where ever Jeanne or I take "Anne Marie" out of her cage. 

I put "Little Bits" into her cage the night of 29 August 2007,and covered up her cage as usual. But when I took the cover off her cage the following morining, she was exactly where I had placed her the night before, but she had died sometime during the night or early the next morning. Jeanne and I miss her terribly. I have written over fifty "eulogies" over the last thirteen years: a eulogy for each and every one of our birds and have filled an entire journal with the euloges to our birds. And certainly, the eulogy that I wrote to honor "Little Bits" has been the longest, if not one of the longest eulogies of all. Her eulogy took up the entire page!

TO READ "The Eulogy to our 'Little Bits II,'" SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEXT BOX. 

TO RETURN TO "Little Bits II's Story in the left column," CLICK HERE!

(TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX," ABOVE, CLICK HERE!) 

                                           Eulogy to our "Little Bits II" 

Little Bits, I think that I am going to miss you the most of all of our departed babies. You were the ONLY bird that I ever bought, since Jeanne and I have been married. Jeanne bought Mandilynne for me about 6 ½ years ago for my birthday, but I have never bought a bird myself, and for myself.

The 24 September 2005 Bird Show was held only about 3 weeks after "Hurricane Katrina" hit the Gulf Coast around 5 September 2005. About 1/3 of the "Vendor Tables" was vacant, because of the hurricane. There was not an English Budgerigar to be found in the entire show. Jeanne got home from working a 12-hour shift and had to go to sleep in order to be able to go back to work at 5 P.M. Saturday afternoon. So she asked me to go to the Bird Show and buy a Green and Yellow Female English Budgerigar. Since there were no English Budgerigars to be found, I saw you in a cage with other parakeets and fell in love with you.

I have always considered you to be "my bird!" I loved to play with you, and you apparently enjoyed playing with me. One of your favorite past-times was to yank on one end of your navy-blue triangular house and flap your wings like you were trying to fly out of your cage and take your house with you. One of your favorite toys was the green and purple plastic ball, which you carried around in your beak and shook with your beak, until at last, you had "slam dunked" your ball in your water cup, which is where I usually found the ball.

One of our daily routines was to take you into Jeanne’s bathroom and to set you down on a piece of toilet paper and to tell you to "Go Poo," which you normally did.

You were a "handful" in more ways than one. You were a little bird who fit perfectly in my hand. You were also a self-assured little bird who feared nothing and no one. Most of all, you gave us Amani Lynn, Ann Marie and Jeanne Marie as your legacy. But you didn’t stop there! You continued laying about 80 infertile eggs, all or most of which would have hatched, had your mate been in the same cage with you.

When I bought you, I was told by the bird breeder, that you were only 3 months old, so Jeanne and I thought that it was safe to leave you outside of our cages to be with our other birds. Little did we know that you were about 9 months old and able to reproduce. Jeanne and I always called you our "Mormon" bird, because of all the eggs that you laid.

I am going to miss you terribly, even as I miss you now. Jeanne suggested that we bury you in your navy-blue triangular house, but we forgot. I was also going to bury you with your favorite green and purple plastic ball, but I also forgot to do it. I set you on the compute desk facing the computer monitor, so that you can "watch" me type your eulogy. So long for now, "Little Bits II", whom I often just called "Bits," or "Scruffy Fuzz Butt," or just "Fuzz Butt!" To me, those were "terms of endearment" to show my love for you. You were named after one of the babies who died just a few hours after hatching from one of the eggs that our "Buddy" laid in October of 1996, when we lived at 823 Thorndyke in Northwest San Antonio.

So long, for now, baby. We look forward to seeing you and our other birds on the other side of the veil. Please give our love and best wishes to all of our babies until we see and raise you all once more.

Jeanne and Randy Faulk

30 August 2007

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The Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr. was once asked if animals have souls. He replied that they did, and one day each of our pets will testify as to how well we treated each of them. Jeanne and I believe this to be true and live in the hope that we will someday have each of our babies back for us to once again raise and love for all eternity. (The Editor.)

TO RETURN TO "Little Bits II," CLICK HERE!

TO RETURN TO THE "iNDEX," ABOVE, CLICK HERE!

A "Corollary" to "Puppies for Sale"

During a visit to the breeder's home, just outside of New Braunfels, Texas, we were told that whenever a baby bird comes out of the nest box and is either sickly or weak or deformed, the breeders throw the baby bird to their cats. Jeanne and I almost cried when we thought of the cruelty and fright inflicted upon one of God's little creatures. Jeanne and I sat down at the breeders' dining room table, and I proceeded to tell them the story of "Puppies for Sale." As I told them this story, my mind reflected back upon my own treatment at the hands of my foster mother in 1957... 

Essentially, the story, "Puppies for Sale," tells the story of a boy who visits a local pet store to buy a puppy. He asks the pet store owner to bring out the puppies. Giving a whistle, the pet store owner gets "Lady," the puppies’ mother to come down the aisle with all of the puppies following behind her. The little boy asks the pet store owner what is wrong with the last puppy, which is lame and lagging behind the others. The pet store owner says that that little dog doesn’t have a hip joint and therefore, can’t run and frolic like its siblings. The boy offers to boy the puppy, but the pet store owner tries to dissuade him, but finally offers to give the little lame puppy to the boy. The boy refuses to take the puppy for free and tells the pet store owner that the puppy is worth just as much as the other little dogs. When the pet store owner tries once again to dissuade the boy, the boy sits down in a chair and pulls up his pant’s leg to show a leg encased in a large metal brace. The little boy then says that he cannot run and play like the other children and that the puppy will need someone who understands.*

By telling the bird breeders this story, I was able to convince them of our sincerity in wanting to save these baby birds from a horrible death. Jeanne and I promised the bird breeders that Jeanne and I would drive the 130 mile round trip from our home in Northwest San Antonio to New Braunfels to buy any little bird that was sickly, weak or deformed at "full price." All that the breeders had to do was call us a few days in advance so that we could make the trip.

*Chicken Soup For The Soul, Volume 1, "Puppies For Sale," Page 65.

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The Story of Our "Mandy Jeanne"

 One of our very first ventures to rescue a baby bird took place on Christmas Eve of 1997, when we drove the 130 miles round trip to buy a baby bird, which Jeanne named "Mandy Jeanne." The breeders told us that apparently the mother bird had sat much too hard on the bird in the nest box. When the baby bird was to emerge from the nest box, its legs were "spraddled out" like oars on a row boat. True to our word, we paid the breeders full price and took our little Christmas treasure home with us. "Mandy Jeanne" had teal blue feathers and a very sweet disposition. I would often put her in my shirt pocket while I was working on our computer, and she would go to sleep in my pocket. All of a sudden, she would stick her head out of my pocket and look around. I let her "run up and down" the computer keyboard, and peck at the keys, until she got tired. Then I would put her back into my shirt pocket, and again she would go to sleep. I gave her an appropriate nick-name: "Pocket-Keet," which finally evolved into "Mandy Keet" or just "Keet."

I took "Mandy Jeanne" with me to the Post Office one Saturday morning to mail some letters. While there was no one around, I weighed each letter on the postal scale: "letter, letter, letter, BIRD, letter, letter, letter! "Mandy Jeanne" weighed in at 5/8 of an ounce!

We took "Mandy Jeanne" to our Vet, Dr. Bill McGeHee to see if he could straighten Mandy Jeannne's spraddled legs, Bill put a piece of styrofoam between her legs and taped the styrofoam to her legs with surgical tape. No sooner than we got her home, "Mandy Jeanne" would lie on her side and pick at the tape with her beak, until she freed herself. We finally gave up and let her be! "Mandy Jeanne" lived with us for 18 months and died on 25 June of 1997. I wrote her one of my most "moving" and "loving" eulogies, which is still in my journal. For a little bird that was considered of no value to others, she was our little treasure and our Christmas gift from Heavenly Father to love, protect and nurture as our very own.

TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX," ABOVE, CLICK HERE!

The Story of Our "Rho-Rho"

Our thrid trip to New Braunfels was 11 days after my 51st birthday. We bought a cute, little green and yellow male parakeet which had a deformed and shortened leg. Jeanne named him "Rho-Rho." One Sunday evening, Jeanne and I put "Mandy Jeanne" and "Rho-Rho" into a small cage and took them with us to the home of Iganacio and Alma Hernandez and their 3 children. I was the Hernandez family's Home Teacher, and my lesson was on "Overcoming Obstacles." What better way to teach this concept than to show the Hernandez family our two baby birds who had severe physical challenges, but which none-the-less were loving and grateful for our love and care. I told the Hernandez children that if these two little birds could overcome their physical challenges, and show the kind of love that they showed to and for us, then people could overcome whatever challenges they may have to face, without hatred or bitterness.

Jeanne and I bought a beautiful green and yellow female English Budgie, which Jeanne named "Kari-Mel," after Jeanne had first bought Kari-Mel's brother, a handsome teal blue English Budgie,which Jeanne named "Kira,"  three weeks before. "Kari-Mel" fell in "love" with "Rho-Rho" at first sight. Although he could not mate because of his deformed leg, "Rho-Rho" was the only male for whom "Kari-Mel" would lay eggs, even though the eggs were infertile. When "Rho-Rho" died on 10 April 2002, "Kari-Mel" grieved for at least a week.

I never knew that a bird could grieve, until Jeanne and I saw "Kari-Mel" grieve over the death of "Rho-Rho." "Kari-Mel" lived until 21 November 2004, and was the surragete mate of Periwinkle II until she died, but she never laid any more eggs after the death of her beloved "Rho-Rho."

TO READ MORE ABOUT "KARI-MEL," IN "OUR B.I.R.D.S., BK 2," CLICK HERE!

TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX," ABOVE, CLICK HERE!

TO BEGIN THE STORY OF "MANDY JEANNE," ABOVE, CLICK HERE!

TO RETURN TO "Our B.I.R.D.S.," CLICK HERE!

The Story of Our "MandI-Keet"

Jeanne and I went to the Petco store on Bandera Road in San Antonio on 28 September 2007 to buy the three parakeets that Jeanne had seen at Petco a week before. As we were just about to leave with our three birds, Jeanne pointed to a little cobalt-blue parakeet which apparently had an injured foot. We bought and came home with 4 baby parakeets. Two were females, whom Jeanne named, "Azure" and "Jeanne Two." The other two were males, whom Jeanne named "Audacity" and"Mandy Keet," because the little cobalt-blue parakeet reminded us of our "Mandy Jeanne."

On Monday morning, 22 October, just about 3 weeks after we brought him home, I found "Mandy Keet" on the bottom of the cage. He was almost dead. I awakened Jeanne and asked her to take a look at him. She immediately began to treat him, and we thought that there was a chance that we could save him. He died in my hands around 8:20 P.M. on Thursday, 25 October 2007. It would seem that we exercised poor judgment by buying a bird that was severely compromised, but we felt that the other birds would kill him if we did not get him away from that enclosure at Petco. We gave "Mandy Keet" another 27 days of love and nurturing, so we are not in the least upset that we bought him and brought him home to love and protect him. To care for our  Heavenly Father's little creaturesis what we were meant to do, and to progress in our earth life in order have and to develop the compassion to care is what we were meant to become...

 TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX," ABOVE, CLICK HERE!

 Eulogy to Our "Mandi-Keet"

Little One, you were with us for only a short time. Jeanne saw you in the cage with the other baby parakeets at the PetCo on Bandera Road, just inside Loop 1604. I noticed you sitting on the bottom of your cage, and you reminded Jeanne and me so much of our "Mandy Jeanne."

Jeanne bought you as an after thought because it appeared that your leg was hurt and because Jeanne was concerned that the other birds would further harm or even kill you.  

You took to us from the very beginning, and we loved you at first sight. You stayed with us for only 27 days, from Friday, 28 September until Thursday night, 25 October 2007.

I better understand now, what the Savior meant when He told his disciples during His "Sermon on the Mount, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." *

You and all of our other babies are our treasures in heaven, and where all of you are, we want, some day, to be also, because our hearts are with you all!

May God Bless You and Keep You in His Constant Care Until We Meet and Raise You Once More.

Jeanne and Randy Faulk

25 October 2007

*Matthew 6:19-21

 TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX," ABOVE, CLICK HERE!

Story of Our "Midget"

"Midget" got his name  because of his size. He is a parakeet, but a relatively small one. Only Mandilynne," a tiny cobalt-blue parakeet, weighing about 1/2 to 5/8 of an ounce is smaller. (On 9/28/2007, Jeanne and I bought an even smaller Parakeet,which we named "Audacity," who is even smaller than either Midge or Mandilynne.)  The hen, "Teal" is the daughter of our late "Amani Onjanue," but has none of her mother's sweet dispositiion. When "Midget," whom we nick-named "Midge" was hatched, he was tiny, pink, naked and blind, like any other newly-hatched parakeet. But 2 days after he emerged from the egg, "Teal" bit him on the right side of his tiny head, midway between his eye and his ear. Since a baby parakeet doesn't have much blood in his body, Jeanne immediately put a styptic solution on the wound to stop the bleeding. A few days later, "Teal" bit him again.

Jeanne and I were faced with a quandry: if we took "Teal" out of the nest box to prevent her from killing "Midge," who would feed and keep him warm? Most father birds will only feed their female who is sitting on eggs or incubating new hatchlings, and sometimes the father bird will not even feed the hen. But to our knowledge, no father bird will feed and nurture the hatchlings. In fact, most males will kill their young, if the hen is not there to protect them!Jeanne and I decided to take a chance and put "Candi,"the father bird in the cage with the nest box in which the four hatchlings resided.

To our surprise and delight, "Candi" fed his four babies and stayed in the next box to keep these four naked baby birds warm. Jeanne said that due to the fact that "Candi" was the grandson of our late "Buddy" and the son of Buddy's daughter, "Marie," he may have inherited both Buddy and Marie's disposition. At any rate, "Candi" taught "Big-Bird," "Wings," "Third-Bird" and Midge" to eat seed, and to drink from the "Lixit" water bottle. "Midge" may have inherited his handsome purple plumage from his paternal grandfather, "Dana Brent," but he also inherited his sweet disposition from his maternal great grandmother, "Buddy," his maternal grandmother, "Marie," his father, "Candi" and his paternal grandmother, "Amani Onjanue." Thankfully, "Midge" got nothing from his mother, "Teal!"

"Midge" is now a little over four and one-half years old. He is still one of our favorites. Jeanne trained him to climb up onto her finger shortly after he left the next box at about 6 weeks of age. Birds forget who their parents, grandparents and siblings are, shortly after they leave the nest box. But it almost seems like "Midge" with his purple plumage and "Dana Brent," the orginator of the "purple line," as they frequently hang out together, know each other very well.

TO RETURN TO MIDGE'S STORY IN CHAPTER 3, CLICK HERE

"Foot" Notes: 

I could be very much mistaken, but I do not think that many bird owners are as "eternally" attached to their birds as Jeanne and I are to ours. Never-the-less, since there are many bird owners who intentionally or otherwise, mistreat their birds, I hope and pray that those of you, who anticipate owning a bird, will take a page from our experience and take good care of your bird(s). 
                                                                                   -The Editor.

Here is an article, from a Bird Owner, which I reprinted in its entirety and verbatim...Maybe I "AM" mistaken!

Loved Ones

We recently lost our first parakeet, Lilly, to what we believed was a tumor. In the five years that she was with us, she brought us joy, comfort, laughter, and now sorrow. Though we will miss her dearly, we will never forget her.

We especially remember how she would slide down her house to let us kiss her on the back, and cock her head as if to say, "Love ya." I can't help but feel she is with us, and it would bring us such happiness to let others know how special these litte creatures are.

Thank you BIRD TALK for the guidance that you gave us in raising our little Lilly. She was a happier bird because of all you taught us.
                                                   -Seth and Jacquie Miller, Kentucky

Bird Talk, December 2007 Issue, "Anniversary Collector's Issue," Page 8.

(Editor's Note: The picture of the bird at the top of this page looks very much like our "Azure," which Jeanne and I bought on 28 September 2007. She has a beautiful "mantle" across her wings and back. She is a mixure of light blue and  lavender, and has a pastel yellow head. The mantel is pastel gray, lavender, and blue.

TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE," CLICK HERE!

TO RETURN TO THE "INDEX TO OUR BIRDS," CLICK HERE!