Anniversary Treat Sticks

Jary and I are celebrating our third anniversary here. The humans recognize how lucky they are to have us gracing their home, and have presented us with our favorite goodies--treat sticks! We like all the flavors. There are sesame-banana, fruit, egg, honey-nut, and orange. We had an orange one yesterday. Delicious! We've observed that there is a unopened package of sesame-banana for the weekend! The manufacturer advertises that the parakeet given one will have "More fun! More fitness!". Hah! That's just a line for the humans--these are about as healthy as eating a soft sugar donut with chocolate icing!

G.

The Daffodils

Sep and I both like this poem by a guy named Bill Wordsworth. Fits the weather here--windy, cold and sunny. Lots of little flowers. The spring birds are coming, and the winter birds are going north. Makes you want to fly high and explore the world!
Jary

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine 

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay.

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed - and gazed - but little thought 

What wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood, 

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

A Tragedy

A sad thing has happened, right in the middle of a happy day. The outside birds were having a good lunch at the feeders, squawking, flapping about, enjoying the warm spring sun on their wings. Suddenly, there was a terrific thump. A bird had mistakenly flown right into one of the sliding glass doors. The poor bird dropped to the deck floor, trembled all over, and was still. It was a young red winged blackbird, with soft fluffy brown and orange feathers. We feel bad, because we worry that she could see us inside, and ignored the stickers on the glass in her eagerness to get in. We are comforted by the old saying that all birds believe is true, "He knows when a sparrow falls."
Jay-Jay

Saint Patrick

Today is Saint Patrick's Day. The humans go around saying "Everybody's Irish". We're not. We are native Australians--even Jary, despite being a very rich green color. The older female thought a picture of me perched on a cold potato would be somehow appropriate to the day. As you can see, I picked at it with my claw--but it is completely inedible! I would have much preferred a cabbage.

We approve of St. Patrick, though, because we read that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. We dislike snakes, especially the big black snake who suns himself out on the front lawn. This loathsome reptile was in the garage a few times last summer, and we could hear him brushing against the wall, doubtless saying evil things. I like to think of someone putting an end to him--preferably the end of a hoe!

Geoffrey

Birdwatching 9

American Robin: Turdus migratorius

The robins have started foraging for worms on the front lawn, now that the ground isn't frozen anymore. The humans always refer to them as "back", but they've been here all winter. Unlike the grackles and starlings, they are polite and companionable birds, except when they're hunting. Then, they don't like to be interrupted with idle conversation. We are seed eaters, primarily, so I can't get up a lot of gastronomic enthusiasm for a muddy, shrieking earthworm--but the robins seem to feel the same about worms as the human males here do about braised steak in gravy. When they are not "in the field", I've had interesting conversations with robins about lawn care. They don't like pesticides and herbicides on the lawn--it reduces the prey species.
Geoffrey

Female Solidarity

Dear Jay-Jay:

I agree with you that males can be very bossy and insensitive. Keep insisting on your rights! Remember, though, that they are not that way all the time. For example, the Dad two-legger is a good friend of mine. He has fur on his face, like I do. No one else here does. Oddly enough, he doesn't have any fur on his head--there is a bare spot. I lick that spot sometimes, when he's sleeping on the floor, to see if I can get some hair to grow, but none has so far. I feel bad for him. He made me a really neat toy--a kitchen sponge attached to a piece of elastic. I attack and shred the sponge while it bounces up and down. I love it.

I am seeing birds at my feeder now. Today, I even had a concert. I reclined on my ironing board nest, and watched a little house wren warbling away. He was perched on the top twigs of the bushes outside the window. He was not a professional singer, but it was a very nice concert. I would have clapped, but my paws don't make sounds when I strike them together. Maybe I should yowl next time?

Take care,

Furby

Stop Bossing Me!

I'm tired of Geoffrey and Jary telling me what to do all the time! One of them is always insisting that he gets to groom me or feed me, and they are always fighting over me. They say I don't know things, or that I'm silly and young. I wish they'd stop. I gave them both a talking to yesterday! From now on, I'm going to be treated with respect. After all, I've been here a year. I'm not a naive little thing any more! I'm an "heninist"!
Jay-Jay

RE: The Hungry 'Keet

I am rendered speechless. Well, almost..... I hope Mr. Noyes has no living relatives.
Geoffrey

The Hungry 'Keet

The cactus is blooming so pretty. It says, "Oh eat me, please!"
It sits in the sunny window, framed by the backyard trees.
It's leaves are scarred by beak marks, where 'keets have eaten before.
And the hungry 'keet came flying-
Flying-Flying-
The hungry 'keet came flying, up through the open door!

"One bite of you, yummy cactus! So crunchy and so sweet!
And then I'll take another bite. You are my favorite treat.
You always hurt the one you love...Yikes! A foot upon the stair!"
Woe betide the greedy 'keet-
Woe betake the greedy 'keet-
Who's caught in the sunny window, eating cactus there!

Jary