Hobbies

Everyone has hobbies. Its what keeps life interesting. I, myself have many interests which seem to crowd my leisure time. Some of these include reading (anything but fiction), horse-back riding (my first love), cake decorating (sometimes for profit), writing (letters and articles), and walking (sometimes for profit). As you can see these are all fun and time consuming. For the last six years or so, my greatest love has been parrots, I think a love of birds runs in my family since my uncle raised and raced homing pigeons all his life.

Before I got married and again after I had my two children, I took care of other people's toddlers during the day. This grew into a small day care operation which I ran single-handedly from my apartment. As my own girls grew up and no longer needed a stay-at-home mom, I took an office job. I think the mother aspect of my personality was still hankering to care for someone or something. Now was the time to get a pet. I didn't want any old cat that would shed and wouldn't be anything special and I certainly didn't want a dog that someone (me) would end up walking all the time. Birds seemed different and special but also expensive. Of course I didn't want a tiny canary, it would have to be a big parrot - one who would talk - or nothing!

For a while I visited pet stores and read bird magazines and became convinced I would have a parrot but the cost was holding me back. Finally I just decided if God wanted me to have a bird He would do something about it. (Let go and Let God is my motto.) Within days someone in my building hung a notice that they must let their two cockatiels go. Their family was expanding and they were moving so the birds and the cage were free for the asking. I had to have them sight unseen! And what a sight they were The poor things were living in a tiny dirty cage and eating corn flakes! She ran out of bird food). One, the female, had only one eye and the male had a broken wing which healed crooked.) My heart went out to the pair and now I had to take them to get them away from that abusive home, They were terrified of the four children who lived there.) I ran out to get a huge cage and food supplies. Back home I set up the cage and quickly picked up the birds. Now my life at a bird owner began. With the food and environment changes, both birds, Ginger and Basil, fattened up and whistled their hearts out (Their favorite commercial was the doublemint gum one.) I made a vet appointment as soon as I located an Avian vet in the neighborhood. Both birds were given vitamin shots and were surprisingly healthy in spite of their previous owner. I guessed they would have had to be hearty to live the way they were. Cockatiels are supposed to have feathered crowns on the top of their heads but the female had overpreened the male so much that he went bald. Talk about hen pecked!

After a few weeks, the female laid an egg! I think she was as shocked as I was! (The previous owner said they never laid eggs for them - no surprise there.) Next thing I knew, Ginger was busy sitting on eggs right on the floor of the cage: she didn't even need a nest. Cockatiels can lay 5 eggs, one every other day. Now I had to get ready for babies! After a few weeks I realized that these would not hatch. I imagine the eggs were infertile due to the age of the parents, the years of malnutrition and neglect, or the injuries both had suffered. Ginger continued to lay eggs and was very protective of them. I kept these two birds for two years before realized they would never be hand tamed since they were so terrified of people - no wonder. A friend of mine was setting up an aviary and no doubt these two would be great foster parents once they got an egg to hatch. I gave this friend my cockatiels and set my sights on a bigger bird.

After checking out the pet stores once again, I saw two cute little African Grey parrots. Both were six weeks old. The larger one was a Congo, and the smaller, a Timneh Subspecies). They were not yet weaned but were for sale. They could go home at about 14 weeks, Even though my husband and I were preparing for a cruise at the time, I just had to leave a deposit on the smaller, cuter Grey. He reminded me of a little peanut and that became his name. Every few days I went by the shop to visit my bird. I wanted him to know me before I took him home. Finally we had to leave for Florida for our first cruise and I was both happy about the vacation and sad to leave Peanut. However, right when we got back was the time to take Peanut home!

Peanut is now 2 1/2 and quite a character! He talks, sings, dances, mimics the phone ringing, and the phone conversation. He loves pizza and chicken legs. He lays "up" whenever he wants to be picked up, which is always. He will even lie on his back to get tickled. I would never have believed a parrot could be so much fun if I didn't see it for myself