Growing our Flock

With money burning a hole in his pocket and Rick's blessing, our family headed down to Sacramento to get Kenny a parakeet to love. Katie had decided she wanted one too (and she had enough money to get one - so Rick caved, yet again).

The requirements for the bird (to make it the best pet it could be) was that it be a baby (less than 3 months old & hadn't had it's first molt) and hopefully a male (it's hard to determine the gender when it's a baby). Katie found the bird she wanted at The Bird Shop and a nice size cage. It was a very very hard decision for her to make. She waffled once the clerk caught the bird and Rick held it. BUT when she heard Kenny wanted the bird if she didn't --- she changed her mind and decided it was hers.

Kenny was so torn up over deciding at The Bird Shop he actually got a stomach ache. With a little convincing that we could come back on Sunday if needed, we left that store and headed to another. Kenny found his little sweetie at Petco (just down the road from the bird shop). His bird is much younger.

On the way home we stopped at PetSmart to get Ken's bird its cage. Rick and I felt like we sprinkled the kids' money all over Sacramento County in this venture.

Once home we set up their cage locations with seed and water. Both kids kept a close eye on the new members of our flock. The little birds were (and still are) so scared. They've been taken from their bird siblings and put into a new environment with very large creatures (us) that might eat them at any minute.

This will be a long lesson in being rewarded for patience and hard work for each of the kids.

Neither little feathered friend has been named yet. Katie's bird has a pale yellow face and turquoise blue body. Ken's bird is mostly white with a sky blue color on it's lower half.

Earning a Pet

Kenny's been craving a pet of his own for a VERY long time. He's finally got Rick to agree to getting a parakeet (Budgie)... the only catch is - Ken must pay for all of it (bird, cage, food) himself. Ken doesn't have enough money right now, but is doing more chores to earn money. Recently he's been wiggling his loose tooth a little extra hoping the Tooth Fairy will help put more money in the pot. Last night Ken was successful (with Dad's help) in getting his tooth out. This morning he discovered the Tooth Fairy had left him $2 (a gold presidential coin & a bicentennial silver dollar). Then, when stashing the money away he found a baggie of money from his Easter eggs. He can't stand himself. He now has enough money for a parakeet and a cage.

why I love my husband

This is why I love my husband --- He is willing to be late to work so he can rescue a baby bird!

At 8am I am in the kitchen making Rick's lunch. I see a skirmish taking place outside in the branches of our oak tree (we've been watching a robin couple sit, hatch and raise a baby). A scrub-jay is trying to attack the nest and the parents were fighting back. I run outside and find an acorn on the deck to throw at the jay. Rick tells me (through an open bathroom window) to throw a bucket at the tree (a bucket?); I ignore him. The jay has fled the scene and the robin parents have too. There on the ground is a mostly-feathered baby robin - alive.
Rick, dressed in his work clothes, comes out and assess how to best get the bird back in the nest. He gets our biggest ladder and sets up shop - the ladder is not really tall enough. I make him wrap the bird in a paper towel so he can stand at the tippy-top of the ladder, stretch to pull down the branch, and try to get the bird back in the nest. ... and off to work he goes. My husband has a tender heart - that's just one of the zillion reasons I love him.

Bird update: The bird fell out of the paper towel. Ken & I put it into a planter box. It was fascinating to see how the robin parents found their baby and have been happily feeding it worms, bugs, & berries every 20 minutes. ... now to just keep Oreo (our cat) away from the whole scene.