Two New Family Members

I don't think I have introduced you to our newest family members: Buddy and Bluebelle. We have quite the zoo in our home these days. I have always loved birds, so when our neighbor got a tiny purple parakeet and was holding it on her finger outside one day, Abbey and I had the same idea - we need a bird. So we went down to the old souq and picked out a sweet yellow guy and Abbey named him Buddy. He adjusted well to his new home and let us hold him and stroke his feathers, but he seemed pretty lonely. A few days later Brett brought home Bluebelle and a bigger cage. Now there are two little love birds who are so sweet together and perfectly content. They sing, they argue, they preen, but mostly they kiss and cuddle. When we take one of them out of the cage, they call to each other in a reassuring way. Or maybe they are just cursing the rotten humans who keep holding them and disturbing their romantic bliss. Maybe they are asking the other one to create a diversion for an escape attempt. Sometimes Heavah (our neighbor and Abbey's friend with the purple parakeet) brings Skylight over and the three birds have a sleepover. For the sake of the flock we have made an exception to our family rule about no sleepovers.

Bluebelle (or Belle for short) isn't quite the charmer Buddy is. She is temperamental and she bites. We are having to work with her a little more each day, and I have to say she is getting more tame, but I don't think she will ever be as easy going as her cage mate. I have read that female birds are pretty testy most of the time. I guess even parakeets can have hormone issues.

Buddy is so relaxed that one day we were able to put him on Ci Ci's back for a few seconds before the cat got scared and ran away. Between the new birds and the fish Abbey brought home as a party favor, Ci Ci keeps pretty busy plotting and planning her instinctual obligatory investigations. Tonight we perched Buddy on a bowl of water and he gave himself a little shower of sorts. I think he might get some satisfaction from teasing the cat with his feathery habits.

When I was a little girl my dad gave me the nickname Dee Dee Bird. The Dee Dee part came from my little brother who couldn't pronounce Dianna. I'm not sure where the Bird part came from, but I don't mind. I too like teasing the cat at every opportunity.