However, (yep, you knew the however, was coming) what she failed to consider was the budgie cage filled with 6 young parakeets. Our loving couple had blessed us with 8 eggs that fall, 6 of which hatched into adorable little trouble-makers. We thought it would be cool to watch the process but, hadn't a clue as to the problems we were inviting into our lives.
The first thing that happened is that the male (Sam) dropped dead a few weeks after we purchased him a beautiful yellow mate (Samantha). Apparently, we had waited too long to get him a mate. He couldn't handle the stress. I guess he knew what was coming as the brood that hatched was a real rowdy bunch.
One day, one of them figured out how to open the cage door (my mother swore that I left it ajar after feeding them) and the whole lot escaped (except for Samantha, who was glad they were gone). I heard my mother yell, "Noooooooo! Nooooooo! The Christmas Tree!"
I rushed into the front room to find her shooing the flock from her precious tree. They were busily plucking off the flocking and pine needles. The front room was more flocked than the tree. Thank God my mother didn't have a gun because she probably would have shot the birds, me, and then herself!
By the time we caught all 6 (took about an hour during which time my mother was uttering all kinds of obscenities) the poor tree looked a little sad. There was white flocking and pine needles in every part of the house. My mother was livid.
The next day the parakeets were gone (all of them) cage and all. I never had the courage to ask her what she did with them. I had visions of her taking them to the Chinese restaurant at the shopping center down the street (Sorry, was that not politically correct to say?).
We went back to fake trees the next year. A green one this time!
kt2010
Oh no your poor mother...oh no the poor tree...and the poor parakeets! What a funny story though. We had a real tree the very first year we were together but after spending 16 months getting pine needles out of the carpet we got an artificial one.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your wonderful comments on my posts. I really enjoy writing about my mad little life and it is made all the more enjoyable by having such an encouraging and appreciative audience made up of lovely people like you. Thank you for your support and encouragement. I didn't realise when I started blogging that I would meet so many delightful people.
My sincerest best wishes for 2011. May it bring you much happiness and I look forward to visiting you many more times.
Warmest wishes
Carol
Newest follower! Can't wait to read all your uncommon thoughts!
ReplyDeleteMy family had one of those silver foil trees and the rotating circle of colored lights illuminating it. I thought it was really great.
ReplyDeleteHaving raised baby birds . . . I know what you are talking about!
ReplyDeleteYou know what . . . I absolutely hated those silver Christmas trees.
Thanks for visiting my blog . . . I'm partial to the squirrel cartoon too :)
Have an awesome day . . . Gina
http://peacelovehappinesshappens.blogspot.com
I bet you look for them in the trees every time you hear chirping birdies.
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I think your blog is fantastic! You are very creative and your posts are so enjoyable! Great work here!
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Java
My mother was so proud when she bought a silver tree. We all thought she'd lost her mind. And those rotating color lights - ugh!
ReplyDeleteMy first year married we got a real tree - scrawny tree. (all that we could afford). The water stand broke the first day, so we just leaned it against the wall. Do you know that a year later we were still finding pine needles in the carpet (last year that I had a real one!)
How funny! I had a parakeet named Kiki. She was sweet and I often took her from her cage and she would walk all over me and perch on my shoulder and make all sorts of little 'talky' noises at me. I started working a lot, so I got her a friend. Another parakeet, Coco. Coco turned out to be evil and made my Kiki evil, too. Where once I had a sweet bird that loved to 'groom' me, I ended up with 2 that tried to peck my eyes out. One day when I was cleaning the cage, they both pecked me up badly and then got out of the cage. I used to kill myself trying to catch them, this time I didn't even flinch when the flew out the door when the kids came in from playing. I know, I am bad!
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