Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The Secret of Life

The Secret of Life, as any pet parrot can tell you, is knowing where the sunflower seeds are kept.
In my case, it's the kitchen cupboard that holds this big old bucket of trail mix.



I have to admit, I don't mind nibbling on the occasional dried cranberry or nut that I might come across, but, fortunately, sunflower seeds make up the largest portion of this mix. Any time my person is in the kitchen, I'm right there with her, pulling on her ear to remind her to open the cabinet and bring out the seeds. Sadly, she doesn't always obey me, but that's a subject for another post.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Parrot Sounds

That gray parrot, Trouble, is visiting again, sitting out there in the living room, talking up a storm.


I don't know why people think she's so interesting just because she can imitate the sounds they make. I'm pretty good at imitating sounds, myself, even if I don't usually choose to copy words. I can whoosh softly like a comb going through hair. I can flick like floss being pulled between teeth. I can beep like a microwave oven or a phone being dialed. And, as far as human sounds go, I can make a pretty good kissing sound, if I do say so myself. So it's not just about words. We professional parrots have quite a wide repertoire of sounds, and we add to it all the time. That is the fun of being  a parrot, after all.