Aviary
Otto
Otto was a parakeet we had when Joe and I were young. I taught him tricks like walking up a toy ladder, sitting on my finger, or giving me a kiss. I never could teach him to talk like some parakeets will.
Dad thought he would try raising parakeets in our basement on C Street. He built several cages with special nesting boxes. I specifically remember one pair called Buttons and Bows. They actually did lay some eggs and baby birds were born. Parakeets are a high risk for disease and I believe the venture didn't last very long. By the way, Buttons and Bows was a popular song in the 1940's.
Jackie
When Rob and Cindy were little, I decided we should have a parakeet. We named him Jackie. He was quite a character. Robbie liked to tease him. Jackie repaid him by biting the small hairs at the back of his neck when he landed on Robbie's shoulder. Jackie did learn to talk but had a very limited vocabulary. "Pretty Boy Jackie" was his best line. He could also mimic a baby crying. His other phrase is too colorful for this website page.
I remember vividly the day Jackie died. He hadn't been himself for quite awhile. On this day it was so nice outside, I had as many windows open as possible. There was a light breeze blowing. Jackie seemed to like hearing the birds singing outside his window. As I was working in the kitchen, the birds seemed to be singing even louder and sweeter. When I went into the bedroom, Jackie was dead. It seems only logical that his little spirit had joined the birds singing outside of his window.
