Amaryllis whisperer
Monday May 10th 2010, 11:48 pm
Filed under: Amaryllis,Friends,Knit,Wildlife

Last year, my friend Nancy gave me an amaryllis plant that had been given to her as a bulb kit but that had never bloomed for her; she thought maybe I could get it to this year. It’s gorgeous, Nancy, thank you, and I’d give it back now if you hadn’t moved away.

The parakeet came back to feed many times today.  I wonder, if I were to put a bird cage with an open door out there, whether it would climb right in and make itself at home–but I’m perfectly happy watching it being perfectly happy.

And yet.  Not so much when it hit the window flying in a panic along with the finch flock–going not quite in the same direction as the others, being not quite one of them. It seemed okay afterwards, but it sure sharpened the caged life vs. longer life question about it for me. I tell you–personally, I’ve gone for longer and found it’s okay for it to be that way.

This picture is for Rachel: I’ve started in on the Malabrigo Silky she wound up for me.

Meantime, I got the perfect Mother’s Day present from my daughter-in-law and older son: “Outwitting Squirrels.” Okay, you already know it’s going to be good!  And then the author quotes the owners of bird stores in Cabin John and Potomac, Maryland–I bet his kids went to the same schools I did.  The guy had great fun writing this.

My favorite part? His tale of a woman in Massachusetts who found some old LPs in her attic. She strung them on a rope separated by knots with her birdfeeder below: no squirrel could climb that stair-eo.

Then she got to watch them trying to jump down onto the top LP to hang downwards towards the feeder.  Here came the first: it got spun off into the snow.  Hey…! Cool! Do it again!

She described it as a line at Disneyland, waiting their turn. No food but almost as good.

I mentioned it to Richard and his reaction was, “Like the buffalo.”

Wait, the what?

And then he reminded me.  After the musk ox got reintroduced to Alaska, the buffalo did.  “Where the deer and the antelope play” had nothing on these guys.

Okay, so if I ever seriously think about parakeet cages I’m going to have to provide it a lot of toys. They’re members of the parrot family and can talk; I wonder if I could teach it to knit.  Or at least recite my line-by-line lace instructions so I don’t lose my place.


8 Comments so far
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I love hearing about the runaway parakeet and I too wish you could harness him into a cage. I had a parakeet, a lovebird and a quaker parrot, all three in their own cages. They were also allowed to sit in a treehouse I made for them and they all stayed put on their respective branches, most of the time. The quaker was the only one who could talk but I loved them all. Sadly, they have all passed on now, having lived with our family 11 years. They were noisy but lots of fun in a growing family.

Comment by Jody 05.11.10 @ 5:49 am

What a vision… a squirrel playground, a knitting parakeet and more, all in your backyard.

Comment by Channon 05.11.10 @ 7:48 am

Getting the ‘keet into a cage might be a bit of a trick. You’d need both food and water, and perhaps a toy or two. I may have a couple of toys, and I can supply you with some food, if you wish. Rotsa ruck.

BTW, did you see Abby’s response to the first item in her column this morning? Thought you’d appreciate that one.

Humor –

A man got into a hospital elevator with an orderly who was wheeling an elaborate machine. The device had several pipes, dials and gauges. “Man, I’d hate to be connected to that machine,” said the man.
“So would I,” agreed the orderly. “It’s a carpet shampooer.”

Comment by Don Meyer 05.11.10 @ 9:26 am

Too funny! That parakeet is probably really enjoying its freedom!

Comment by Joansie 05.11.10 @ 9:55 am

I just got a message on the nieghborhood email list about a FOUND parakeet. Kids at a nearby school noticed it, and when they put out a cage and then left, it moved right in. So they are trying to find its home. Their teacher thought of the neighborhood association because last year she provided the cage that helped catch a grey parrot and reunite him with his family. He got outside and got lost, so he picked a tree by a window that looked like his house and called to the people inside until they borrowed a bird cage. He climbed inside and posed for the photograph that was then sent all over. His owner/foster mother in the next neighborhood came and got him, and there was great rejoicing. But our climate here is a little less tropical bird friendly than where you are. And I’m glad to say that all five of our parakeets are at home and happy.

Comment by LauraN 05.11.10 @ 10:11 am

Does the parakeet enjoy the slinky too? Following its up and down movement…

Sounds like you have lots of entertainment provided by Mother Nature (and a sad neighbour, if one had to guess about the parakeet’s entry on the scene).

Comment by Suzanne in Montreal 05.11.10 @ 11:30 am

“stair-eo”

***groan***

Comment by Diana Troldahl 05.11.10 @ 6:13 pm

Hi Alison, this has nothing to do with today’s post, as entertaining as it was. My daughter (a knitter) has accepted a consultant’s job at Stanford after being laid off from Weyerhaeuser and will be looking for an LYS with a meetup group nearby. We don’t know where her apt will be but presumably near Stanford. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Comment by Joan 05.11.10 @ 7:02 pm



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