Birdy Blues

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” Genesis 1:20

You should listen to this song while you read this post.

Baby and Tuttie-Fruittie

My bird, Tuttie-Fruittie, died this week. He was 18 years old. He was a green-cheeked conure parrot. See his little green cheeks in the picture? What a sweetie. He was a GREAT bird! He never learned how to talk... birds raised in pairs seldom do, but he knew several fancy whistles.

His little buddy, Baby, my sister's bird, is still alive and kicking. (You have to cut her some slack on the name... she was 9 when she bought him.) Baby took a trip to the vet this week to make sure all was well, and got some special pellets to beef up his weight. My grandma has been our bird-sitter for the past several years (their squawking doesn't bother her!) and I have to admit that although my bird has not been my constant companion since I left home for college I was much sadder than I expected over his passing. I did have him for more than half my life.

I held a little birdie funeral on Sunday. The weather was perfect for it. If you remember... it was raining, but it was a gentle rain. Birds were chirping and flying around in the back yard and over the lake behind my father's house. I dug a deep hole, wrapped his little body in paper and said goodbye. Now I just need to find a plant or flower to mark the site.

I have great memories of feeding him grapes, teaching him how to whistle, and laughing at him while he splashed in a shallow bath. Yeah, I guess that makes me a bit of a bird-brain. He'll be remembered fondly.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26