Friday, March 8, 2013

New Delivery to the Bizee Bird Store

Today I got to do something unusual and fun.  I hope you don't mind me sharing.  I was making a delivery to a first time customer, Beverly Morlan, owner of the  Bizee Bird Store.  I was delivering a box of SweetPotatoMayas to her shop, and, oh my goodness was it dangerous.  I confess - I love birds.  I have a major weakness for baby birds.  Puppies?  Eh...  But baby birds??  Come to Mama!!

I had the pleasure of meeting 'Sophie', a very friendly Macaw.  She grabbed my finger, got on my hand, crawled up my arm and made herself at home on my shoulder.  Then, very gently, she gave me a  'honk-honk' on the nose!  I was tickled.  Literally.

Sophie on my shoulder :)

I had a java finch as a childhood pet - she flew around the house freely or hung out with me perched on my head or shoulder, and went into her bird cage in my room at night time.  I got her when she was about 12-16 weeks old, and hand-fed her and raised her.  She joined us at the dinner table quite often, picking up food she wanted, and drinking milk or water out of the edge of my cup.

I know what you're thinking.  But what about the bird poop?  Didn't it poop all over the place?  That's so gross!  And the answer is yes.  Of course she pooped.  What's the big deal? - 'Everyone Poops'.    You know how you love your baby to pieces, and changing your baby's messy diaper doesn't bother you?  Well, it was the same thing for me with my soft feathery friend ;)

there's me at the table with a bird...
Please don't turn me into the Agricultural Department, or the TSA, but when I was 12 and moved from Japan to the U.S., I put my little finch in a cloth bag, put her under my sweatshirt, and got on the plane.  She stayed in there, and chirped sometimes but it was so loud in the cabin that only I could hear her.  I remember it feeling very tense and secret mission-like.  I took her to the lavatory many times to let her drink water too.  Once inside the lavatory, I would take her out of the bag so she could stretch.   And I filled a bottle cap with water for her to drink out of.  She drank A LOT.  I realized the dehydration on the plane was the same for animals, as it was for humans.  But I remember being worried because she wouldn't eat.  All she wanted to do was drink.   What did I know as a 12 year-old girl?  Anyway, she made it with me all the way to the States, and lived 5 more wonderful years.  I should probably take this opportunity to say a very long overdue thanks to my mother, for helping me smuggle her in - holy crap that must have been the longest flight of her life.

Hmmmm.  I sort of got off subject there...sorry about that!

Anyway, Sophie was super fun, and her sweet friendly disposition just made my day.  Clearly, it brought back some memories O_o!    I wish I could have stayed at the store longer.  Thank you so much Beverly, it was really nice meeting you and Sophie, and I hope you enjoyed the SweetPotatoMayas!




13 comments:

  1. What a cute story about you taking her on an adventure to the U.S. Must be quite frightening if you got caught. Luckily you didn't. :)

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    1. I have thought about that - what if we got caught!! Yes, so lucky we didn't ;) And thanks for checking out the story...glad you liked it :)

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  2. Oh, what a sweet tale. Love you for your spendid attention.

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    1. Thank you Bob - I'm honored you enjoyed the story :) Much love to you and your work too. Thank you for sharing your beautiful shots!!!

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  3. I like what I see and read on your blog.

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    1. Oh wow...thanks Birdman. I think your writing and photos are wonderful and I really enjoy them :)

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  4. So I see you have a nefarious criminal past. Who knew? ;-) That was a very cute story, and I'm glad your little finch friend was able to remain with you in you, that she weathered the long trip, and that you didn't end up in prison (though I'm sure your mom would have been happy to bail you out!) :-) You make a great point about the dehydration - I feel badly for the animals who have to make long flights in the cargo hold, and sure hope they're provided with plenty of water!

    Sophie is gorgeous. It does make me sad to see these beautiful birds, or any wild animal, in captivity. I think they're meant to live free. But if they're going to be someone's companion, then I would want them to have a human as loving and devoted and caring as you!

    Have you seen The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill? I imagine you're probably a big fan! I love that film.

    That photo of you kissing the little bird is absolutely beautiful on every level. I mean it, it's stunning and so touching and should be published far and wide. If you don't mind, I'd love to pin it on my Pinterest board. (I think you look just like the actress who plays Sybil on "Downton Abbey" in that photo, btw!)

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  5. Thank you so much miss Laloofah - I am so glad you enjoyed the story :) I would be honored to have the photo Pinterested on your board! And what a compliment...thank you (**blush**)!! I am slowly joining the rest of the world by getting caught up on DA on DVD - we don't have cable :-/

    I have never heard of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill! I will definitely check it out, as I spent 20 years in the SF Bay Area too. Thank you so much for the recommendation :)

    My kids are in love with the pics of Val and Tino, by the way. They are sooooo cute and we can't stop looking at them!!

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    1. Thank you, SPM! (Wait, that looks like an abbreviation for spam. Can I just call you Maya?) :-) Your lovely photo is pinned to my Critters board.

      We just got caught up on DA ourselves over the weekend, when we finished watching the Season 3 DVDs we got from the library! We were without cable until we moved to town 18 months ago, so all we watched for the longest time was PBS and our DVDs. We didn't mind, but it's been an eye-opener since getting cable for the first time! Even now, we don't watch much TV, but are hooked on Netflix Streaming. We're getting caught up on "Lost" now. :-)

      Oh, you'll love The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill!! You must let me know what you think of it when you've seen it!

      I'll tell Val he's got a fan club! :-) And Tino would be so pleased to know that he continues to entertain and amuse from the nonphysical realm. :-) They really are cuties, I'm so glad I have their photos and that you and your kids are enjoying them!

      Thank you again for allowing me to pin your lovely photo! You really should submit it to the American Bird Conservancy or Audobon Society or something! It belongs on a calendar, greeting cards, book jacket... :-)

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    2. Well, I CAN'T NOT reply to such a kind reply!! :) And yes, please just call me Maya instead of SPM. I like your 'spam' thought better - I kept thinking PMS, and that's just not pleasant.

      Wow! You are taking on "Lost". We haven't gotten there yet, but I'm sure we will eventually! I'll let you know when I check out The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill for sure. Do I need to prepare myself?? Will it tug at my heart-strings and make me really really miss my little birdie??? :)

      Gosh, the honor is all mine with the 'pinning' - thank you! To think that picture is out there...on your pinterest wall...is a huge honor!!! I'm so excited :) I've hung on to that photo (for over 20 years) but never gave it another thought. Until it came in handy to add to this post. Who knew someone so lovely out there would like it so much! It makes me so happy :) Thank you miss Laloofah!

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    3. Hi, Maya! :-)

      LOL, "PMS" never occurred to me!

      Yep, we just started watching the last season of Lost. It's a real mind-bender. I love all the allegory and symbolism and subtle nods to historical figures - I'm sure a lot of it is going over my head, but I love it when I catch a reference or a pun...

      No, you don't really need to prepare yourself for Wild Parrots - though it will tug at your heartstrings at least once or twice, and will no doubt make you miss your little bird, it is overall a beautiful and uplifting film and I think you'll really enjoy it!

      Yep, I really do love that photo of you and if you don't have it in a frame in your house somewhere, you really should. I wish I had more Pinterest followers, I think it would have been repinned a lot by now, but I only signed up a couple weeks ago or so. I predict, however, that I will not be the only person who is very touched by that photo! :-)

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  6. I tend to stray off topic too. No matter. Cool birds. And I have 2 cats that would just LOVE to take them home. hahahahah

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    1. Ooh some birds can be downright mean - your kitties better watch out! And protect their eyes too ;)

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