Barney Our Parakeet

We were married about six years when
Dave wanted a parakeet, knowing I have
allergies to dogs and cats.

Well, he found the cutest baby aqua parakeet
and we named him Barney. He just looked like
a boy. It’s hard to know if you’ve never had a bird.

We worked, so on weekends we brought Barney
out of his cage and Dave was training him at
our kitchen table. He took to Dave right away.
This sweet little bird.

We moved and in time we felt so bad that Barney
was by himself. So we decided to buy our pet a
pet. We named him Calahan, and they loved each
other.

Now that Barney had his own friend didn’t change
the way he felt about David. He still took to Dave
and when the cage was opened he flew to Dave.

Now I tried to make friends with Calahan and did.
Of course his favorite was Barney. Now we decided
to buy more birds, and did then we had two cages.

Nine parakeets in all. One particular bird named
Romeo was extremely jeolous of Barney and
we had to separate them in two different cages.

Did I mention that Calahan was pure white?
Romeo was the same color as Barney, but every
time we brought him to our lips he’d twist and turn, ouch!

Those birds were so much fun, and David made a perch
a yard long with a stand where we placed newspapers beneath.
We hung two swings one on each end, and they would fight
or push a bird off if they thought he swung too long, Lol!

Once in a snowstorm David took one of the birds to the
Vets. He called first, and they said it would cost about
twenty dollars. Well, the Vet said if I take a blood test,
which led to other tests. Dave got all the meds and food
for all the birds to the tune of $80.00 on our credit card.

That was the early eighties.
We loved those birds a gift from God.
The birds loved us too! It’s a good feeling.
© Joyce Ann Geyer
~True Story~