Throwback Thursday Post #2

When I was a kid, neighbors up the road from us had a ton of baby parakeets born.  They were selling them for $10 a pop.

My parents allowed me, for my 10th birthday, to purchase one.

Mine was blue with a lovely yellow head and green and black markings. 

I was told that when a parakeet is a baby the top of its beak is sort of light pink or violet  and it either turns brownish pink if it's a girl or violet or blue if it's a boy.  They told me that only the males can talk.

I named my parakeet Pixie and waited to see what sex my bird was.  And I started trying to teach Pixie to talk right away.

Within about six months, Pixie's beak was blue and HE started talking.  Pixie said the following phrases:

"Pretty Pixie"

"Pretty Birdie"

"I'm not a bird."

"Birds don't talk."

"Dogs eat birds."

My mom also Taught Pixie to say "Joel's a jerk."

Also, he whistled Beethoven's fifth symphony.  And he barked.  Like our dog.  Seriously. Once our dog was away at the groomer and I heard barking and was so confused... I searched all over the house until I realized it was Pixie.

He liked to fly free in the house and he'd land on your nose and pick your teeth with his beak.

And he'd land on the edge of your drink and help himself. If one of my parents was having a drink drink he'd go to town and then fly right into the walls. 

Oh Pixie.

Silly Birdie!