Monday, August 27, 2007

Meet Frankie

I have a new buddy to pamper. Meet Frankie. (Short for Frank Sinatra of course) He's a 4-5 week old Canary that was hatched at my MIL's house. Isn't he just adorable? DH and I went down to Va Beach for a mini vacation last weekend and my MIL had 5 of these darling babies in addition to the mom and dad canaries. Each morning and evening the sound of these guys singing was enough to put a smile on even a tired traveler's face. Music really does sooth the savage beast it seems. So this little guy came home with us and now resides in his own little mansion in the living room. We can't be certain he's a male but I did catch him "singing" rather animatedly this afternoon so chances are good. I was surprised to hear him doing his little baby bird best to warble and trill like his Dad and he kept it up for a good 20 minutes while I set up his cage and got his food and water dishes filled. Of course I then had to catch him to move him to the new cage and he was quite offended at being touched so he stopped singing. He has a swing and a bell and a couple of hanging pretties that I just couldn't resist making for him. MIL also sent home a tape of canary song that DH and I enjoy as much as Frankie does. Actually the rabbits seem to be a bit more alert while it's playing too. I really think there is something to this bird-song thing.
I'm not sure what it is about fiber people and pets but nearly all the fiber folks I know have rabbits AND either cats or birds. Well, a couple also have poison dart frogs, comodo (?) dragons and chameleons but I've proven I don't do amphibians well. So the cat thing didn't work out for me, maybe I'm more of a bird person. I did enjoy my cockatiels (also thanks to my MIL) years ago and miss silly birdy faces. You know, birds give you the very same disapproving faces that rabbits do. Maybe that's the attraction. LOL
So current indoor zoo count is 2 fish, 3 hermit crabs, a handful of snails, 3 rabbits, one dog, one bird and a cricket that I can't seem to find and is driving me nutso at night.
I was reading a delightful article on handtaming canaries last night so I suppose I'll use my time between searching job postings and printing resumes to work with the little guy. The other thing I re-discovered over the weekend is just how very homesick I am for the Va Beach area. Ah well, maybe someday.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh cool, I didn't know that you were taking one with you. Do bunnies and birdies get along?

Elaine said...

Well, if I hadn't forgotten my cell phone and had to turn around to go back and get it we might not have gotten the bird. Ken was really tempted but wasn't sure I wanted to and I was thinking the same. In the end it was a last minute confirmation. Re: bunnies and birdies...so far neither has seemed to notice the other.

Anonymous said...

My dziadek/dziadziu (grandfather in Polish) used to raise canaries. The house was full of them. It was the only pet I was allowed to have as a small child and I think the backlash of wanting something warm and fuzzy I could cuddle is what made me go into angoras. (smirk)
Remind me, if I see you at Convention, of the story of little Johnny. (Can't spell his name in Polish LOL).
Chris O.