Parakeet

Here is our new family member [click for larger image]:

It's been nearly a year since Rainbow died, and I have missed that noisy little creature. How defended I am, though -- when I decided the other day that it was time to get another, what flashed in my mind was that image of Rainbow, stiff at the bottom of his cage, and a doubt that I was willing to suffer another loss, even such a small one.

Oh, my.

So I ventured out yesterday, and came home with the boldest, bravest in the cage. Nearly a year old, and untamed, already this morning he will hop on my finger. Last night I caught just a bit of discussion on the radio about Joseph Campbell, and a story with the moral: Take what talks to you, not what silently glitters.

[A young woman is given a choice of a plain egg, that speaks to her; or a bejeweled one, that does not. Of course, when opened, the plain egg spills out gems and the fancy one, spiders and snakes -- which are treasures of a sort themselves, are they not?]

This made me smile, as there were several birds in the big cage that were much prettier than this one -- some of those white- with- blue- clouds parakeets that I think are gorgeous -- but this one seemed to choose me.

I don't know his name yet. A friend named Rainbow (yes, you didn't think that sounded like a name I would choose, did you?) Any suggestions?

I got a spam email this morning with the subject line:

There has been an alarming increase in the number of things you know nothing about.  

It was almost good enough to get me to open it.

Almost.